National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo sent a letter of congratulations Friday to South Korean Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, who is set to be ordained as a cardinal this weekend, calling for his role in raising global attention for peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to his office.

You, 70, has been serving as Prefect for the Congregation for Clergy overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons since June 2021, and was appointed as one of 20 new cardinals by Pope Francis in May.

He will be sworn in at a consistory at the Vatican on Saturday (local time) to become the fourth South Korean to receive the cardinal red hat.

"You's ordination is not only wonderful news for the South Korean Catholic community but also for the whole country," Kim wrote in the letter, saying the event is "more meaningful, as 2023 is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of ties between Seoul and the Vatican."

"I believe You will become a light to all the poor and neglected here and abroad, and hope he and the Holy Father will continue to show interest and play a role for peace on the Korean Peninsula," Kim said.

The parliament, meanwhile, has sent a delegation of lawmakers from the ruling and the main opposition parties to the Vatican to attend the ordination ceremony and Pope Francis' holy mass. (Yonhap)