Officials in South Korea have requested their North neighbours to send a number of Catholics to a mass celebrated by Pope Francis during his tour of the country
Catholic bosses in the state asked Kim Jong Un's administration to send a representation six months ago but still hasn't received a response and has new renewed the call.
Pope Francis is to visit the Korean Peninsula between August 14 and 18. He's the first Pontiff to visit the region in 25 years and is due to attend a Catholic youth festival, beatify 124 Korean martyrs and bring a message of peace.
The Archdiocese of Seoul wants around 10 Catholics from North Korea to be given the chance to attend mass as a sign of religious freedom.
The country's constitution offers freedom of religion but in reality only services approved by the government are permitted. There are claims people caught giving out bibles have been sent to punishment camps or killed.
Father Hur Young-yup said he expects a response by early August but doesn't expect it to be positive.
Before the Korean War in the 1950s there were around 50,000 Catholics in North Korea.
Since an armistice to end the conflict the peninsula remains divided with the North test firing missiles on a regular basis.
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