Wednesday, October 31, 2018

We Know What To Do But It's Difficult!

A high school freshman complains that he has a headache when he goes to the study hall. Teachers have told the students to keep windows closed because of the fine dust. Consequently, we have a room filled with fine dust made by the 100 students using the hall— chemicals coming from the desks and equipment in the hall, the sweat and foot odors etc., and carbon dioxide from the breathing. So begins an article in the environment column of the Catholic Peace Weekly by a member of the bishops' committee on the environment.
 

In such a space the students can't help but feel somewhat dizzy. Burn the whole house trying to catch a house bug is what the writer of the article humorously feels is happening. In Europe, the determining factor for children to concentrate is the degree of carbon dioxide in the classroom. We are suffocating the children to prevent fine dust from entering the classroom.

Korea has an indoor cooking culture; air quality is worse than foreign countries. Indeed, many studies have reported that room air is from 100 to 1000 times worse than outdoor air. So it's not healthy to be in an airtight room for fear of fine dust, ventilation is important.

Why does fine dust occur? Briefly, fine dust occurs when you burn something. Internal combustion engines, use of fossil fuels, exhaust gas from power plants, smoke from factories all contribute to our air problems. Among them, thermal power plants and vehicles cause the most problems. Air conditioners continue to increase because of the heat and household appliances such as heating appliances, kimchi refrigerators, and the like fill our houses.

According to a recent report by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry:  Korea's coal-fired power generation in 2017 increased 11.4%  from the previous year, a record high. Vehicles, which are identified as the main cause of fine dust, has increased from 33% (2002) to 42% (2016). Korea desires a decrease in fine dust but is doing the opposite. There is a lot of worry about fine dust, but the behavior does not change.

To solve the fine dust problem fine dust itself has to be reduced. It's not possible to fundamentally solve fine dust by recommending the use of air cleaners or masks that avoids fine dust temporarily and does nothing to eradicate the cause.

Many people blamed China for causing fine dust. However, we know now that the amount of fine dust generated in Korea is greater than the fine dust from China. We are the ones generating most of the fine dust that is bad for health, more harmful to children and the elderly.

However, parents are not conscious of this as they idle the car and wait for their children in front of schools and academies. In the space where children are breathing, parents do not know that they are generating dust particles themselves and are part of the cause of air pollution. Beginning from what I can do is the beginning of change.
 

The decrease of fine dust depends on each one of us. When we use anything that requires energy from burning, we are adding to the amount of fine dust in the atmosphere. The more needs I have, the more energy required and we have a vicious cycle.

When we order goods, factories make them, they send them by vehicles, but all of this requires energy that comes from burning. So the only answer is to live uncomfortably. Minimal life, Eco-life is the answer. How long will we continue to live and do the opposite of what we so desire— breathing clean air?

Monday, October 29, 2018

Death Where Is Your Sting?

Throughout the Catholic World, November is the month of the Holy Souls. In the Kyeongyang magazine, a religious sister gives us some thoughts on living a good life. We pray for the dead and are invited to meditate on death. It's not a topic of choice, especially when in today's world, money can give us the good things in life?  Is this not the reason the Church furtively gives us a nudge to uncover what we want to keep covered.
 

Many are those who like to think of death as no more than a leave dropping from a tree, becoming dust and disappearing into the earth. She feels they are nihilistic in their understanding of life and then goes on to give the Christian view.
 

At a funeral Mass, we hear often the words: "Death where is your victory? Death where is your sting?" For St. Paul death is the beginning of a new life. She mentions how her community has a tradition of attending the funerals of the sisters' parents. Death is experienced as a death of their own parent. Yes, nihilistic thinking is not possible for a Christian for no matter how difficult, sad, and disappointing life may be, hope is always present.
 

The American province of the sisters has an average age of over eighty and she lists some of the last words of those who have died which the community sends on to the other members spread throughout the world. Many have gratitude for the opportunity they had to share their God-given talents with others.
 

She concludes her article with the Russian novelist Tolstoy who spent much time meditating on the meaning of death. She brings to our attention the novel: The Death of Ivan Ilyich and how he died in peace after understanding how artificial his life had been.
 

Trying to attain what everybody considered success he suppressed the feelings that were real for the artificiality of life which he went on to seek. To reflect on a life without meaning is painful and facing death without future meaning is tragic.

Some live but are dead. She mentions the words of Tolstoy in one of his novels where he compares life to that of a farmer. When the time is proper he plants seeds, cares for the plants, and at the proper time harvests. He follows the laws of nature and does the proper things at the proper times—living virtuously. It's the good we do that gives meaning to life and will live after we are gone.
 

