Virtue Is In The Middle

The phrase " virtue is in the middle " has been well-known since ancient times. It refers to the philosophical concept of the "Golden Mean", developed by Aristotle, where virtue lies between extremes of excess and deficiency. This makes it a recognizable phrase, particularly within the context of ethics and philosophy, used by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages with the Latin phrase—in medio stat virtus. 

In Korea, as in many other areas of the world, we have many types of polarization. Conservative, Liberal, and Centrist, Patriarchal and Feminist, blue collar and white collar, etc. The Cardinal Virtue of Temperance is the one that helps exercise self-control and moderation, keep the discussion open, and lessen the dangers present when polarization arises.

They are called cardinal virtues because all the other virtues are "hinged" upon these four. "Cardinal" comes from the Latin word cardo, meaning hinge. They are Prudence, Justice, Courage, and Temperance.

In these modern times, the virtue of Temperance or moderation may be the least practiced of the four.

Temperance is defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as “the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable” (CCC 18090).

Escapism is a word used to describe how we avoid challenges in life and problems with polarization. One great challenge is making the world a better place for all. Selfish desires that take our attention off the realities in life immoderately can be a problem. Not wanting to accept reality, distorting, denying, or focusing on some other area of life to intentionally forget the challenges. 

We need a change of pace, time for leisure, hobbies, and interests that will energize us but always in moderation, for we know that too much, even of a good thing, is not good.

Using distractions to avoid dealing with problems instead of seeking solutions is not the Christian way. We pray for a deeper spiritual life and work with others to be more open to the call of discipleship. To do what we do with a little more concern for others would be a small step in the right direction.

Reflections on Seasonal Calendar

In the Science and Faith column of the Catholic  Peace Weekly, a science teacher gives us some thoughts on the Korean seasonal calendar.

February 18th is Usu (雨水), one of the 24 solar terms, when the snow accumulated throughout the winter melts and becomes rain or water. Although the beginning of spring (立春) has passed, and we await the spring when all things come back to life, the bare tree branches and limited sunlight still evoke a sense of melancholy. The incidence of depression has more than doubled worldwide due to the pandemic caused by the  coronavirus, and in particular, Korea ranked first among OECD countries in 2020. 

According to the 2023 National Health Insurance Service data, the number of people treated for depression in 2022 exceeded 1 million. Of these, there were 670,000 women, more than double the 320,000 men. This is because weather and emotions affect female hormone secretion more than men. By age, those in their 20s accounted for the largest number (18.6%) at 180,000, showing the social and economic stress experienced by those in their early years. 

The clinical definition of depression is a state of sadness and despair that is difficult to overcome and disrupts the normal functioning of an individual’s social and personal activities. Depression is the most common cause of suicide, as evidenced by the suicide rate among the elderly in Korea, which ranks first among OECD countries, and the recent increase in the suicide rate among youth. 

The cause of depression is unclear, but it is generally believed that social and biological factors work together. Among the various neurotransmitters in the human body, serotonin, secreted in the brain, is involved in emotions, sleep, memory, and appetite control. When deficient, it can act as a direct cause of depression, resulting in loss of self-worth, helplessness, lack of confidence, decreased appetite, and suicidal impulses. Therefore, preventing serotonin deficiency helps prevent depression. 

The principle of antidepressant drugs is to increase the secretion of serotonin in the brain, and consuming sweet foods or chocolate also increases the secretion of serotonin. Cocoa, the raw material for chocolate, contains a substance that inhibits the decomposition of anandamide, a neurotransmitter. Anandamide is a substance secreted in the brains of humans and animals, and it stimulates mood, cognition, sleep, and appetite, making you feel good. Anandamide is slowly broken down when you eat chocolate, so the pleasant effect lasts for a long time. 

A research team at University College London in the UK experimentally found that the group that ate chocolate was 70% less likely to show symptoms of depression than the group that did not. This shows that chocolate can reduce the secretion of cortisol, a hormone secreted when stressed, and help the secretion of serotonin, reducing depression.

