Walking Together As Church

The Catholic Site Now/Here again visits the vital issue of Sodality and the future of the Church. We are all church members and need to walk together. The writer is a diocesan priest who shares while studying Catholic Humanities and religion at the Korean Institute of Christian Thought.

He read a post on Facebook by a Bishop a while ago. He said that synodalitas (walking together) resembles the word "accompaniment". He meant that the Church's history is in this accompaniment. In the Old Testament, God accompanied the Israelites liberated from Egypt. In the New Testament, Jesus promised to accompany his disciples when he ascended to heaven, saying, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Another biblical basis for talking about synodalitas is often the story of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32). 

No one should take the lead or be the main character in the accompanying Church. In other words, to walk the path together, we must carefully observe our neighbors who are walking together. To observe well means to wipe their sweat, rest with them, and adjust our steps to theirs. These things may seem easy, but they are difficult. This is because we are not accustomed to living a life accompanying others. Observing our neighbors is possible when humble. Humility is the essential condition for the Church that walks together. We must be humble to understand our neighbors' situations and accompany them accordingly. 

There lived a very humble king in India. He often bowed his head to those inferior to him, even though he was a king. One day, a subject saw this and earnestly petitioned the king, saying, "Your Majesty, you are the supreme ruler of this country. The head is the most precious part of the body, and you are the king and the head of our society. You should not bow your head to others so carelessly." Then the king gave the subject a 'cat skull,' a 'horse skull,' and a 'human skull' and told him to sell them at the market.

The subject did not know what was happening but went to the market as instructed and began selling them. People bought cat skulls because they thought that if they hung them in their homes, rats would disappear, and purchased horse skulls because they thought they would protect them from diseases. However, no one bought human skulls, so the subject took them and returned to the king's palace. After hearing the story, the king said to the subject, "A person's head is precious when it contains goodness and righteousness, but if it is an empty skull, it is worse than a cat or a horse's skull," he said, teaching his subject the wisdom of humility.

The priest remembered an Indian with whom he worked who said that the remnants of caste culture still exist in Indian society and in the Church.  The development of the Indian Church depends on eradicating the hierarchical norms of caste culture. 

He told the priest a story from Indian mythology. In the beginning, when God created humans, the highest class came from God's head, and the lowest class, Harijan, came from God's feet. In any case, the important thing is that all people are noble members of God."

All of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither enslaved person nor free, neither male nor female. You are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise." (Gal 3:27-28) 

We must walk together because we are all precious members of God. Only when we can walk together with humility can the holy image of God be revealed to this world. 

When St. Augustine asked his disciples, "What is the most important virtue of a Christian?" he answered, "Humility". Many people blindly run toward the highest places to be exalted. Even on the path of the Church that walks with Jesus and his brothers and sisters, people try to run as in a race. 

A race is one in which one must run ahead of others with all one's might. We cannot walk together by running. Even Christians are anxious because they cannot attain a high position worthy of their name and a place that shines brighter than others. It seems to be the same inside and outside the Church. The time has come to choose between companionship and racing. The Synod of companionship is where joy is doubled, and sorrow is halved when shared.

Hope In the Future Between Japan and Korea

A university professor gave the readers of the Peace Weekly some exciting news on the relationship between the two countries of Japan and Korea and hope for the future.

A new prime minister has been elected in Japan. Korean media outlets have focused on Prime Minister Ishiba's past remarks, such as "Even if (colonial rule) was legal, we need to recognize the fact that there was a history of annexing Korea, which was an independent country, and changing (their) surnames." They have also highlighted a book published just before he ran for prime minister that included the subtitle, "The perpetrators forget, but the victims do not."

In particular, he is said to have been unable to answer when former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew asked him about Japan's occupation of his country. It is said that he learned after returning to his home country that the Japanese military had divided Singaporeans into Chinese, Malay, and Indian groups, interned them, and carried out a reign of terror. He is said to have emphasized the wounds caused by annexation, which causes a country to lose its culture and language while saying it must "face its history as the perpetrator."

