The following is the text of a brief video message sent by the Holy Father Francis on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, signed on 27 April 2018, during the Inter-Korean Summit at the “Peace House” in Panmunjom, Korea:

Message of the Holy Father

Dear Friends,

I am happy to offer cordial greetings on this first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula. May this celebration offer hope to all that a future based on unity, dialogue and fraternal solidarity is indeed possible. Through patient and persistent efforts, the pursuit of harmony and concord can overcome division and confrontation. I pray that this anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration may bring about a new era of peace for all Koreans. Upon all of you, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings.