Korean Nostalgia For The One Country

After an absence of 44 years North Korea appeared in the World Cup, and, as expected, did not impress, except for the fact that they made the event. Beaten by Portugal 7 to 0, they showed why they were the biggest underdog of the tournament, but they did attempt the impossible.

With the sinking of the Chonam and the sadness and cries of the families of the victims still fresh in the memory of the South Koreans, the jubilations of the world cup games come with mixed feelings. Many Koreans in the South were born in the North so the love of their place of birth is strong, despite also feeling anger toward a government that tyrannizes its people.

In the Catholic Times, a columnist who was born in North Korea, said that she fell asleep watching the North Korean and Brazilian game but still checked the internet next morning to find out what happenedl; she was pleased to see that the results of the game were favorable to North Korea. "Before 1960 we all lived on the same peninsular, and belonged to the same people," she said. "We can't hide that fact."

A Korean resident of Japan on hearing the North Korean National Anthem, started to cry and the columnist writer mentioned that it also brought tears to her eyes. She now understands how the Jews of the Diaspora felt. The only relative that came South at the division of the country was her mother's sister. Her parents had died and the relatives that meet for family celebrations are just six.

This year, her thoughts of the family in the North turned to her uncle, a priest, her father's older brother, who is now listed among the 38 who are being proposed for canonization by the Church. Her uncle was imprisoned in Pyongyang in 1950 and when the North Korean troops retreated to the North, they took their prisoners on a death march during which many died.

Seeing the North Korean team on the soccer field brought her back to her early years growing up in the North. She hopes that for the next world cup Koreans will see a united team playing for one country.

Korean Ode to Water

In a meditative study on water in a recent Catholic Magazine, the author helps us appreciate the role of water in our life. When we get away during the summer and go to the mountains and sit beside a stream or go to the seashore, the sound of the water never interferes with what we do--it's a welcome relief from the sound of machines. Water was our first natural habitat; we were all surrounded by water in our mother's womb.

Even in life, most of our body is made up of water; it was there from the beginning. Water was the womb from which God created. When our telescopes explore outer space, the presence of water is considered a sign that some form of life will also be present. Water gives life. However, it is also the reason for punishment in the Scriptures. It cleans and removes dirt and debris. The Jews used water as a sign of cleanliness. We as Christians continue this with the waters of baptism that give us new life.

Both in the West and in the East the nature and attributes of water have been acknowledged and eulogized. In Korea water was seen as containing four virtues. It gives growth to all life, cleans from dirt, flows through all things--it is gentle. Water does not care for the turbid, seeks the bright and cleans the dirty--it is just. Water is soft, and, although seemingly weak, has to be respected for it can easily overcome the strong--it is brave. Flowing with reason, water accommodates, embraces and relates harmoniously with all--it is humble and wise. .

Lao-tzu compares water to the Way. The highest good is like water. "Because water excels in benefiting the myriad creatures without contending with them and settles where none would like to be, it comes close to the way."

During this vacation season, the author recommends that we do the following:

1) At a little stream in a ravine, put your feet in the water and go back to the time you were in your mother's womb.

2) Throw a leave into a stream and let your spirit go with the leaf out to the ocean.

3) Recollect the attributes of water and ask God for the grace to imitate them.

4) Let us remember that when we dirty water, it is water that we need to drink; let us keep all waters clean.

5) Water is our common possesssion. Let us conserve it.

Preparing for the 50th Anniversary

The diocese of Incheon will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary next year, and it was a sign of the maturity of the diocese and the need to manage the many works of the diocese that Rome finally appointed an auxiliary.

The Cardinal of Seoul, in his congratulatory speech, praised the work of Maryknoll Bishop McNaugton (retired bishop of Incheon) for his many years of service to the diocese. Back in 1961, there were only 9 parishes and 23,169 Catholics; today there are 113 parishes and 437,621 Catholics, making Incheon the 4th largest diocese in Korea. When the diocese was established there were no Korean priests, today there are 260. Since Bishop Mc Naughton was not present, the Cardinal asked us all to clap loud enough for the Bishop to hear us in the States.

The head of the Bishops Conference gave a congratulatory talk that was far from the staid and conventional speech that you would expect on such an occasion. It shows that Bishops can surprise even in Korea.

He began with a joke. A lay man went to heaven and was met by St. Peter who, without much ado, let him enter. Soon after, a Relgious Sister arrived and Peter gave her a bouquet of flowers. And then a bishop arrived and there was an orchestra to greet him. The lay man spoke to St. Peter about the unfairness of the receptions. He thought heaven would be different and was annoyed at the discrimination. St. Peter explained that this bishop was the first one they had seen in 100 years.