Valentine's Day on February 14th naturally comes to mind. Initially, this day is the feast day of Saint Valentine, a priest who was arrested and martyred while secretly performing a wedding ceremony when the Roman Emperor Claudius prohibited young people from marrying to strengthen their military power. St. Valentine's Day, a holiday for lovers in 14th century England, was transformed into a day for women in Korea to give chocolate as a gift to men.  

[White Day in Korea follows Valentine's Day and is celebrated on 14 March. On this day, it is the man's turn to return the gift and give his beloved a present].

In the future, the writer wants us to use Valentine's Day to reflect on whether anyone around us is depressed or struggling alone. Our small interest and consideration could be the help that someone desperately needs.

Climate Change Reality

In the Diagnosis of the Times Collumn of the  Catholic Peace Weekly, the Co-Representative of the Catholic Climate Action committee gives us her thoughts on a serious issue confronting the world society.

US President Donald Trump is taking a bold step by issuing 100 executive orders as soon as he takes office. Beyond erasing the previous Biden administration, the Trump administration’s comprehensive reforms or deteriorations encompassing immigration, trade, tariffs, the environment, and energy include withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and declaring a national energy emergency.

The Paris Agreement was adopted by 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2015. 

The world promised to cooperate to keep the global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius and, if possible, below 1.5 degrees Celsius. To this end, all parties must set national greenhouse gas reduction targets, submit them to the international community, and report on their progress. Although it is not legally binding, the agreement parties work to achieve their goals by pressuring and restraining each other based on the premise of “voluntariness” and “universality.” 

President Trump had already announced his withdrawal from the Paris Agreement during his last term. At the start of his second term, President Trump declared a national energy emergency and announced that he would improve the inefficient energy supply of the United States and expand domestic energy production to spread artificial intelligence.

This includes abolishing or reversing overall environmental policies such as expanding oil and shale gas drilling, mandating electric vehicles, abolishing energy efficiency regulations for home appliances, and increasing energy production.

President Trump deserves to be censured for making the already slow response to the international climate crisis even more difficult. However, the reason President Trump can make such a bold decision is not just because he is an unconventional person. He has supporters who support his actions, “little Trumps” who share his views, and there is a social acceptance that “it is okay to do so.”

Even before President Trump announced his withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the United States had not reached its target for greenhouse gas reductions. Last year, the international plastics agreement was not coordinated and passed over the year. 

Every year at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, the oil industry and oil-producing countries hold back the phasing out of fossil fuels. In addition, the policy of expanding energy production in the United States is in line with our country’s 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand (draft). The only difference is the source of supply: fossil fuel and nuclear energy. Still, both sides claim that more energy is needed to foster cutting-edge industries, including artificial intelligence. We live in this system. Therefore, the world will not be right if we curse one Trump, bring him down, and establish another. We must fight against the structural sins of this era and eliminate the injustice of the world we belong to.

It should be common sense, not an outrage, to sharply respond to the recklessness of breaking standard promises. We should be able to confront acts that break solidarity with stronger solidarity. We should not be discouraged but continue all the practices we have worked on for our common home. We can move forward with hope and love, resisting not with the lesser evil but with what is best. 

“To love the oppressor does not mean to tolerate the oppressor’s continued oppression. Nor does it mean to make him think that what he did was acceptable. On the contrary, a good way to love the oppressor is to try to make him stop oppressing in various ways.” (All Brothers, 241)

'I May Be Wrong'

 

A recent article by a Korean novelist in the Catholic Times on what she has learned in her quest for a mature spirituality was of great interest.

'I May Be Wrong'.This sentence is the title of a book written by a young Swedish executive named Lindeblad, who recalls his experience when he abandoned everything and entered a temple in the forests of Thailand. Lindeblad hears the words of a wise man. “When you are faced with a crisis in life and don’t know where to go or do, remember these three things, and everything will work out. First, think, ‘I could be wrong.’ Second, think, ‘I could be wrong.’ Third, think, 'I could be wrong'.”

