Spirituality of the World

Spiritual worldliness is a word  seen often in our reading of Pope Francis. In an article in the Kyeongyang magazine a priest professor explains in detail what this temptation to spiritual worldliness means.

We have many problems in society and we who are Christians often pay little attention to what is happening. We are afflicted with a great case of apathy. We are taken up with ourselves and our needs, too much on our own plate to be concerned with others.

He uses the Sewol disaster as an example of this apathy. Certain elements in society have heard enough talk about the tragedy, and when it comes up they coldly dismiss it: the very word is odious to hear and makes them tired.

Last year within Catholicism was a petition to gather names of those who wanted to make known the truth about the Sewol tragedy. The priest shows that only 130 thousand participated out of the 5 million Catholics. Since only about 20 percent attend Mass on Sundays that leaves only about one million 150  thousand that practice. With these figure he says the 130 thousand that participated are only about 11 percent of the number of practicing Catholics. However, he understands for one  reason or another, many did not see the petition so raises the number of those who would have participated to 20 percent of the practicing Catholics. This tells us a great deal about our Catholicism, he laments.

Pope Francis has made  clear in his visit to Korea  that there is no neutrality when faced with suffering. We have to go outside our own interests to the poor and hurting. He wanted the Korean Church to see the  temptation of prosperity and being  concerned only with oneself, and not see the ones who are crying. We can't be the Church of Jesus if we have a spirituality of the world.

Wolves are all around us seeking an opportunity to approach. No longer are they seen as ugly but are refined and attractive with the cloak of efficiency, success and prosperity. Our eyes  should be turned to our neighbor but are turned to ourselves. When we are concerned with the needs of others we are not  ignoring ourselves but more concerned about ourselves. St. Ignatius said that when we are far from self-love, self-will, self interest and our rights, we grow as persons and spiritually.