He went on in this vein telling us that when a person becomes a general in the armed forces, he has 80 or more things that change for him. Becoming a bishop also means many changes: a red cassock and hat, a miter, a ring, gloves, and a shepherd's staff--to keep his fingers busy--a driver, a secretary, and the best places at events.

He concluded his talk by reminding us of St. Ignatius' example of the two standards: Jesus and Satan. On one side, poverty contempt and humility; on the other side, riches, honor and pride. Sometimes, it's difficult, he said, to distinguish under which standard one is working. He congratulated the new bishop and asked him to be sure to check which standard we (the bishops) are working under. Let us make sure it's not every hundred years that a bishop gets to heaven.

Not taking ourselves too seriously and being able to laugh at ourselves is not out of place even at a bishop's consecration. The bishop made it clear to the new bishop what his priorities should be in a humorous but effective way. These are also what our values should be as disciples of Jesus.

Fr. John Edward Morris, Maryknoller

An article in the July issue of the Kyeong-Hyang Magazine introduces us to the first Korean Religious Order established in Korea: the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, founded by Fr. John Edward Morris. He was a Maryknoll priest who was sent to Korea in 1923, a difficult time in Korean Church history; he was made the Ordinary of the diocese in 1930. We are told that he was the first one to have seminars for lay people with interest in mission work and had helped many in his diocese overcome the difficulties of living in a country occupied by the Japanese.

He started a monthly magazine, "Catholic Studies," to encourage the work of evangelization, and improve the way the diocese and the parishes were run. He was also instrumental in giving hope and a long-overdue sense of empowerment to Catholic Korean women.

Right from the beginning, the Sisters were exposed to Continual Lectio Divina: regular study and reading of the scriptures. This was their charism, and they continued with this dependence on Scripture in their many works, guided by the words of Luke 18:41: "Lord, that I may see."

Wanting to know more about their founder, the Congregation sent a representative to Rome to gather whatever information was available, but learned that the time for release of the material has not arrived. So the Sisters will have to wait to see what the documents covering that period in Korea will reveal about Fr. Morris. .

Since Father Morris was ordered to resign by the Superior General of Maryknoll in 1936, there has been on-going discussions on what really happened during that turbulent time, when the "rites controversy," a complicated issue, was being hotly debated. Missioners were on both sides of the issue, intensifying the problem, a problem that led to the resignation. It was not an action initiated by the Vatican but rather by Maryknoll because of the dissension among Maryknollers in Korea. It was an attempt to bring peace and harmony back to the diocese.

At the funeral Mass for Fr. Morris, Fr. Sheridan, who knew him well, said that Fr. Morris, "Never sought to be vindicated but some day, please God, it will come about and perhaps soon." That would be a welcomed and long-awaited gift to the congregation he brought into being so long ago.

Is it Wrong to Pray on the Soccer Field?

Watching the World Cup games, most Korean Catholics are pleased to see players make the sign of the cross after scoring a goal. Appreciating the joy and gratitude after such a feat by making a sign of the cross, if not by some other gesture of elation, seems a natural thing to Korean Catholics. Making the sign of the cross is a regular part of their lives; even when snacking, many precede the eating by the sign of the cross.

In recent months, one of the Buddhist groups asked the soccer league to stop the religious ceremonies on the playing field. In response, a journalist for the Catholic Times wrote: "Is it wrong to pray?" Apparently, a league official of the FIFA had asked the players to refrain from any religious displays on the field, considering them out of place on the soccer field.

The players were not happy with the request and made it clear that there was nothing in the rules that would be against expressing joy after a goal. The regulations prohibit political acts, or acts that demean opposing teams or incite the crowd, but there is no prohibition of prayers and rituals.

One of our Korean players, a Protestant, after a goal gets down on his knees to pray, and in Europe and South America, you will occasionally see players making the sign of the cross. For a Catholic, the connection with those players is somewhat closer.

Besides religious displays, there are also displays that involve kissing a ring, doing a jig, somersaulting, and whatever else the player feels properly expresses joy and gratitude for the success of the moment.

These are ways of adding a little more luster to the sport. The journalist is hoping to see many making the sign of the cross, since many of the teams participating in the World Cup games come from predominantly Catholic countries. He is surprised that some have difficulty with these rituals and believes this is a very pre-modern way of seeing what is happening on the soccer field.