The book she mentions speaks on how to relate to your thoughts and emotions in a way that makes you wiser.

Sometimes there are shocking incidents that make you think about what it means to be human, and one of these is the A6 murders that occurred in England in 1961. A man and a woman were dating, and the man was murdered, and the woman was raped and shot. The woman, Valerie, who was shot seven times, survived with her lower body paralyzed, and she pointed out James Hanratty from a list of suspicious persons as the culprit. He was an ordinary young man who denied the crime. The prosecution had no circumstantial evidence. However, the jury sentenced him to death.

Even in prison, Hanratty insisted on his innocence. Numerous media outlets participated in this war over his guilt or innocence, and human rights activists joined to support Hanratty. Beatles member John Lennon and his wife were among them. Circumstantial evidence that he was not the culprit was continuously reported. The police's poor investigation at a time when forensic science had not yet been developed was also brought to light.

British society was divided into two groups and continued to fight. The victim, Valerie, was accused of being an adulteress (they had an inappropriate relationship) who had pointed out an innocent person as the culprit. She was still paralyzed from the waist down and suffered injuries that made it nearly impossible for her to go out. Soon after, the British Ministry of Justice executed Hanratty. The day before his execution, he told his family his last words during a family visit. "My only wish is that my innocence be proven even after I die." Those who heard this were even more furious. The criticism of the victim, Valerie, grew stronger.

Due to the persistent demands of human rights activists and her family, the British court finally ordered a re-examination of the rapist’s DNA, which had been stored for 40 years, in 2001. The test results confirmed that the semen found in Valerie was Hanratty’s. The odds of it being wrong were 1 in 19 million. As we expected, some could not accept this result. It is not surprising when looking at today’s Korean society.

She used to think: ‘Can a person lie right before they die?’ After this incident, she knows that people can lie and pretend not to know anything, even right before they die. If all intellectuals come forward and deny it, will that make what is true become false? 

When countless people were massacred in Russia, China, and North Korea in the 20th century, the communist praise songs sung by many Western intellectuals never formally apologized for what they said. She also never heard an apology from the intellectuals who remained silent about the massacres of people by dictators in South America supported by the United States.

What is humility? How is Christian humility understood among us? Knowing that we do not know all there is to know— one may be wrong. Only God is perfect. In this chaotic era, she fears those who read only one book, listen to only one type of broadcast, and think they know it all. She also concludes by acknowledging her own failures in this area of life.

Beginning of Catholicism in East Asia

When the Catholic Church entered Korea from China in the 18th century, the 'Lord of Heaven Church' used in China was translated into 'Cheonjugyo', now used in present-day Korea. A name for God that was easily deduced from the teaching of Confucius, but now, with contact with the larger Catholic world, the word Catholic or Catholicism is popular to describe the 'Lord of Heaven Church'.

From a survey of Chinese Christianity, the first known presence was Nestorianism, which emphasized the two personhoods of Christ, the human and divine.  

Nestorianism entered China in 635 AD, coming from  Persia. The Tang dynasty tolerated the Nestorians for over 200 years, but they were banned in 845 and disappeared in the 10th century.

The first missionary to China from the West was John Montecorvino (1271-1368) Italian Franciscan missionary and first bishop of what is now Beijing. He arrived a little after Marco Polo. With the fall of the Mongol Empire during the 14th  century, the mission ceased. Another attempt was made by the Jesuits in the 16th century, which continued and was the reason for Catholicism's entrance to Korea in the 18th century.

The word Catholic was first used in the first century of Christianity by the  Christians in Antioch around 110 AD. It was in a letter by St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans, in chapter 8, where he wrote: "Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

The word Catholic comes from the Greek word katholikos, which means "universal".  It combines the Greek words kata- meaning "according to" and "whole". The synonyms for the small letter word catholic are universal, magnanimous, broad-minded, and whole.  

