The Yellow Ribbon: A Symbol of Hope

By Sr. Nathanael Lee

Sr. Nathanael Lee is from South Korea and is a member of the Little Servants of the Holy Family, a congregation based in Korea. She is interning at JPIC's office in Washington, DC.

After Pope Francis’ visit to South Korea in the summer of 2014, everywhere you went within Catholic Justice and Peace gatherings people cited the Holy Father, who at a press conference on the plane back to Rome was quoted as saying, “…with human sorrow you can’t be neutral.” This was woven into the theme of Pope Francis’ five-day trip to South Korea and it resonates with me. His itinerary was packed with apostolic purpose, including his attendance at the Beautification ceremony of 124 Korean Martyrs, engaging young people at the 6th Asian Youth Day and meeting with marginalized people.

During the Pope’s visit, someone placed the yellow ribbon, a symbol of the Sewol-ho ferry disaster on his papal garment. Even today in Korea, the yellow ribbon symbolizes the sorrowful loss of over 300, mostly high school students, as a result of irresponsible actions by the ferry operator. Company officials were also investigated for underreporting the vessel’s weight, something that may have contributed to the accident. In a sense, the yellow ribbon implies solidarity with righteousness. Some considered the yellow ribbon a political issue and that by wearing it, the Holy Father was taking sides and making a clear political statement. The Pope responded to these criticisms by declaring he cannot remain neutral in the face of human suffering.  

During the Pope’s visit, thousands of devastated Koreans were consoled by his words, touch and prayers. The yellow ribbon symbolized, “I am with you. I will walk with you. Let us continue to hope.” The Pope did and still has this influence. Although not much changed in Korea after the Pope’s 2014 visit, I got the sense he inspired a compassionate way of thinking, personified by our savior Jesus Christ, that “there is no neutrality in the face of human suffering.”

It is not just South Koreans who can give testimony to the Pope’s love for people, especially for the poor and wounded. During his very recent visit to the U.S. I witnessed the same display of Pope Francis’ compassion. When he addressed issues of global responsibility it had the same effect of weighing on people’s conscience. But remember! Before you feel overwhelmed, he is not asking you to carry around a big cross, rather just a manageable cross much like a small yellow ribbon on your garment.