Death, we need to remember, is part of life it focuses our attention on what is important. One of the losses is leaving those we love but for those who believe, that is just one aspect, for death is also a gift. The good done will be the reason for our gratitude for life. We remember the love of those who have gone before us and try to pass on that love to others. She makes her own the words of St.Paul: Death where is they victory, where is thy sting? (1 Cor. 15:55)

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Suicide, Society, Pschology

An Authority in the field of suicide prevention and college professor has an article in the Kyeongyang magazine on suicide and its psychological underpinnings.

He begins telling the readers the theories for suicide are many precisely because those who kill themselves are all different. The common element is no longer hope in life; no one is there to help. Seemingly it is an extreme position and the act of one depressed.

In examining the psychological state of a suicide from 80 to 90 percent have some mental problem. However, in farming areas where they use virulent farming chemicals to kill themselves, this is not so easily discovered.
 

Stress is an element of many suicides. Genetics,  biology, personality, relationships with others, religious convictions, physical health, all come into the mix and influence the person's actions. In a study made in Finland, those who committed suicide were in 80% of the cases under great stress.
 

Influence from society is many. Alienation is a reason. The more one is relating the lower the rate of suicide. Loss of someone very close to the person, the marriage situation has a big influence. Alone, separated, divorce, the death of a spouse all have serious repercussions and for men more than women. Children are a help in these cases. In Ireland, those who marry before their 24th year have a higher rate of suicide. Out of work for a long period of time is a cause. Migrants have more suicides than the nationals because of the stress.
 

Freud saw suicide as the extension of depression. Karl Menninger, the American psychiatrist, said humans have a desire to kill, be killed or die. At the beginning of thoughts of suicide, all three may be present. In the end, one of the feelings predominate. With age the first two weaken and the last remains. Another reason for some is the hope of another life and release from the present one they didn't find to their liking.
 

One of the famous Korean psychiatrists gives a number of reasons for killing oneself. For some a way of getting back at what they see as abandonment.  You have the possibility of being on the other side of wanting to kill. And ends up killing oneself. You have those who want to join the dead of the family or friends after the difficulties they are experiencing in this life. Punishment for their failure to achieve what they desired. You have those who feel they are already dead; have no longer reason to live and want to get rid of their pain.
 

The pain of the attempted suicide and family is understandably great. The family thinks they are part of the blame. Which means they need support. Problems with the family: they don't know the 'why' of the attempted suicide. Losing a family member from suicide is a very serious issue for the family. Losing a family member by natural death is painful, by suicide how much more the pain. We should never underestimate the pain and do everything possible to help with feelings of depression, guilt and anger etc. that accompany the suicide. Support from the groups in society that are there to help is often necessary.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Joy From Nature

In the Catholic Peace Weekly, a city dweller returns to the country to farm. He has become a farmer's poet and writes an ode to nature and the joy it has given him.
 

His house is 30 years old with a lot of stories to tell.   He recalls a young couple who were planning to marry and even rented the room in which they were to live and bought a wardrobe cabinet but broke up because of family problems. The prospective couple left the cabinet in the room and sold it to the poet and his wife for half price.

When the neighbors heard they were thinking of buying the cabinet they with one voice, as if it was their situation, disapproved. Why not spend a few more dollars and buy a new one? Buying the cabinet of the failed couple will bring bad luck and many similar warnings continued.  The farmer and his wife were going to live in a one room situation and not open to spending money, so the suggestions fell on deaf ears.
 

Both he and his wife have had the cabinet for 30 years and they have lived well without any fuss. What does it mean to live well?  You eat, poop, and live honestly he says.
 

He and his wife one day recently sat in front of the wardrobe cabinet of the couple who broke up before marriage and exchanged stories. They hoped both found happiness in their new marriages and life.  All that stuff about bad luck buying the wardrobe of the couple, all nonsense.
 

That's right. He and his wife have become mountain dwellers. Not like living in the city where you have a monthly salary to look forward to.  So they have a lot of second-hand goods scattered throughout the house: clothing, shoes, luggage, electronic goods are almost all used goods. He and his  wife had a good laugh  "They are living  a secondhand life."
 

If you lived in a city surrounded by cement and asphalt and have lived with God-made forests, in comparison there is nothing besides comforts that money can buy, that they are missing.
 

However, what we have received in the mountain living are just too many to list. When you go to bed in the 17 pyeong earthen house and wake up in the morning, like an alarm clock, the mountain birds and grass insects are ready to sing for you. Better than any air conditioner is the mountain breezes, clean fresh air comes from the nearby forests. Mountain rivulets never dry; healthy, fresh green plants grow in a nearby garden, both on the mountains and plains you have all kinds of herbs and wild greens to eat.
 

