The Ecological Movement

Ecology/Environment posted in the Korean Catholic Times 'Our Common Home' Earth: Why Must We Continue This Fight? Written by a professor and the president of the Earth Law Society. 

The ecological movement does not continue because there is a guarantee of success; rather, it endures long retreats and failures because there is an awareness of why this struggle must continue. 

In *The Essence of Struggle: An Ecological Revolution Against the Myth of Growth and Technological Totalitarianism*, French political ecologists Bernard Charbonneau and Jacques Ellul state, “The audience that listens to the voice of ecology is very small. People merely worry and do not move toward the radical choice of confronting the causes of acid rain.” They then recall the following maxim often attributed to William of Orange, the leader of the Dutch War of Independence (Eighty Years' War, 1567–1648) against Spanish Habsburg rule.

"There is no need to hope. Just plan and act. There is no need to succeed. Just persevere."

William of Orange, who led a rebellion to break free from the oppression of the Spanish Empire—the most powerful nation of the time—realized that immediate victory was impossible. Instead of acting rashly based on short-term hopes and falling into despair, he chose a strategy of long-term endurance and persistence. His tenacious resistance, in which he acted persistently without being fixated on the outcome despite being at a disadvantage in power, eventually led to the independence of the Netherlands. 

The essence of this maxim lies not in denying hope, but in maintaining an attitude of persistence, even when success is not guaranteed.

Viktor Frankl’s *Man’s Search for Meaning* demonstrates that the meaning and purpose of life can serve as an inner strength that endures extreme situations. In the era of the global climate crisis, what meaning and purpose of life does humanity need? 

In *The Principle of Hope*, Ernst Bloch conceived of hope not as vague optimism or consolation, but as a practical force that moves individuals and society toward a better world that has not yet arrived but remains open as a possibility 

Professor John Cobb, an ecological philosopher who passed away in 2024, once said that the only task remaining for humanity is the struggle to preserve the foundation for reconstruction while preventing the situation from worsening. The ecological movement does not continue because there is a guarantee of success; rather, it can endure long retreats and failures only when there is an awareness of why this struggle must continue.

Even William of Orange, who said “there is no need to hope,” must have had a reason for resisting Spain. Responsibility toward those innocently exposed to the climate and ecological crisis, future generations, non-human species, and nature as a whole compels us to act, even in the face of the possibility of suffering and catastrophe. Therefore, we must continue this fight not because we are optimistic about a better world, but because we cannot abandon our responsibility.

Emotional Intelligence

In the Philosophical Chat column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a philosophy professor emeritus offers readers some thoughts on the role of relationships on emotions: "Healing begins with the reconstruction of relationships."

The issue of managing one's mind has been a subject of continuous philosophical reflection since ancient Greek philosophy, particularly regarding the control of emotions. In this regard, while the Epicurean school aimed to achieve "equanimity of the soul" by restraining excessive human desires and eliminating fear, the Stoic school sought to attain a state of "emotionlessness" by overcoming "passions" through control of perception. What they sought to control were passions arising from flawed judgment, such as sorrow, pain, fear, desire, and inappropriate pleasure.

The English word "emotion" derives from the Latin "emotio" (movement outward), formed by combining "e" (outward) with "movere" (to move), and thus signifies an "emotional state that moves outward and becomes manifest." Thus, emotion possesses a dual nature: a "passively experienced state" and an "externally manifested emotional movement." For such emotion to arise, "sensibility"—the capacity for sensory reception—must be presupposed; only when sensory perception precedes do we have the emotional state. 

Traditional Western rationalism has regarded reason as the superior and desirable faculty, thereby denigrating emotion as inferior and negative. However, in everyday life, humans rely heavily on emotion—as much as, or even more than, rational thought—and form social relationships through it. We may identify with or reject others based on emotions even before making rational judgments. In this regard, reducing emotion to a mere, blind, impulsive reaction is not valid. 

The ancient Stoics regarded emotion as a "mental error" stemming from false representations and value judgments and viewed it as something to be overcome. The modern philosopher Hume grounded moral judgment in emotion and proposed an "ethics of sympathy" grounded in moral sentiment. Schiller also viewed emotions as the ability to intuit values that reason cannot grasp, and emotions such as empathy or love can be understood as concrete manifestations of this intuitive grasp of value.

For example, jealousy is the emotional expression of conflict and tension arising from an exclusive triadic relationship in which the intervention of a third party is perceived as a threat. At the same time, envy is the emotional expression of tension within an interaction premised on comparison and difference. In this sense, emotion is not a blind internal state, but rather the emotional manifestation of the internal truth of a specific social form when that form is in operation. 

Consequently, the healing of emotion in this context does not lie in eliminating a specific emotion, but rather in alleviating tension within relationships and establishing new distances and balances by reflecting on and restructuring the forms of interaction that produce that emotion.