For a non-religious person, what is seen is considered superstitious, a return to a previous pre-scientific age, and therefore a childish way of acting. Many see these religious displays as divisive and tend to separate us, but they may also be seen as acts that show us how much larger life is than what we have come to make of it. We need not agree with the expressions we see, but we should be big enough to appreciate what moves others to express what they feel in their hearts. Without this understanding, life becomes drab and joyless in a separate, self-limiting world, instead of a life that opens up to a larger world we can joyfully share with others.

Times of Difficulty for Catholicism

On pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, one of our Diocesan priests was walking alone when he saw a girl waiting for a group to join. They started walking together and he introduced himself as a priest to put her at ease. She called him by his first name, which was Peter. Every time she introduced him to others, it was always Peter from Korea. On his return to Korea, he mentioned to some Irish priests about meeting this girl and was told that in Ireland, because of the sexual scandal, the trust the Irish previously had towards priests has greatly diminished. .

The priest, in a bulletin written for Korean priests, had a great deal to say about this issue in Korea in comparison both to what it was a few years ago and to what exists in other countries.

A priest who lives in the Netherlands, told him he no longer introduces himself as a priest. Even in the States, where priests were respected for years, bishops and priests don't feel the same walking in their clericals. The sexual scandals have changed the environment for all Catholic clergy. China and Russian and other countries under communist rule, because of their indoctrination, have never been friendly to the clergy. Religion was seen as the opium of the people and priests lived, as they saw it, by exploiting this deception.

Another priest mentioned going to the American Embassy for a visa and being given a rather difficult time during the questioning by a young woman employee. He had mentioned he was a Catholic priest; with a sarcastic look on her face, she said: " Do you want me to believe all priests are to be trusted?"

In the world today--outside of Korea, the Philippines, Africa and South America--there are few countries, besides the poorer ones, where the priest would receive respect because of his position.

Korea, however, is a country where priests still receive this respect. Financially, in comparison to many other Catholic countries, Korea treats their priests with great generosity. In 1980 a survey was taken on what occupations in our society the Koreans found most trustworthy, Catholic priests were listed as number one. This is no longer true, according to the priest; Buddhism is ready to ready to take the Church's place.

In Korea Americans and Westerners are still respected. Koreans have accepted the culture and religion from the West and their missionaries. Elder priests, especially, have helped to set a good example. During the years of totalitarian rule many of the priests went to prison for protesting the repressive regime when many citizens found it difficult to speak out. This speaking out for justice and truth has remained in the hearts of Koreans.

Overall, religion is greatly respected by an overwhelming majority of Koreans. One of the reasons is the history of the Catholic Church in Korea. A great deal of suffering and sacrifice were necessary to maintain one's faith during those early years. This is still a vivid memory of our Catholics; hard to imagine that this will change, but public opinion is not easy to determine.

Called To Expand Our Vision

A Maryknoller writing in a bulletin for priests recounts the incident that happened when he arrived in Korea back in 1969. He was a blue-eyed foreigner, which drew the interest of many. Staring at him, a child asked, "How does the world look to you with those blue eyes?" The missioner never forgot the question, and the question he asked himself in response: How do others see this world that I am in and see as my world?

The missioner left the States and a culture he knew well, and soon found himself confronting a new reality faced daily by Koreans. He feels that he has been called to view the difficulties of the Korean reality with a broader angle of vision than he had in the past.

He has worked with workers and refugees, has seen the difficult living and working conditions, and now shares their viewpoint. A few years later he was involved with abolishing the old family headship system, with its paternalism and authoritarianism, that began under Japanese rule, and became interested in the partnership system of leadership. With the spread of American military forces in different parts of the world, he became interested in the movements for peace. And his interests continued to expand to include working for the health of the ecology, as it became evident that the environment was being systematically destroyed by our short-sighted drive for development.

The Maryknoller feels we are all called to broaden our understanding of what is possible. Our Lord has shown us how by his own life. A sign of the mature person, one who has broadened the range of what is possible, who has, he feels, this expansive vision, is the person who is able to love and show compassion.

A child starts with concern only for itself but gradually becomes interested in the immediate surroundings, the family, the school, the neighbor. As the child matures, interest soon widens to include one's country and religion, and, in time, expands even further to include other countries, other religions, and all of God's creation.

In the Beatitudes Jesus asks us to get rid of some of our common sense beliefs and expand our vision to the unseen world. He invites us to read the scriptures with a new eye. The Maryknoller has made this journey and found it liberating. He is asking us to rid ourselves of our narcissim and begin to reach out with compassion and love--to see life anew.