Where is our Emphasis: Money or People?

The Catholic Times' bishop's column on Faith and Economics has a partial list of the 10 tips for happiness the pope mentioned in his interview with the Argentine magazine Viva.

+“Live and let live"--move forward and let others do the same. + “Give  of yourself to others”-- people need to be open and generous toward others. +“Proceed calmly” in life."+"A healthy sense of leisure"--  turn off the TV when you  sit down to eat. + "Sundays should be holidays"--Sunday is for family. + "Respect the environment and work for its care." + "Work for peace," and of three  others, the  bishop selects the need to find innovative ways to  +"create jobs for your young people and give them the opportunities to work."

Pope Francis has already on many occasions expressed the need to help solve the problem of work for the young. His attendance at the Asian meeting of the young people shows this interest. Last year at the end of the World Youth Day in Brazil, talking with the journalists he mentioned the danger of the large number of young people without jobs, and criticized the inhuman elements in the labor market.

The pope mentioned we are preparing for a society without jobs. A person finds satisfaction from the work they do which gives them a sense of worth. In the work force the young people are often seen as disposable. We are becoming accustomed to a throwaway culture-- habituated to throwing away so much in the culture in which we live.  The pope sees these young people managing our  future, and wants to communicate with them.  

He direct our attention to the poor and the minorities in society.They need to receive hope and courage.We are not only facing an economic crisis but one of values. The pope is seeing the issue as a pastor and not as a specialist in economic matters.

When the young are not able to have a place in society to complete themselves they are drawn to drugs and despair.The problem for Korea is serious and has been for some time.The number unemployed is over 1 million. With the young the percentage is over 40 percent. We know overcoming difficulties is not always a negative but there is a limit to this. Here in Korea we have 3 areas of life in which many of  the young have given up-- romance, marriage and having children.

Like the Pope we need to see the need for work for our young people if we are to have a healthy Church and society. This hope is not only for a certain time in our history but for the future of humankind.