Pope Francis appointed Bishop Peter Chung Soon-taek as the new Catholic archbishop for Seoul on Thursday.

Chung, 60, was also appointed as apostolic administrator of Pyongyang.

“God is truly ‘beyond.’ He acts far beyond our human thoughts, so we cannot predict or estimate his plans or thoughts in advance,” Chung said.

“I ask for many people to pray for me so that I can follow the path of the wonderful former archbishops and spread pastoral care.”

He was promoted to archbishop simultaneously upon his appointment.

Chung is replacing Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung and became the leader of the biggest Catholic diocese in Korea. Yeom, 77, who was appointed in 2012 has expressed an intention to step down since he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Born in 1961 in Daegu, Chung graduated from Seoul National University’s chemical engineering department in 1984. After graduating he became a student at the Catholic University of Korea. In 1986, he entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites.

After being ordained to the priesthood in 1992, he went to Rome in 2000 to earn a master’s degree in sacred scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

Then he returned to Korea and was appointed as an auxiliary bishop for Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul in 2013. He was consecrated as a bishop in 2014.

Until recently, Chung has been serving as the president of the Committee for Youth Ministry of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.

Since all the former Catholic archbishops for Seoul, including Yeom, Stephen Kim Sou-hwan and Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, became Cardinal after being appointed, Chung is also expected to become a Cardinal soon.

Meanwhile, after Chung was appointed on Thursday, a special Mass was held by Yeom.

“I sincerely express my gratitude toward God for being there for me so that I can serve as the archbishop of Seoul during the past nine years and four months without great difficulties,” Yeom said during the Mass.