Looking back on the Korea-Japan relationship with the Abe government, which failed to face its past, the emergence of the Ishiba government raises expectations for a new journey of improving Korea-Japan relations. Korea-Japan relations have been sailing smoothly since the new policy toward Japan under the Yoon Seok-yeol government. However, a Japanese journalist defined the current Korea-Japan relations as 'Japan's anxiety and Korea's dissatisfaction.'

Korea is dissatisfied with resolving past issues. Japan is anxious that Korea-Japan relations may worsen again under the next Korean government. Judging from Prime Minister Ishiba's remarks, he seems willing to present a solution to both countries' dissatisfaction and anxiety. However, the problem is complex. Above all, how the Korean government responds to the new Japanese government is essential.

It is also worth noting that Prime Minister Ishiba himself supports the policy of revising the Peace Constitution into a Normal Constitution. Japan's Peace Constitution was a decision to prevent further war after 1945. Germany, a war criminal nation in Europe, was punished through division and occupation, and its national power was weakened so that it could not wage any more war.

In Asia, Japan was not divided. Instead, Korea and Vietnam were divided and experienced fierce warfare. The Emperor of Japan never used the word "surrender" in his surrender broadcast. He announced that he was forced to stop the war he had waged for the peace and prosperity of Asia because of America's brutal weapons. The perception of the past by the Japanese far-right has not improved since then.

Former Prime Minister Abe apologized for the areas Japan occupied on the 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat but did not apologize for the places it had colonized in the past. He inherited the Emperor's 1945 Okum broadcast and the 1951 San Francisco Peace Agreement. Next year will be the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 60th anniversary of the Korea-Japan Agreement. Still, the thoughts of the Japanese far-right have not changed.

The most significant meaning of 1945 was peace and the restoration of sovereignty of a weak country. The 1965 (Korea-Japan Agreement) meant breaking away from the past and opening up a future of peace and prosperity together. I hope that the launch of the new government in Japan will be an opportunity to resolve discontent and anxiety by facing the history of being the perpetrator on the one hand and by accepting it as true reconciliation on the other hand.

Care giver need for independence

In View from the Ark of the Catholic Times, a university professor offers thoughts on the need for independence in caregiving.

Motherhood has been interpreted as a woman's virtue, signifying endless sacrifice and devotion to their children. The passion for private education for children is also not free from criticism, stemming from the role of mothers. Nevertheless, women are less criticized when they put more effort into their children's achievements than themselves. However, motherhood is also related to the family's success and the maintenance of social status, so it cannot be free from selfish desires.

The role of mothers was interpreted as ending when their children entered college and became adults, but mothers often raise their grandchildren even after their children get married. Balancing work and family life and the insufficient childcare system is complex, so mothers must help their working children.

Highly educated mothers supplement and guide their children's studies and collect information on private education. There are also stories of mothers helping their children attending college or graduate school with their assignments, theses, and applications to higher-level schools. The misunderstanding of motherhood that they can do anything for their children prevents mothers from separating themselves from their children and interpreting these acts as love, thus preventing them from feeling guilty.

We have long heard stories of mothers of college students with low grades coming to their professors to ask questions and stories of mothers waiting in front of companies until their children who graduated from college are interviewed for a job. We have also heard stories of "helicopter moms" who ask their mothers, "What should I do now?" after studying abroad, and stories of college professors whose mothers came to help them set up their labs after they were hired.

Understandably, mothers worry because their children are always like children to them. Even a 90-year-old mother would tell her 70-year-old child, "Be careful." In addition, when young people cannot become economically independent due to structural unemployment or economic recession, parents have no choice but to take responsibility for their children's survival.

However, how long will mothers have to plan and manage their children's lives? I often see mothers around me who do not consider this separation and want their children to live as eternal mama's boys and mama's girls. We need to think about whether this behavior is actually helpful to their children.

Children may not be exposed to danger or hurt within the safety net of overprotection and family. However, they will not be able to make their own decisions and take responsibility for themselves while their parents are alive. In "Maternal Thought," philosopher Sara Ruddick argues that "mothers must restrain their care or interference so that their children can grow independently and as individuals." Of course, in this process, mothers must endure the pain of separation due to the attachment relationships formed through care.