 

Living Life Fully

An English and Literature professor at a University in Seoul writes in the Catholic Times on living life fully.

She likes the rain and the bright sunshine too, but when it rains—especially late at night when she hears the sound of rain—her heart races so much that she can't fall asleep. Today, in the middle of the day, as a gentle spring rain fell, she was taking a pleasant walk after finishing work, thinking about how much greener the world would become once the rain stopped. People are taking pictures in the square, next to flowering trees. At this very moment, they look as though they have forgotten all their worries: war, employment, office paperwork, and sick family members.

As she stepped out after having tea with a friend, the wind grew rougher. The raindrops grew heavier, and the gentle spring rain turned fierce like a summer storm. People who had been walking leisurely now buttoned up their coats and quickened their pace. Her heart sank, thinking, "At this rate, all those flowers will fall." Petals were already dotting the wet pavement. As she lamented how wasteful and regrettable it was, a thought suddenly struck her: those flowers had already fulfilled their purpose. Simply existing fully in this moment and shining brightly into this world for these past few days was enough. Cherry blossoms in their own way, magnolias in theirs—they had so beautifully demonstrated the natural order of life as it blooms and fades. To live this moment fully. An afternoon when she was no longer sad, watching the flower's grave after fully displaying the initial heart of faith that does not fear loss in advance. A flowering tree that taught her the meaning of simply blooming here and now, without the human folly of clinging to the past or worrying about the future yet to come. 

As she returned home, reflecting on yesterday when her mind was so busy she couldn't even focus on the conversation with the person she was facing—telling herself to focus on the present moment and not to hoard worries—a friend sent her a message from afar. “Even in this rain, the petals on the tree remain intact. Aren't they composed? It seems like the delicate petals are overcoming the strong wind and rain. Cheer up.” On days when her heart wanders aimlessly and feels anxious, she looks into small and fragile things. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34). When this world feels too precarious, she gives her heart to soft things. A child’s laughter, a ray of transparent sunlight, the faint sound of a bird in a quiet moment, a soft light green hue, the sound of raindrops, a card received. 

To live fully in this moment is to lean on stillness instead of boisterous commotion. To trust in simplicity instead of complex calculations. To wrap up a weary day with gratitude rather than releasing it with anger. As you take a step forward, leaning on the fullness of this moment, things that seem impossible suddenly come within reach. For hope is faith itself. That is why she believes that the wars waged by those who love power and revel in intimidation and oppression will soon be defeated by the prayers for life and peace that embrace the small and vulnerable. It seemed as though God, who always makes things new, was speaking just that to her amidst today's spring rain.

Priestly Vocations In Korea

63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations falls this year on April 26, the fourth Sunday of Easter, also called "Good Shepherd Sunday. The Catholic Times published an article on Vocations in Korea that examined the sharp decline in vocations.

The number of priestly vocations is falling so steeply that it is difficult to explain it solely by population decline. If this trend continues, a church where the number of priests is woefully insufficient compared to the number of believers could soon become a reality. On the occasion of the 63rd Sunday of Vocations on April 26, we examine the current state of vocational formation in the Korean Church and explore how to respond.

The number of young Catholic believers showed an overall downward trend. The number of priestly vocations plummeted even more sharply than the number of young believers. Why are young people not drawn to the life of a priest?

According to the "Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea" from 2010 to 2024, the number of young believers showed an overall downward trend. The number of priestly vocations has also been steadily decreasing. 

Outside the church, the secularization of the younger generation is cited as the biggest factor. However, even within the church, it is pointed out that young believers do not find the 'life of a priest' itself appealing. Those working in formation and experts commonly believe that priests have failed to sufficiently demonstrate how to live happily within their ministry, and that this perception has been passed down to the younger generation. Ultimately, the decline in vocations results from changes in the environment outside the Church, while simultaneously raising the question of how persuasively the meaning and beauty of the priesthood are conveyed within the Church.

The Dean of the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Seoul pointed out, “If clergy themselves cannot demonstrate that the priestly life is good and happy, the number of people who wish to become priests will inevitably decrease.” A senior researcher at the Institute for Youth Spirituality Ministry also stated, “Clergy, too, must show themselves living joyfully as believers to provide young people with an opportunity to discern their vocation”, adding, “In some cases, they disappoint by acting in the opposite way or displaying an overly authoritarian demeanor.”

Given the significant influence from outside the Church, the decline in vocations is somewhat expected.  “Because not only priestly vocations but also Christian faith itself follows a direction different from the logic of the world, it is inevitably subject to constant challenges and temptations from the world. In this context, as the number of believers decreases and the number of those practicing their faith declines, priestly vocations have decreased along with it.”