No need to go by car to see the beautiful stirrings of nature. Each season has its flowers which bloom on their own: Purslanes, garden Portulaca, four o'clock flowers, and the sour-sweet wild raspberries are there. In the evening the shining abundance of stars but better than all are the grandmothers who like children one-moment sulky and the next moment laughing...You can't buy this with money. They are natures gift and joy.
 

On the day he wrote this he and his wife from 5 o'clock to 9 o'clock in the morning were out in the field working with the Sorghum and mung beans. Tired and sweating they returned to the house to wash and drink a fresh glass of water. His wife like a small child laughing: Water is delicious, a free gift of nature.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

On Young People the Faith and Vocational Discernment


On Oct. 6th, 2016 the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops on Young People the Faith and Vocational Discernment was announced. Preparations have included questionnaires, seminars, feedback from many different groups, all went into the Instrumentum Laboris,(document to help in the discussion) preparing for the assembly which started on Oct. 3 and will continue until Oct. 28. 

The Korean Church has spent a great deal of effort to determine the problems associated with the lives of the young and the way they look upon religion. Korean young people said, no doubt with some sarcasm, they are the 'give up generation'  life is not as good for them as it was for their parents.

One of the bishops present from Korea was quoted as saying that he has met young people who are fearful of the sacrifices and the lifestyle that reunification between North and South Korea will demand but he believes that the majority are willing to accept the difficulties for they see the benefits.
 

We have for many years worried about a war between the North and South. This has changed, said the bishop. He responded to the news of a possible visit of Pope Francis to Korea. He does feel that this would be a good way for the North to join the international community but requires some change in the way the North has behaved in dealing with their citizens and religious freedom is not the least of these problems.
 

A young woman writes in the diocesan bulletin of her desires from the Synod. The young people have responded in great numbers both in group meetings and on the social media in their hopes for the Synod. They want to see authenticity, more concern for relationships, and concern for justice. She quotes from the document especially from # 66 to 71 and  #158.
 

Young people want zero tolerance for sexual and financial scandals in the church and more so, desire for the light of the Gospel to shine in the world. They want to see more concern for relationships than with  structures. A more welcoming, loving church and to experience the joy of the Gospel within the community. "Today’s young people are longing for an authentic Church. We want to say, especially to the hierarchy of the Church, that they should be a transparent, welcoming, honest, inviting, communicative, accessible, joyful and interactive community."

She mentions the place of women within society as a concern for the church. The church needs to be interested in the problems within society and dialog is required. Also, young people are usually very sensitive to the fight against corruption and the issue of discrimination— "indicating the promotion of the dignity of women as the first area of engagement."

She concludes her words by asking: before we propose the virtuous life to the young people the community of faith has to give us an example of what this means by living the virtuous life. This is  what young people want to see and follow.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Prayer that is Action



Anthony Bloom (1914-2003) was an atheist,  studying medicine he had a dramatic conversion experience reading the bible. He later became the archbishop of the British Russian Orthodox Church. So begins the column: In the Believers Eyes of the Catholic Times.
 

When he was an atheist, the patients that came to him were treated as a means and tools to bring him success and wealth. But after his conversion he changed his attitude, treating each patient as an unique individual.
 

Bloom had an unforgettable experience when working one summer among the Alaskan Eskimos. Eskimo Christians do not distinguish between prayer and work because they have a deep understanding of the totality of life. At that time, Bloom participated in a volunteer program to build a high school. One day he was digging a trench for sewage. It was a tough job.  An Eskimo approached and watched as he worked and  said: "You dug a trench and glorify God." The Eskimo was only encouraging him but Bloom had never forgotten his words. No one was interested in him but the Eskimo showed interest. Thanks to his friend, Bloom gained strength, for every shovel of the earth became a prayer to God.
 

Archbishop  Bloom says: "prayer has meaning only when it accompanies life. If life does not follow, and prayer and life are not in agreement, prayer becomes a kind of gracious poem offered to God, occasionally. Our life needs to become our prayer. This is action-prayer.  

He mentions a Korean poet who in one of his writings speaks about a conversation with a friend who had to endure kidney dialysis for 20 years. His friend went to the hospital twice a week and sat on the dialysis bed for three or four hours. He showed the poet both arms that were filled with needle marks. The poet offered some words of concern on how difficult it must be and the friend smiled and answered:  "This is the time in which I offer Mass. He was able to sublimate his time on the dialysis bed. Is not this  action-prayer? 
 

 Is there harmony of work and prayer in the everyday life of believers?  One of the chronic problems of Korean churches is that faith and life are separated. Faith life and spirituality are overly individualized and a chameleon-like way of living is prevalent, Many don't live the way they pray, life and prayer are separated.
 