On the other hand, some people in our society truly need care but do not receive help. In "I Became My Dad's Dad,"  a young man who became the guardian of his father with dementia describes the experiences of young caregivers who take care of sick parents at a young age. They drop out of school or cannot work to care for their ill parents. They face even more difficulties than caregivers of other age groups.

People who need care due to old age and disability depend on the care of their families, so their families are in a difficult situation. When overprotection and care are carried out within the exclusive fence of the family, those who really need care are alienated. In our society, the benefits and distribution of care are unbalanced.

Moving away from your children does not make you a bad mother. You just need to support your children so they can live independently and provide support when needed. It would be good for older women to entrust their children's lives to them and challenge themselves to free themselves from caregiving and focus on themselves. If they still want to care for someone, they need to go beyond their families and go to the community level to find places that really need care for marginalized neighbors. Of course, this care does not need to be limited to women.

Reading for Discernment

In the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, the editorial writer offers some thoughts on a common pastime at this time of year.

When fall comes, reading comes to mind. Why is it the season for reading? We can see its origin in the four-character idiom “燈火可親” (by lamplight doing something worthwhile) that comes from the agricultural culture. It is too hot in the summer to read books by light, but in the cool fall, it is pleasant to do so by lamplight. 

Before paper was invented, ancient China used bamboo slips instead of paper. Bamboo shoots planted in the spring had to grow until fall to be bound. Fall is neither hot nor cold, making it perfect for reading books. It is the season when fruits and leaves fall. In the fall, calmness and loneliness deepen.

It is the season when I need someone to be with me. I look for family, friends, and lovers who can comfort my loneliness. After a short meeting, I feel empty and hopeless again. Is there “someone” here who will stay by my side for a long time? Who can embrace, comfort, and encourage me during fatigue, anger, discouragement, and failure?

Pope Francis says, “When prayer alone fails to bring inner peace, a ‘good book’ can help overcome difficulties and find peace of mind.” Reading creates new inner space so we do not sink into obsessive and narrow-minded thoughts that hinder our growth.

The Pope is an avid reader and enjoys reading novels and poetry. In addition to the Bible, there is always a book on his desk and in his bag. In his sermons and letters, he quotes works by famous and unknown authors worldwide and Bible passages. The Pope points out that literature should not be considered a secondary discipline in the priestly training courses of seminaries. He emphasizes that if future priests do not approach human culture and the hearts of each individual through literature, it can lead to intellectual and spiritual poverty.

The Pope’s favorite literary genre is dystopia, or ‘tragedy.’ In 1964, the Pope taught literature and psychology for two years at the Immaculate College (Jesuit) in Santa Fe, Argentina. The Pope recently shared an anecdote from that time in a letter to seminarians and pastoral workers. “I had to teach my students about El Cid, a medieval Spanish general, but they wanted to read the works of Federico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish poet and playwright who wrote many tragedies,” he said. So he had them read El Cid at home, and he taught about their favorite authors in class.

The Pope explained that he prefers tragedies because “we can all accept their tragedies as our own, as expressions of our own dramas.” Shedding tears over the fate of the characters means crying about our own emptiness, lack, and loneliness.

So what positive effects does reading have on our lives? The Pope says: “It improves vocabulary, develops intellectual abilities, stimulates imagination and creativity. It improves concentration, prevents cognitive decline, and reduces stress and anxiety.” He also says, “It allows us to see the world through the eyes of others, develops empathy, and discovers that even the loneliest people are not alone.”

The Pope advises that literature helps us “experience life as it is.” Our perspectives, living our breathless daily lives in the world, find it difficult to escape the pressure of realistic and short-term goals. In addition, services such as liturgy, pastoral work, and charity work can be reduced to obligatory tasks. Therefore, literary works can become a training ground for discerning the world.

Homeless World Cup

The Catholic Peace Weekly column by a university professor emeritus shows readers what can be done for those often ignored by society. 

The 2024 Homeless World Cup was held at Hanyang University in Seoul from September 21 to 28. The Homeless World Cup is an international soccer competition hosted by the Homeless World Cup Foundation to improve the negative image of the homeless who are in the blind spot of housing rights and to encourage their will to become independent.