If this trend continues, the Korean church may follow a path similar to that of the European church. Notably, the French church has already been consolidating parishes since the 1970s due to a shortage of priests, and there have been ongoing instances of a single priest overseeing multiple churches.

However, there are also views that the future of the Korean Church should not be viewed unconditionally bleakly solely due to the declining trend. Rather, it is suggested that we look back at the "golden age" of priestly vocations in the 1990s, when they experienced rapid quantitative growth. 

The Director of Student Life at the Seoul Archdiocese Seminary stated, "At that time, the number of clergy had grown greatly, and there were just as many complacent and authoritarian priests. We need to view the decline in vocations as a sign of the times in terms of priestly formation and use it as an opportunity for renewal." He further remarked, "Now is the time to focus more on qualitative maturity than on quantitative growth."

This means that the decline in vocations should not be viewed merely as a "crisis of numbers," but rather accepted as an opportunity to reflect on what kind of priests the Church has raised and what image of the priesthood it has testified to. Those who work in formation emphasized in unison, "Priestly vocations can be revived when the Church fulfills its inherent mission."

Ubuntu: Humanity

Co-hosted by Gyeonggi Province, the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, and the Writers Association of Korea, a three-day world literary event aimed to spotlight literature’s role in promoting peace, coexistence, and human dignity was held at the DMZ (demilitarized zone between North and South Korea).

A professor in the department of English Language and Literature of a Korean university writes about her experience at the event in the Korean Catholic Times.

Since visiting the DMZ this past March for a world literature event, indelible images and words have lingered in her mind. It felt all the more real because the place where those who crossed over from a place rife with violence and death spoke of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace was the very site of our division—the DMZ. In that solemn land, she remembers the word: 'Ubuntu'.

Among the invited artists was Ismael Beah, a former child soldier in Africa. He was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa, but lost his family at the age of 12 due to a civil war and was conscripted as a child soldier. It is said that around 10,000 children became child soldiers at the time. Beah remarks that in war, one “must learn how to deal with madness very quickly.” Having wandered through scenes of slaughter and revenge, learning how to kill and survive, he is rescued by UNICEF by chance and escapes the war. Attending a protective school, he quits drugs and learns the way back to being a child. Now a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Bea says, “Every child is a hope.” Bea, who now lives as a human rights activist and writer, was full of humor and had a wonderful low voice. At dinner, Louis Armstrong's song<What a Wonderful World> He sang it brilliantly. During the interview, Bea told the story of a boy soldier friend. He said that his soldier friend had both of his hands severed by the enemy. The soldier who cut off his friend's hands was also a boy soldier dragged to the battlefield. He was captured and came face-to-face with the one whose hands he had cut off. The friend whose hands were cut off asks, “Why did you cut off my hands?” The enemy boy soldier replies, “I was told that if I didn’t cut off your hands, they would cut off both of our hands.” What do you think the friend replied? “That’s a relief, at least your hands remain.” And this is the story of how he forgave the soldier who had cut off his hands. This unbelievable, vivid story struck me like a living illustration of one of the most difficult parts of the Bible to understand. “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek also … Give to the one who asks, and do not refuse the one who wants to borrow.” It is a passage that always raises a series of questions. What made forgiveness possible?

The answer lay in Ubuntu. This word, which symbolizes the spirit of peace in Africa, means “I am because you are.” How many events in our lives are truly difficult to forgive? But still, in the end, as I faced the person speaking of Ubuntu and echoed those words, I said “Amen” in my heart. It is a phrase that brings one to their knees. If war reveals human barbarity most clearly, then the forgiveness of a child soldier reveals the greatness of humanity that barbarity cannot destroy. Ubuntu. Because you are, I am, and we are. Thinking of those suffering from war even now and hoping that children—the seeds of hope—will smile again, I scatter this newly learned word like a seed. Ubuntu, Ubuntu.

Harm done by Religious Cults

A Catholic University philosophy professor offers St. Thomas Aquinas's answer to "The Way to Happiness" and to the harm done by cults in the Korean Catholic Times. A religious group that has usurped God's place is a sin committed by 'pride' and is a serious problem in society.

Concerns regarding cults and heresies are constantly being raised. One of the most powerful tools they use to control people is "guilt." When messages such as "You are a sinner" and "If you leave the leader, you will perish" are repeated, followers doubt their own judgment and eventually come to cling to the leader's words. On the surface, they use traditional religious language regarding "sin, repentance, punishment, and atonement", but in reality, their structure is completely distorted. Thomas Aquinas's reflections on sin, which he discusses in detail in the 'Summa Theologica', reveal their fictitious nature.

Cults divert people's gaze from God and fix it on leaders and the community, causing them to drift away from God and reason. Pieter Bruegel's *The Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind*, depicting a blind guide leading a blind man into a pit.  A victim who has been reduced from a free personality to a manipulated object

For Thomas, sin is not merely a violation of social norms but signifies a rejection of reason and the eternal law, which are the supreme rules that should govern humanity, and a departure from the 'order of reason'.