In order for prayer to be manifested in life and actions, culture must be evangelized. How to eat food, how to earn money, how to use it, how to labor and rest, and so on. Prayer gives direction to the culture of love, justice, peace, and truth. Eventually, the prayer of action will bring about the glorification of God through the 'evangelization of culture'. "Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God" (Cor. 10:31).

Friday, October 19, 2018

Ignoring Warning Signs of Danger


The writer in a diocesan bulletin has some ideas he wants to share with the readers about his recent traffic accident. He was preparing to turn left and seeing the car that was moving straight ahead he moved to break and his foot slipped and he collided with the car. His car suffered no damage but the other car was dented. There was only slight damage but the whole day was confused and depressed. It was his first accident in thirty years of driving.
 


He learned how to drive while in the military under a far from gentle instructor. He was well advanced in age and made sure I understood what he said. Not infrequently, the student was tired and stressed, he would have nose bleeds and swollen face. The instructor made it clear that in driving you were risking your life and the life of others. Having learned under these conditions it was easy for him to consider himself a safe driver compared to others.
 

The reason for the accident was easily determined, he didn't follow the basics. No matter how hot it was there was no excuse for wearing slippers. Dress and shoes are important elements to be concerned with. Because he didn't follow some basic principles for driving the cost was a loss of peace of mind, money,  damage to a car and inflicting pain.

He introduces us to Heinrich's Law: in a workplace, for every accident that causes a major injury, there are 29 accidents that cause minor injuries and 300 accidents that cause no injuries.

He recalls the many times he failed to do the right thing. The failure to defrost the windshield and still drove the car, dropping something while driving and picking it up, went into the other lane, in a hurry passing the car in front to make a right turn, driving without firmly shutting the car door and many others. He was given many warnings but, without reason, trusting in his confidence and insensibility to safety, with luck he avoided accidents until the recent one.
 

Whether a person or an organization, when we take notice of the basics and fundamental principles we avoid many troubles. We generally like to do things our way. However, this can often cause harm to others and even death. We can leave behind a blot, that will bother us for the rest of our lives.

The tragedies we have experienced in recent years in Korea have ignored some basic safety precautions for one reason or another that brought about a tragedy.

He reflects on his own driving habits over the years.  Since he had no accidents he became complacent and oblivious to what could happen. When the accident did happen he was thrown for a loop. With the passage of time, he was able to see how fortunate he was to get off so easy and was thankful.
 

With age, the reflexes have slowed, the heart is young as ever but the body doesn't go along, which is all the more reason for not straying from the  basics—not only with driving but in the many other areas of life. If we don't stay focused and follow the basics, problems easily arise. Fortunately, we receive warnings often. Conscious of what they are saying to us, we  keep our eyes and ears open for we can't always hope for a pleasing outcome.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Antidotes to Hatred in Society


A writer in the Catholic Peace Weekly mentions the dangers of hatred of others in society."Koreans discriminate by nationality and skin color. They think they are white. They mistake themselves to be Western. Since the developing economy, they consider themselves a first world person with a feeling of superiority in joining the OECD."
 

The above quote comes from a book It's Disgusting (Words Hurt)  in which the author has interviews with filmmakers on what he calls the regressive society in Korea. What he says can easily be applied to all the first world countries; others have more important concerns. Women, the disabled, migrant workers, conscientious objectors, sexual minorities and religions are all objects of discrimination in our world society.

One of the filmmakers says it is important to experience being hurt by another, by stepping into the shoes of those hurting. With the crack in our own self-identity, something may enter bringing about change and understanding of the other. Wounds and cracks in our identity humble us and open us to the other.
 

When we are vulnerable we may be hurt greatly but  are opened to ways of understanding ourselves and others. When we put ourselves in the place of the other and feel with them we change and the world in which we live changes because we have changed.
 

In recent years many books have been published on the subject of hatred. One of the representative books by a university professor: When a Word Becomes A Sword: What is hate speech and why is it bad?  According to the professor words expressing a certain negative image of a minority group such as: "South Asian people are lazy"  and  "Koreans carry knives and in a quarrel  are ready to use them"are examples of this negativity in speech.
 

Women are also stereotyped:need to be circumspect, not appear in the limelight, stay home and take care of the kids. We put limits on what they can do. Slowly these views are hardened and produce other discrimination.

A German journalist in a book on hate in society says those who hate don't realize it. They do not see themselves excluding others or demeaning others. It is not easy to realize you hate a group of people. The fact that many are writing about hate in society tells us a great deal of the society in which we live. Hate is becoming epidemic.

Most cultures accept freedom of speech which is revered but civility in society is also a value and how to accept both of these values is a problem for many. As if there is need to say everything that one believes to maintain integrity and honesty.
 

Cardinal Newman's description of a gentleman has some wise words to help us regain a certain amount of civility in society. 

