In the recent bulletin for priests, we had an article by a member of the Justice and Peace Committee of a Korean Diocese with his understanding of the Catholic Church's present situation in society.
According to a survey on "Religious Favorability and Efficacy" conducted by Korea Research in November three years ago, the favorability of Catholicism has decreased significantly compared to other religions. As favorability towards other religions has also decreased, it can be said that favorability towards religion has decreased overall as science and technology continue to develop and society becomes more secularized.
However, it is difficult to say that religion is losing its power due to the secularization of our society, as we can see tens of thousands of people flocking to new emerging religions like Shincheonji.
In a survey conducted last year, over 70% of respondents said they obtain positive effects from life through religion. At least 7 out of 10 people in Korea believe in the positive role of religious teachings in our secularized society. On the other hand, the proportion of the population who believe in Catholicism has remained around 11% of the total population in Korea since 2018.
While there has been little variation in the number of Catholics, favorability towards Catholicism has decreased, and the number of those leaving the church has increased. Moreover, the number of young people frequenting vocation gatherings both for the clergy and religious have decreased. Can we understand this contradictory phenomenon simply as a result of the secularization of our society, or as a natural process of change like that of the European Church? There is evidence to refute the claim that it is a result of secularization, as mentioned earlier.
On the other hand, it is too irresponsible to consider it a natural change like that of the European Church. One religious leader said: "If people feel that way, it is the result of our failure to live well." I believe that this statement is an accurate reflection of the phenomenon.
If I were to explore the causes of this phenomenon as a layperson, the label of "anti-church layperson" is often heard. However, the problem is not that we deny the teachings of the church. Simply put, the Korean Church has been indifferent to the practical lives of its community members. By focusing only on the quantitative growth of the church, it has failed to fully implement the "way of life and activity" (modus vivendi et operandi) of faith that Christians should clearly demonstrate as members of a church community.
The priests and religious who fought against the harsh military dictatorship in the 1980s were a good example of this struggle, but even they became trapped in the ways of the 1980s. While fighting against the dictatorship is important, it is also important to prevent the continuous deaths of workers.
As for the church's approach to urban slums, sexual minorities, and migrant workers caught between the church and society, I'm not sure if the church has researched and shown what the "way of life and operation" of faith, according to Jesus' teachings, should be. There are members of church communities who work with them, but they are still a minority in the church community and, unfortunately, their voices are weak. So people become greatly disappointed with the church's indifferent attitude, and the church finds itself in a contradictory situation.
I believe that it is time for us to reflect on how we have been living and to have a serious moment of contemplation about the problems we are facing. We need to think not only about the justice that we are shouting for but also about what kind of peace we can build together in our daily lives. Let's think together about what this peaceful coexistence could look like.