Christians have not been kind to those who are separated brothers and sisters, joined together in the beginning to the community that Jesus formed, and for various reasons, have separated from the initial community. True also within Catholicism in its relations with those who have left the community; it is an easily understood result of unwanted separation. 

The word Catholic was given the qualifier Roman by those who didn't care to have the beautiful word catholic monopolized by only one community of Christians.

Attempts have been made to improve the situation with movements like the Unity Octave and similar efforts which continue. Gaudium et Spes Document from the Second Vatican Council are indications of this hope:  

"Pressing upon the Christian to be sure is the need and the duty to battle against evil through manifold tribulations and even to suffer death. But, linked with the paschal mystery and patterned on the dying Christ, he will hasten forward to resurrection in the strength that comes from hope.

All this holds true not only for Christians but for all men of goodwill whose hearts' grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is, in fact, one and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit, in a manner known only to God, offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery.

Such is the mystery of man, and it is a great one, as seen by believers in the light of Christian revelation. Through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful. Apart from His Gospel, they overwhelm us. Christ has risen, destroying death by His death; He has lavished life upon us(33) so that, as sons in the Son, we can cry out in the Spirit; Abba, Father."

Dualistic Thinking

 

Dualistic Thinking is a way of dealing with life. In the Catholic Times, a Professor of Philosophy gives the readers an understanding of dualistic thinking and some of the problems that arise. 

The Bible contains an integrated view of humanity… Examining the body, soul, and spirit as a combined whole

St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica may seem filled only with stories about God. Still, it is full of amazing reflections on humanity. One will seek completely different forms of happiness depending on our view of human beings.

Historically, famous expressions such as 'rational animal' or 'thinking reed' implicitly reflect the relationship between body and soul. The duality and unity of body and soul have been discussed for a long time. However, this issue is being raised more urgently today due to the various side effects caused by Dualistic Thinking.

Dualism, which divides humans into body and soul, strongly influenced human history before modern times. Plato (428-348 BC) theoretically systematized the distinction between the soul and the body, which appeared in myths and other places. He believed the soul belongs not to the mortal body but to a qualitatively different world. According to him, the soul that recognizes eternity existed before the real world on earth and belongs to the world of eternal ideas. However, the soul descends to the earthly physical world and is "confined in the body, as if in a prison or a tomb."

In this way, Plato thought of the body as hindering and restricting the soul's contact with the truth. Therefore, he argued that the union of the soul and the body is not essential and must be overcome. 

This Platonic dualism continued to influence Western thought from Plotinus to Augustine, and in the modern era, it acquired a new perspective in the philosophy of Descartes (1596-1650). Descartes, the father of modern philosophy, arrived at the famous proposition, "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito ergo sum). After continuously exploring what this self (自我) that is conscious of itself is, he defined the self as a "thinking thing."

The body, which cannot think for him and is merely an object in space and time, was treated like a machine. In this way, the 'self that lives purely in consciousness' discovered by Descartes was cut off from the physical and the world. Despite his many attempts, Descartes and others could not solve the riddle of how the union of body and soul is possible.

However, idealism, which emphasizes only the functions of the soul and mind, can easily ignore the physical elements, leading to contempt for physical labor and even labor exploitation by capital.

In addition, if idealism develops into extreme idealism, it carries the risk of degenerating into totalitarianism like Nazism in Germany, which mercilessly destroys the individuality of human existence. On the other hand, materialism, which reduces both the human soul and mental functions of the body, can easily damage the spiritual nobility inherent in humans. If only the body is emphasized, it will follow the logic of the capitalism of the ordinary people and a distorted form of body-centrism, such as the commercialization of the body and sex. 

Then how can we acknowledge the nobility of the body and soul and seek harmony between them? Surprisingly, many theologians try to find the answer to this question in the integrated view of man contained in the Bible. The Bible's integrated way of Thinking examines man as a whole, combining body, soul, and spirit. Although the Bible had a tradition of integrated Thinking rooted in Hebrew thought, it gradually became strongly influenced by Greek Thinking throughout Christian history, resulting in the unfortunate result of many Christians despising the body.

