A New Pastoral Approach in the Apostolate

In the recent assignments in the Seoul Diocese, 129  received new posts of that number 30 priests entered various kinds of training programs and sabbaticals.  New pastors came from priests ordained in 2002.  Which means assistants have a long wait before they receive a parish. So begins the Peace column in the Catholic Times.
 
Strange as it may sound the growth of priests in the diocese is serious. This is true also in the special works in the diocese. Currently, there are 232 parishes in the diocese and 430  priests are involved in parish work. Except for the 232 pastors, the rest are assistants. Beyond the parish apostolate, 270 priests are involved with special works.

In the diocese considering the regional characteristics of Seoul, beginning new parishes is no easy task and adding to the special works will be difficult. However, we can't say the number of priests in the diocese is sufficient. As of 2017, the average number of priests for each believer in the country is 1093 while Seoul has 1,720 believers for each priest. The number of priests available for the believers is much less than the rest of the country.
 
Looking at the situation from another angle and even bringing this topic up he does with great caution, but the Catholic Church in Korea is strongly clergy oriented. Objectively, the dependence of believers on clergy is great. This can be confirmed by the fact that the priests who are devoted to their work have conspicuous results in their pastoral work. This would also be the case with the religious. Looking at the situation negatively, we have a  clergy centered church culture, authoritarianism, but it shows clearly that Korean believers respect priests and religious people despite this reality.
 
With this situation in the diocese are there ways in which priests can find works of responsibility to devote themselves to the needs of the laity?

In the diocese alternative pastoral approaches: joint pastors and team ministry have been suggested and sometimes implemented, but in the Seoul Diocese, they have proven ineffective. But there can be other ways.
 
One of them is to get involved in the reality of life in the here in now. (Would he be suggesting something like the worker-priest movement in France? The movement lasted for many years with different results. At times reluctantly accepted by the Church and later efforts to stop the movement but much was learned and good results were seen.)

At presently dedicated priests are sent to large hospitals to work in the hospital ministry in the same fashion sending priests to work in other workplaces, presently with the police and in markets. He would like to see this extended to many other areas of life.

This pastoral work should not be only saying Masses and giving the Sacraments at fixed times. Just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep, it is necessary to find believers, understand their anxieties, pain, and attempt to foster healing and return people to a renewal of life— the role of the 'field hospital' emphasized in the Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis is the aim.
 
In order to enter this way of pastoral work will require the overcoming of many problems and difficulties. The pastoral workers will have to become of one mind and wisely look forward to a common purpose. The passion for mission is necessary. He concludes the article with the example of the Protestant Ministers in the way they go about planting a new community where none existed. With this kind of motivation and passion, one will not fail.