"One who never inflicts pain. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him...If he is an unbeliever, he will be too profound and large-minded to ridicule religion or to act against it; he is too wise to be a dogmatist or fanatic in his infidelity. He respects piety and devotion; he even supports institutions as venerable, beautiful, or useful, to which he does not assent; he honors the ministers of religion, and it contents him to decline its mysteries without assailing or denouncing them. He is a friend of religious toleration, and that, not only because his philosophy has taught him to look on all forms of faith with an impartial eye, but also from the gentleness and effeminacy of feeling, which is the attendant on civilization."

Monday, October 15, 2018

House Prices in Korea

An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly mentions what the writer heard from some acquaintances about their daughter who moved to Seoul from the country and their efforts to find a house. A decent  apartment of 30 square-meters was  priced at 500,000 dollars to lease, and about a million to buy. He was completely flabbergasted.

The area in which the writer works the prices are so steep that one would never imagine even asking. Seoul overall would have prices on average going for about $400,000 for lease and $800,000 to buy. Borrowing $200,000 dollars from the bank we can see how long it would take to make the house your own.

 We can see why many shout out: 'Hell Chosun'. Young people find it impossible to live in Seoul with their own efforts. Those in their twenties and thirties  sarcastically mention the many things they have to abandon: romance, marriage, birth, house, relationships, dreams and even hope. Are we able to refute this? They are the 'seven-give-up' generation.  They criticize the present government for the situation.

Children who have no hope of receiving help from their parents have a greater degree of frustration.
Inheritance and donations accounted for 42% of the total assets in the 2000s from 27% in the 1980s. In 2018, the proportion will have exceeded 50%. Are we to expect young people who start off with nothing to be good Samaritans? Is it possible to expect a bright future in society for those who can't move to another area and are asked to tighten their belts.

High house prices are not the problem of young people alone. Parents who can't help their children get a start in life are faced with anger and guilt, not being able to help. The rich also are not going to like it. Those who can pass on their wealth to their grandchildren are not many. Many are wondering how they can help their children in the future.

If both the husband and wife work for more than 10 years, you have to create a system where they are able to own their house. If the price of houses continues to rise,  even if the number of jobs increase and low-income increases this is of little concern. The problem with low fertility will continue.

 In the Apostolic Exhortation: "Rejoice and Be Glad"  Pope Francis spoke about the mission of holiness, "the mission to build this nation of love and justice and peace with all people... The goal had to be the restoration of just social and economic systems, so there could no longer be exclusion” President Moon should not only improve relations between the North and South but also concentrate on stabilizing house prices, without doing this he will lose the good will of the people.

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Coping With Religious Cults


Korea is a country with many homegrown religious groups seen by traditional believers as quasi-religious and cult-like. Many consider themselves non-believers, what that means requires a great deal of reflection.
 

The religious census of 2015 showed more unbelievers than believers. Non-believers accounted for 56.1%  of the population. In 2005 the number of believers was 52.9 % and dropped to 43.9 % in the 2015 census. Religious believers are of many different persuasions: Shamanism, Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists, Confucianists, and many other  indigenous religions.
 

Shamanism is very much part of the culture, as is Confucianism; this would not readily appear on a survey. Protestantism would be divided into many different sects that mainline Protestants would have difficulty accepting as Christian and one such group would be the Shinchonji Church of Jesus.
 

Most of the believers and unbelievers are sincere and convinced of their position. At times it is difficult to see anything positive in what a person believes because of the aberrations, behavior, irrational thinking of the adherents. Consequently trying to keep some of the good many see in religion, they consider themselves spiritual and the attraction to atheism.
 

An editorial in the Catholic Times sees the spread of the Shinchonji Church in Korea with some of their tactics becoming more abhorrent. Mentioned was the infiltration of the Legion of Mary trying to find new recruits by the 'harvesters' of the Shinchonji Church. This was reported by a group formed to bring attention to Catholics of the maneuvers of these quasi-religious groups such as the Shinchonji church.
 

The editorial mentions sadly that 30% of the new members of the Church were Catholics. They have in recent years increased membership by about 20,000  each year. This should be a great embarrassment to the Church that the faith of our Catholics is shown to be so shallow.

One of the Catholics who converted to Shinchonji was quoted in the Catholic Peace Weekly: "In Shinchonji they met God, learned his word and was saved. I did  not find this in the Catholic church. I wasted my time."


One of the priests who has studied the movement stresses the need for Catholics to realize that we have been saved by our belief in Jesus and received the mark of a disciple of Jesus and are sons and daughters of God. Sadly this conviction is missing in many. When this is missing it's an easy step to look for a worldly salvation.