Gnosticism, which spread throughout the Hellenistic cultural sphere, downplayed the physical body and the creation of the world expressed in material terms and virtually denied the resurrection of the body by emphasizing only the ascension of the soul. This was judged heresy by the church, but Christianity's view of humanity was strongly dualistic due to the influence of Hellenistic culture.

Origen (185–254), who viewed only the rational soul as the essence of human beings, thought that the human soul belonged to the upper world of light but fell through free will.

In addition, Augustine (354–430) opposed Manichaeism, which strongly advocated dualism, but understood the unity of the soul and body as functional and secondary. In this way, his view of the body and soul was strongly influenced by Neoplatonism, which downplayed the physicality of human beings.

As monastic life, which emphasizes asceticism and ascetic practices, spread in the West, the tendency to despise the body became even more emphasized. The body is considered inferior, a prison for the human spirit, and the body's pleasure shallow. When the despising and abuse of the body were influenced by this dualistic view of humanity, St. Thomas tried restoring the integrated view of humanity. 

New Wineskins for New Wine

A science teacher in the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers a lesson on turning grape juice into wine.

The first official work of the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo was the Drunken Bacchus (1497), commissioned by his patron, Cardinal Riario. This marble sculpture depicts the Roman god of wine, Bacchus, holding a goblet while intoxicated. The Romans called wine a blessing of the gods. This alcoholic beverage has accompanied us throughout human history. However, what makes wine is not the blessing of the gods' but microorganisms invisible to the human eye. 

This fantastic role of microorganisms was not discovered until 1864 by the French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur. While he was a chemistry professor at the University of Lille in northeastern France, Pasteur was asked by a local winemaker to investigate the phenomenon of wine not fermenting properly and turning sour. He devoted himself to finding a solution. 

Pasteur discovered that alcoholic fermentation did not occur when lactic acid bacteria, not yeast, were contained in the crucible used for winemaking. That wine turned sour due to acetic acid bacteria. Pasteur's shining achievement in science's history was the discovery of microorganisms that cause fermentation, spoilage, and disease.

When one molecule of glucose in grapes, the main ingredient of wine, is broken down by yeast, two molecules of ethanol and two molecules of carbon dioxide are ultimately created, and this process is ethanol fermentation. The biochemical action of single-celled organisms such as yeast creates ethanol in alcohol. If wine is exposed to oxygen, acetic acid fermentation occurs, and the wine turns into vinegar. This is why leftover wine turns sour if the cork is improperly sealed.

2,000 years ago, when making wine, grapes were crushed and placed in a leather bag made of sheep or goat leather to ferment. The carbon dioxide gas produced along with ethanol during this process causes the leather bag to swell. Old leather bags lose elasticity and become stiff; eventually, the leather bag bursts and wine is lost. Even if it does not burst, if oxygen in the air enters the cracks in the swollen bag, the wine undergoes acetic acid fermentation and turns sour, making it undrinkable. Therefore, new wines must be put into new, flexible wineskins.

The Bible also says this. "New wine must be put into new wineskins." (Luke 5:38). This word also applies to our lives. It has been almost a month since the new wine of 2025 was given to us. Our society is the wineskins that hold that wine. In all fields, including politics, economy, culture, art, education, and religion, 2025 is a time to start over again, not forgetting our original intentions and seeking development and advancement. 

Not forgetting our original intentions means returning to the basics and pursuing what is important. Politicians should not forget the essence of politics, educators the essence of education, medical professionals the essence of medicine, and believers the essence of faith, and they should return to the basics.

A new wineskin does not become one by changing people, roles, and systems. It must be accompanied by a sound philosophy, determination to make correct value judgments, and a change in behavior to break old habits. When we restore our original intentions, return to the basics, and strive to regain our essence, we can truly become new wineskins that hold new wine. The columnist prays that in all areas of our society and as individuals, all members will be reborn with new determination and become new vessels that can hold new wine.