Living Alone

The Catholic Peace Weekly recently had an article by one of their journalists on the observations made by the director of the Catholic Cultural Institute of Korea on the makeup of the family units that frequent our  Churches in present-day Korean society.

"Nearly 40% of people who come to church are single-person households. The proportion of single-person households was 34.5% in 2023, but since there are many elderly believers in the church, the number of single-person households will increase. Despite the increase, there is no pastoral care for single-person households." 

He said: "Traditionally, the church’s pastoral care has focused only on normal families with parents and children. We must research and develop pastoral programs for single-person households and devise ways to utilize them in parishes."

 "Since the Catholic Church has long focused on normal families (consisting of parents and children), we are not feeling the increase in single-person households. The church must adapt to the changing times."

The director, who is serving in an area with a high concentration of single-person households, explained: "Our parish is populated with officetels rather than  apartments (An officetel is a type of building that combines an office and a residence in a single unit). Young single-person households are still flowing in, and the streets are filled with young people at night."

The priest has long spoken out about the need for pastoral alternatives for single-person households. In 2021, the Catholic Institute of Korea held a seminar on "The Church’s Pastoral Response and Prospects in the Era of Single-Person Households." In 2022, a survey was conducted targeting 253 young single-person households. At that time, 24.9% responded that they wanted emotional support programs, followed by programs for gatherings, rest areas, and human exchange programs.

He emphasized, "If parishes conduct retreats or camps for families and couples, and only give sermons to families with parents and children during Mass, people who live alone will be left out, consequently the need for concern for single-person households.              

"Individualism is rampant, and now even the phenomenon of avoiding mandatory communities is revealed. They want loose solidarity based on their tastes and hobbies."

"People who live in single-person households, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, feel lonely due to ‘isolation’ and suffer from mental problems such as depression. Churches can operate psychological counseling programs and provide places where communities can be created."

"In the era of single-person households, a sense of community is important. It is still important to live together in solidarity. However, we cannot return to the extended family where grandparents lived together to restore a sense of community. The same goes for the church. We need a church community that fits this era. The truth and the gospel remain unchanged, but the culture of the church must change with the times."

He emphasized: "We must approach single-person households from various angles and provide help in various ways. The church must read the changing social situations and signs of the times and show that it always welcomes and accommodates everyone."