This year marks the first time the Homeless World Cup has been held in Asia. The Homeless World Cup has been made into movies in several countries, including The Beautiful Game in the US and Dream in Korea. Both movies depict conflicts and wounds between team members as they train and participate in the Homeless World Cup but also contain hope that they discover their will to live.

As can be guessed from the word homeless, the main characters of this competition are homeless people from each country, that is, people without homes. They include homeless people, youth preparing for independence from shelters, refugees, migrant workers, youth outside of homes, and people with disabilities. The eight selected players (the Homeless World Cup is a 4:4 soccer game, so eight players in total, including the substitute players) will represent their countries and play in front of the world's citizens as players and protagonists, not as socially disadvantaged or outcasts.

Their performance will serve as an opportunity to change the public's negative image and perception of the homeless. In addition, participating in the competition will be an opportunity for them to strengthen their will to live and experience positive changes. Since the start of the Homeless World Cup in 2003, the number of homeless people who have experienced positive changes, such as escaping homelessness, has reached 1.2 million, and 83% of the participants have improved their social relationships, such as returning to their families or friends (according to the Homeless World Cup Foundation).

These positive effects and good influences of the Homeless World Cup are desirable and welcome both socially and personally. However, a single World Cup event does not guarantee the homeless's 'right to housing'. It must be guaranteed by law and realized by policy. The Constitution and the Basic Housing Act of our country clearly state that the right to housing is a right of the people to live in appropriate housing and that the state has an obligation to make active efforts to guarantee this.

For example, in the case of the homeless, who are the most vulnerable to housing, the housing welfare provided to them is 'supported housing.' Supported housing refers to providing public rental housing in an integrated manner with individualized support programs. Supported housing is an important policy tool that helps homeless people without homes to live as local community members.

However, 'supported housing' has not been implemented nationwide due to the lack of a law. Only Seoul City enacted an ordinance in 2018 and is leading the way in promoting the project (Gyeonggi Province enacted an ordinance in 2021, but the project began on a small scale this year). Other local governments are not even thinking about it. Therefore, in order to provide supported housing to the homeless and secure their right to housing, this project must be enacted into law so that it can become a nationwide project.

Once the law is enacted, Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, will allow more supportive housing to be provided to the homeless. I hope that this 'Homeless World Cup' will be an opportunity for in-depth discussions on housing safety nets so that not only the homeless but also vulnerable people living in blind spots of housing rights can live independently.

Overcoming Racism Difficult

The Catholic Times' Window of the Ark column features a diocesan priest's reflections on his long-standing experience working with immigrants in his parish. 

He realized the articles he posted in 'The Window of the Ark' column were filled with stories about immigrants and refugees. It was a huge burden. As pastor of a church specializing in immigrants, nothing was being done to justify calling himself an 'activist.' However, at the same time, there were still so many things he needed to share and wanted to share, and he thought it would be nice to share them in this column.

While preparing this month's manuscript, he went on vacation. Of course, the vacation after two years was sweet, but what was most satisfying was reading books without interruption at the public library. While there, he came across a book at the library's gift shop. The author's name was Cathy Park Hong. As soon as he saw the name Park Hong, he picked it up, and after reading a few pages, he thought: 'Oh, he has to buy the book!'

The title of the book is "Minor Feelings" not about unpopular feelings but about her feelings as a minority member of American society—(dissonance that occurs "when American optimism…contradicts your own racialized reality.”)   

She is a poet and university professor who has done very well in her new country. Still, as a second-generation Korean, she had to go through all sorts of hardships with her parents, especially the feelings she felt and still feels from the memories that remain, having passed through the LA riots that are engraved on her heart. The part where she expressed her feelings gave the writer a strange sense of deja vu. "Oh, where have I seen this before?"

The place where he saw discriminatory looks was none other than the streets of Dongducheon, where he lives. A "foreign tourist special zone" has been established near the US military base, and many bars and clubs are targeting US soldiers and immigrants. Large signs at these bars and club entrances say: "Domestic nationals are prohibited from entering," and most employees are immigrants. However, the eyes of the native owners looking at the immigrant employees were clearly discriminatory. Not only the business owners but also the small number of  Korean citizens  living in the tourist special zone looked at them with discriminatory eyes, as if shouting: "This is not your place!"

