It is necessary to distinguish between the difficulties of reality and the right path. Dear readers, are you practicing social doctrine well? Why is this necessary? Simply put, this is the practice of the Gospel. As expressed in "A Brief Social Doctrine", preaching the social doctrine is the mission itself of evangelism; problems faced by mankind are resolved and results are seen by meeting the gospel; the church as a community of faith preaches the Gospel as a social doctrine.
To change the world, the practice of the gospel and social doctrine are urgently required. Politics, economy, labor, justice and peace, environment, and ecology are not the world of ideas, but the places where our lives are lived. Social doctrine practices are concrete teachings of the Gospel implemented in our daily lives. Of course, the reality faced is full of conflict and confrontation and not easily changed. But we must distinguish between the difficulties and the right path for life. This is because the truth does not change just because there are many conflicts and difficulties in our society. Also, these conflicts and difficulties should not overcome our courage. Courage puts the truth into practice and corrects injustice. So today, let's look at social doctrine and courage together.
A prophetic call to resist injustice, crying for fairness, justice, and right values is the prophetic calling of religion. In the 1980s, under the dictatorship, the people denounced unjust human rights violations and took to the streets for a just world. Among them were believers, clergy, and religious. Especially, the episode where Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan said: "Step on me," to the police who were trying to arrest hundreds of protesters who had been chased to the Myeongdong Cathedral during the June Uprising in 1987, was one of the most dramatic scenes.
The world was moved by the courage to be a voice for the voiceless, to cry for justice by the side of the weak, to proclaim the truth amidst violence and oppression, and to lay down our lives for our friends and neighbors. History evaluates that Cardinal Kim was such a great man in the era when he defended human rights and witnessed to conscience, and the Catholic Church and Myeongdong Cathedral were one of the last strongholds against unjust power. We must clearly identify. The proclamation of the Gospel and the courage to defend life, human rights, peace, and justice against injustice are completely different from ambitious political campaigns for a place in the sun or a political campaign filled with irresponsible words.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, courage, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and one of the four cardinal virtues, is explained as follows. It is the virtue that makes us pursue the good amid difficulties, overcomes temptations, obstacles, and fears. Fortitude assures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It reaches even to the ability of possibly sacrificing one’s own life for a just cause. It is said that courage leads to a commitment to the truth, it takes courage to make difficult decisions and prayer helps us to find courage.
In retrospect, it takes courage every moment in our present reality which is often like a battlefield. Courage to resist injustice, make peace during trials, cherish love, hope, and faith to witness to God, and to trust in God's providence in ambiguity. The cross-bearing Son of God best revealed what courage is: "Be brave for I have conquered the world!" (John 16:33), Jesus Christ, who chose love with courage out of fear, is the path of truth that we must look and meditate on. Let's look to Christ and pray. With the help of the one who loves us, let us also move forward.
"Prayer inspires courage and gives strength to all true friends of peace, those who love peace and who strive to promote peace in the various circumstances in which they live." (Social Compendium #519)
=