However, in cults, the standard of sin changes insidiously. Outwardly, they speak of the will of God, the will of the Virgin Mary, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but in reality, the leader's commands and the group's rules become the absolute standard. Cults brand everything that violates these rules as disobedience, apostasy, and unbelief, defining it as sin. Victims suffer from unnecessary guilt for violating arbitrary rules set by the manipulator and come to trust the manipulator's voice more than their own rational judgment.

Thomas views sin as stemming from 'disordered self-love', placing its root in human free will. Sin is not a coerced act but the result of the misuse of free will; therefore, it is possible to hold individuals morally responsible. Sin is established only when a free person deliberately defies the order of reason.

However, cults condemn even unconscious fears or instinctive emotional fluctuations that a believer cannot control as mortal sins. The leader instills shame by continuously criticizing the victim, saying, “You are inherently wretched,” and darkens the victim’s reason by projecting images of hell and destruction onto their imagination. At some point, the victim is pushed into a psychological state where they feel they have no choice but to act in the way directed.

However, defining the natural emotional turmoil of followers as an act of atonement and turning them into 'emotional slaves' is a grave insult to human free will. This is because if the will did not consent to a 'chosen act' derived by reason, a sin cannot be established. Rather, the act of a leader who systematically destroys the freedom of others to bind them under their own power is, in itself, a grave sin that most clearly reveals rebellion against God's order.

Cults that impose distorted guilt… Destroying human reason while creating 'emotional slaves'.

Only discerning faith is the path to true happiness… We must reclaim grace and freedom through reflection and repentance. The Dual Structure of Sin: Departure from God and Conversion to Creature

Thomas understands sin in the tension between “separation from God” and “disordered conversion to the creature. Sin is not merely the act of committing a bad deed, but an internal diversion of direction in which one turns one’s back on God, the ultimate goal, and replaces that place with limited good (pleasure, wealth, honor, power, etc.).

Insomnia and Depression

In the Catholic Times, a pastor emeritus and Scripture scholar introduces us to King Antiochus IV, who suffered from insomnia and depression. 

Insomnia can begin at a very young age. It is not uncommon for newborn babies to toss and turn or be unable to sleep due to prolonged illness or their surrounding environment.  The child may become withdrawn, and eventually they may speak less and even their smiles may disappear entirely. 

Subsequently, depression naturally weighs down the inner self, causing thoughts, judgments, and internal and external growth and development to slow down or fail to occur properly.

The writer mentions suffering from insomnia for a very long time. As a result, he felt symptoms of depression arising. 

The Latin word 'insomnia' (not able to sleep originates from the Latin word 'somnus,' meaning sleep. Adding the prefix 'in' gives the opposite. 

When one suffers from sleeplessness for a long time, it is common for anyone to eventually become trapped in a depressed state of mind and struggle in life. In the Bible as well, we frequently encounter cases where people suffer from insomnia and depression.

The insomnia and depression suffered by Antiochus IV Epiphanes are considered a representative example found in the Bible. Sensing that death was approaching, Antiochus summoned his subjects and close associates and said, “Sleep is far from my eyes (insomnia), and my heart is broken with sorrow (depression).” (1 Maccabees 6:10) The English word 'depression' also originates from the Latin word 'deprimere,' which means 'to weigh down.'

Antiochus IV was the king who ruled the Seleucid Kingdom for 12 years, from 175 to 164 BC. He deified himself and gave himself the nickname "Epiphanes" (one who appeared as a god). It is said that, at the time, people, seeing his immorality and arrogance, mocked him behind his back, calling him "Epimanes" (one who went mad) rather than "Epiphanes."

He, who knew no bounds and sought to destroy the people of Judah, did not stop at deifying himself. “Great sorrow arose throughout Israel; the leaders and elders lamented, the young men and women lost their strength, and the beauty of the women faded away. … The earth trembled because of its inhabitants, and the whole house of Jacob was covered in shame.” (1 Maccabees 1:25-28)

Antiochus suffered from insomnia and depression as a result of occupying and plundering Israel, forcing them to pay tribute, and persecuting the Jews in various ways (see 1 Maccabees 1:36), and eventually met his death.

It is said that music and art, which purify and bless the mind and spirit, can be of considerable help in alleviating the gloom that keeps one awake at night. “Whenever the spirit sent by God came upon Saul, David took his harp and played it. Then the evil spirit would leave him, and Saul would be restored and at ease.” (1 Samuel 16:23)

Among those who read these words, there are likely some who are suffering from insomnia and depression. The writer prays that you may take a moment to catch your breath as you remember God, who does not turn away from your pain, is always within you.