Catholics are slow in working within the church to counterattack attempts of the cults to find new members within Catholicism. Protestants have 15  special groups throughout the country that are in place to counsel those who have been hurt by Shinchonji—families are often divided. Catholicism has begun also to take an interest but they have not the members yet to do the work.
 

Prevention from getting involved with the movement is to stay away from their teaching. Shinchonji mission activists, who are called "harvesters", approach their target as a specialist belonging to a company or school that everyone knows and invites them to their Bible study programs.
 

Necessary is to always expand the horizon of our faith life. Not only with the Scriptures but with spiritual books and reading of Catholic newspapers and magazines which will strengthen us in overcoming the temptations the world continues to present.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Smart Speaker's Future In Korean Society

One of the weapons used to comfort children in the past, tired of playing with toys, was the movies. In the 2000s  we had computers, smartphones and the world of games. Now another device has been introduced, the smart speaker: wireless devices with voice-control which will take commands to do things.
 

One may receive for the asking anything in the treasure house, information, music, language dictionaries, calling taxis, controlling and connecting with other devices etc.  Actually what is in the smartphone has an independent existence with the smart speakers.
 

The smart speaker, however, is not a toy for  children. Technology makes our lives easier but with each advantage comes a price and consequently the need to minimize the cost to keep technology positive.
 

One of the journalists for the Catholic Peace Weekly introduces the Kakao Mini to the readers, a Korean made smart speaker. Kakao is a South Korean internet company and the most popular messaging service in Korea. Catholics may connect to Catholic Masses and sermons of the day and the office of the day etc. with Kakao Mini.
 

Since many of the foreign companies will be entering the Korean market as Google, a world leader, has already done, the competition will be great with the other tech giants of Korea also wanting a part of the market, which no doubt is the reason Kakao Mini is interested in the Catholic market.
 

Recently, the Catholic Church has expressed various opinions about how to accommodate various digital devices. On one hand, there is a criticism that digital devices lead to worldly lifestyles, without prayer and reflection. On the other side, there is a voice saying that it should be actively accepted in accordance with the changes of the times.
 

The Catholic Church, in Inter Mirifica text on the social media adopted by the Second Vatican Council in 1963, stated: "Among the wonderful technological discoveries... The most important of these inventions are those media which, such as the press, movies, radio, television and the like, can, of their very nature, reach and influence, not only individuals, but the very masses and the whole of human society, and thus can rightly be called the media of social communication."
 

As some of the world's leading companies such as Google and Amazon have come out with smart speakers, shortly, they will be as common as mobile phones, TVs and computers. In terms of rapid diffusion and power, it is right to put it in the same category as the discoveries that the council referred to.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Pastoral Work with Young People


Where have all the young people gone? From all appearance, it seems the numbers have decreased but no studies have been made of the situation. One of the reasons is we don't have any common understanding of what we mean by young people. A priest who is working with the youth and has responsibility in the work on the national level gives his ideas in the Kyeongyang magazine. 

It was during the 19th century that the term young people was first used. Today we have no agreement on who should be considered a young person. Up  until 1990 common was to think those who left their teens and before the late twenties were considered the young people. Many now consider those in the late 20s and 30s, before marriage, to be the young.
 

We need standards in what we mean by 'the young'. Nowadays persons are entering society at an older age, changing our understanding and making those in the 20s and 30s the young people.

The writer states that the Church was not able to decide who were the objects of pastoral concern. The framework for the pastoral care of the young in the 1980s and 90s remained, which did not fit the young people in their late 20s and early 30s.
 

Another reason for the young people distancing themselves from the church was the parent's emphasis on studies. It started with the third year high school students preparing for college but expanded to the 2nd and 1st year students.
 

The second reason he lists is the authoritarianism of many of the clergy. This surfaced in a survey made by the bishops of Korea in 2016. The young priests are the same age as many of the young people but with a more hands-on approach than what the young people are accustomed to in a democratic society. This puts a damper on the spirit of the group. Also,  assistant priests are not in the parish for more than one or two years, not good for the work.
 

Young people along with other parishioners often feel pressure and are burdened with tasks for the larger community. Instead of being mission-orientated it becomes task-orientated. The young are to be formed into apostles and instead feel the pressure of tasks. And as the numbers decrease the remaining young people feel more of the burden.
 

The larger society is making the activity of the young more difficult because of the oppression coming from the society—time and mental stress. The opportunities for employment have decreased and the young have to prepare for this new step into society.
 

This is not the time to lose hope but to renew our desire as given in the Joy of the Gospel #24. "The Church which 'goes forth' is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first (1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast."
 

