Many of the movements in which the lay people are involved, and we have many in Korea: Legion of Mary, Marriage Encounter, Cursillo etc. leave the laity with a feeling of inferiority in their spiritual life as a married person. They believe their spirituality does not reach that of the clergy and religious, which thinking has to be changed.
Priest columnist mentions a priest writer who says in the West the numbers going to Church have decreased greatly but those interested in spirituality have increased. People want a spiritual life but not a church, they are happy with questions and don't want answers, they want truth but not obedience. They are dreaming of a new world of values.
The columnist sees Korean Catholics in a completely opposite way. They want the Church but not spirituality (faith life); answers not questions, liturgy not piety, obedience not truth, and he says this with sadness. They are not concerned with what is going on in the world but, to an extreme, only in what is happening in the family. There is not an appreciation of mission and social responsibility.
Clergy, religious and lay people to live a holy life need a mature spirituality. Not only to experience God but enable us to go out to our brothers and sisters and the world in which we live. We need balance in our spirituality.
The theological research center in the diocese is not just educating but equipping their graduates to go out and work in society with the social gospel. We see this in many other dioceses of the country. This is a need in the society to which we belong, and the Church needs to offer it to the members
Even though there are many things we don't like in the direction the nation is going, we don't just complain without any Gospel reasons but use what is happening to internalize the Gospel, unify our way of thinking, and be on fire with our mission to change the world.
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