In the 1960s, during the Cold War, when the United States, in an attempt to promote the status of democracy and capitalism, comprehensively revised the immigration law, abolished the quota system, and opened the door to immigration, many people from Korea also immigrated to the United States. In those days, when it was not easy to communicate in real-time through messengers as we do now, let alone hear voices on international calls, we now know well how much sorrow and discrimination there was behind the occasional letter telling us how well they were doing. 

Although it is said that there are now more cases of Koreans standing out in the economic and political fields, Cathy Park Hong clearly conveys that there are still countless barriers that Asians have to face.

If we feel boundless compassion for our 'compatriots' suffering in foreign lands but do not think the same for immigrants living in our neighborhoods, how narrow-minded are we in our view of the world? 

There are still many people who are immersed in the 'myth' of a single ethnic group, eugenic 'prejudice,' and Western 'worldview,' and who belittle and denigrate immigrants from Africa, Southeast Asia, and South Asia based solely on their skin color, causing them to feel 'minor feelings.' What would they say to the 'minor feelings' conveyed by Cathy Park Hong?

 

Distortion of A Good Thing

This week, the Catholic Times in the Sunday Chat Column, written by a Korean Language and Literature university professor, explains how we can destroy the good with concern for the peripheral and forget the essentials even on pilgrimages to sacred sites.

This happened when he visited the holy site to find the remains of an early church. He was lost in thought, looking at the names on the monument, when a car pulled up. The driver left the vehicle with the engine still on, stamped the visitor stamp on the notebook next to the entrance, and drove away without glancing at the sight.

It took about 15 seconds to get in and out. His wife didn’t even get out of the car. The couple seemed to be on a pilgrimage to holy places. The area was cost-effective since many sacred places are concentrated here, so you can get multiple stamps in one visit.

At first, they probably looked up related information and prayed the rosary while making the  14 stations of the cross. However, the similar narratives of martyrdom repeated at each pilgrimage site made the sense of reality disappear, the emotion dulled, and only the desire to get the stamps seemed to remain. If they had just stamped a few more, the couple would have been happy to go out in front of the congregation during Mass and receive a blessing. After traveling for hours and wandering around looking for a place, they finally arrived, where they only briefly remained.

According to the Holy Land-related data collection published by the Episcopal Conference, there are currently 167 Holy Sites registered nationwide as of 2024. The number of Sites increased from 111 in 2011 to 167 in 2016, and the new data collection to be released at the end of the year will expand the number to around 190. He also heard that selecting a new Holy Site was difficult because of competition among the dioceses. 

 It is said that over 10,000 people have completed the Holy Land pilgrimage and received a blessing. He has no intention of disparaging the pure faith and passion of those who have already completed or are on the pilgrimage. He is concerned that as the number of pilgrimages increases, the number of 15-second pilgrimages will increase. When a bus carrying a pilgrimage group arrives, people rush to receive their stamps. Prayers and explanations are put on the back burner. Since they have to visit several places daily, they can’t stay in one place for long. Some even bring other people’s notebooks to stamp, which is a huge mess.

Contrary to the original intention of honoring the spirit of martyrdom and restoring the faith of the early church, pilgrimages have become a popular tourist attraction for travel agencies. Local governments, sensitive to the number of outside visitors, support it because they think it will help the local economy by activating tourism, but is that really the case?

Several holy sites have been built but are left unattended, with no one visiting or caring for them. There are also places where the facts are unclear, and you can’t help but shake your head. The monotonous construction of holy sites is also frustrating. Seeing empty tombs lined up makes you frown, and the excessive decorations and installations are sometimes painful. You start to wonder if there is a need for so many holy sites nationwide. 

Whenever I see the 100-year-old temple site of Cheonjinam Holy Land, which has been neglected for decades after a foundation stone as big as a house was laid, I feel embarrassed. I wonder what to do about places where hundreds of billions were spent, but even the facts are questionable. Even when the truth is told, they keep their mouths shut and ignore it. This disaster was caused by poor early research, overinterpretation, and excessive passion for local churches.