When the going gets difficult we face the crisis and challenge necessary for a new spring. We don't give up but with the help of the Holy Spirit we spend time in reflection and look for answers as the Church is now doing with the Synod of bishops. In Rome at present we have the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Bishops (Oct. 3-28) discussing the topic: Young people, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. Let's pray that it will be a success and give us a fruitful way of acting in the future.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Living Life Abundantly


In a diocesan bulletin, the writer uses the horror movie After.Life to give the readers some thoughts to ponder about life—real life. After a car accident, a young woman who had everything going for her but far from happy ends up in a mortuary with a funeral director who likes to talk to the dead. 

The movie never comes out saying she is dead and the theme of the movie is precisely based on the point— was she ever 'alive'?  The mortician tells her she is dead and she maintains she is alive for she is breathing. The difference is the meaning that they give the word live. For Anna, the young woman surviving is living and the mortician tells her that is not what life is.
 

The mortician tells Anna life is much more than breathing, eating, and basic hygiene. And tells Anna she probably died many years before. Anna and the mortician continue to argue over the issue. The point being made is they both use the same words with different meaning.

The writer wants to know how many are truly alive and not just surviving? The young woman Anna is dead but was she always dead? The movie really never makes this clear, possibly trying to show the way many go through life.
 

We make efforts to survive as does all of life. Surviving is keeping away from death. The opposite from living. Isaiah tells us: "The living are the ones who praise you..." Isaiah 38:19. How many of us are living"
 

Gloria enim Dei vivens homo, vita autem hominis Visio Dei. (For the glory of God is the living man, and the life of man is the vision of God). This phrase is often mistranslated into: The "Glory of God is a man fully alive". This is somewhat different from what is meant for living fully in the minds of many is to live on the edge, to experience all, to climb the highest mountain...
 

"For the glory of God is a living human being, and the life of the human consists in beholding God.  For if the manifestation of God which is made by means of creation, affords life to all living in the earth, much more does the revelation of the Father which comes through the Word, give life to those who see God" (St. Irenaeus Against Heresies).
 

In the Scriptures we do hear about living life fully: "Jesus came that they have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Luke 6:38 "Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap..." (Luke 6:38).
 

Receiving the Eucharist daily for many should be a sure sign of the life that we should be living. We have been called to participate in the life of God which we hear at each Mass we attend: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." Do we need any other words to express what we have been called to be and do with our lives?

Friday, October 5, 2018

Sweden, A Challenge To Catholicism

In the Kyeongyang magazine, a Korean who immigrated to Sweden about one and a half years ago writes about his experience. A Catholic for just over 10 years, still growing in the faith, ends up living in Sweden where the Catholics are a tiny group within a Lutheran culture. He gives us a Korean perspective of life in Sweden.

The Catholic history of Sweden is one of suffering. Catholicism in Sweden started around the year 830 AD, becoming a Catholic country around the year 1100. Uppsala the old capital was the first diocese. In 1523 King Gustav Vasa freed the county from the control of Denmark and became the father of the new nation, and importing Lutheranism.

Lutheranism is called Sweden's Church (Svenska kyrkan), as the name says the church is subordinated to the Government. The king, like in England, is the head of the church.

In 1593 all Catholic activity was forcibly stopped. In 1617 by the King's orders, the church was not recognized and went underground. In 1781 the country proclaimed religious toleration to foreigners and in 1873, members of Lutheranism were given the freedom to convert to Catholicism. But it was only in 1951 that citizens were given complete freedom to believe in any religion.
 

In 1953 they established a diocese with no more than 3000 Catholics. In the 1960s when foreign laborers began to enter, the numbers increased. In 1998 the first bishop was made after a lapse of over 400 years and last year bishop Anders Arborelius was made a cardinal, the first in Northern Europe. 
 

Of the 10 million citizens, 119.000 are registered Catholics but are considered to be about 150,000. There are 45 churches in the country and half of them are in Stockholm. One of these communities is the Korean community in the capital. There are about 200 Korean Catholics in the country. Because of distances and other reasons, many have stopped going to church and some attend the Lutheran Churches—the services are very similar to the Catholic Masses with communion.

The Korean community since last year has a Korean priest saying Mass twice a month. They are a community of about 50 which slowly is increasing. Before the priest came they had a Korean sister from Germany who kept the Korean community together. In 2016 because of age, she returned to her convent in Germany and they received a Korean priest from Korea.
 

Lutheranism is part of the establishment and the citizens see it as a part of the government. The clergy are seen as civil servants. The respect they have for the clergy is quite different from what Koreans are accustomed. The individualism of society comes into play and influences everything. This also has entered the church.
 

The moral life of society is much freer than Korea. Marriage is not as in Korea. Divorce is having another family. Not seen as a problem or disappointment but something that happens. Living together without marriage is no problem and seen as marriage. Abortion is a choice one makes.

Sweden has a central place in the cultural world of Europe; one of the best countries in which to live but  also the culture which is far removed from a Catholic ethos and sterile for Catholics. He ends the article by hoping Korean priests will find it possible to come to this 'religiously Catholic underdeveloped country'—atheistic and secular.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

The Social Gospel Is Not a Choice

In Korea, as in other parts of the Catholic world, many find it difficult to reconcile the actions of the clergy and religious with the Gospel message. Why do the clergy and religious get involved in politics? An article in Bible & Life by a seminary moral professor returns to the issue for the readers.
 

The article begins with the Sewol ferry disaster that on April 16, 2014, heading for Jejudo capsized, killing more than 300 people, mostly students. It was one of the worst Korean maritime disasters. The tragedy sparked a public outcry that continues even today blaming the government in large part for poor safety standards and the resulting rescue work.
 

Since many priests and religious were on the side of the victims and wanted answers, this was seen as getting involved in politics by some of the citizens. A yellow ribbon was the symbol of the Sewol tragedy and for many years after the tragedy, a tiny yellow ribbon was seen on clothing and many other articles. A sign of solidarity with the families of those suffering and in remembrance of the dead.
 

The ribbon is also a sign of division as much as unity. A division between the 'right' and 'left', seen also within the church community. The professor mentions one of the Catholics, seeing the actions of the church in regards to the Sewol Disaster, wanted the funds he gave for the formation of priests returned to him. Did the person feel priests and religious were to leave these problems to others and concentrate on prayer and the Gospel?
 

This issue is one that has to do with the very life of the church. The  Second Vatican Council stressed we are the people of God, all of us are called to follow the Gospel message. We are all members of society and when society is not directed to the common good— faced with injustice, corruption, it's necessary to sound the alarm. This is the social gospel which with the doctrine of faith are not to be separated. They do not depend on our taste nor is it a matter of choice but to know and do.
 

Teachings on our social life was always recognized but in 1891 Pope Leo 13th in his encyclical Rerum Novarum (Of New Things), the teaching took on a different aspect with the rights of laborers and their problems—considered by many as the labor charter.
 

This teaching has a firm foundation within the church, giving us four basic principles of the social gospel. Human dignity: we are created in the image and likeness of God. The common good: is to desire the good of the other and to take steps to secure it. This is the good of all, made up of individuals, families who make up society. Subsidiarity: an organizing principle where matters ought to be handled by the smallest competent authority. Solidarity: all one family in the world, building communities that empower everyone to attain their full potential, through each respecting each other.
 

When the rights of others are not respected and injustices are rampant than we are going in the opposite direction in building up God's kingdom. When this is the case how can the church remain silent? This is not politics. "Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation." (Mark 16:15). This is the primary mission of the church.

Monday, October 1, 2018

Dignity of All


As the capitalist economy takes root, rank, and order of Korean society becomes more embedded and the living harder. We have been hearing the word 'Hell Chosun' for some time—one finds it hard to better oneself no matter how hard one tries. So begins the Peace Column in the Peace Weekly by a commentator on welfare issues.
 

In a recent incident, we have a parent who arranged in getting the questions to an exam the students would be taking in their final semester. A parent's desire to help a child not lose their place in society.

Another aspect of our ordered society is the treatment of the physically impaired and those with birth defects. Those who are at the lowest places in the society, defined by humans, are treated as being deficient in a society where ability is given priority.

As of 2016, the participation rate of disabled persons in the workforce was 38.5%, which is half of the total population participation rate (63.3%). Despite the desire for employment, they are excluded from the labor market because of disabilities.

President Moon is preparing measures to solve the problems of the disabled people including the Basic Plan for Employment Promotion of Disabled Persons. However, social prejudice and discrimination against them still make employment difficult.

People with disabilities must deal with two kinds of suffering. One is the fact they have a disability, and the other is the lack of understanding and indifference of society. One is not discriminated because of disabilities but becomes disabled because of discrimination is often heard.
 

In a capitalist society, rankings necessarily exist, but the dignity of human beings should not be equated with their economic worth to society.
 

Pope Francis continues to make "social justice" an important issue of his pontificate which can be seen in many statements along with the pope's actions. The pope emphasized the need to reject the inhuman economic model that alienates the socially underprivileged. Society gives hope only by maintaining openness in employment, a way of granting human dignity to all. He also criticized the inhuman, cruel society that cannot accept suffering people, and share their pain with compassion.

Of course, it can be expected that the government's 'Community Care' initiative to support the settlement of vulnerable groups will contribute to a certain level of social integration into the local community. In other words, a person with a disability must be understood as a human being with a dignity.

The vested powers in society with their economic, cultural abundance, authority, and their ranking should not be setting the priorities for society. It is time to listen to the cries of the oppressed and to find the true center to see where we should stand.