Japanese and Korean Bishops Face a Serious Problem

The recent Catholic Times gave front page coverage to the 16th Japanese and Korean Bishops' Conference, which met to discuss the serious problem of suicides in both countries.

Korea has one of the highest rates of suicides in the world, with a daily rate of 42 and increasing yearly; Japan, since 1998, has had over 30,000 yearly suicides. It is no longer a problem that either country can ignore.

During the conference meetings, the observation was made that because of Korea's development in the last 40 to 50 years many problems have arisen that took the West over 300 years to come to terms with. And as a result, the rapid change of the Korean culture brought  to light many of the difficulties now being experienced by so many.

With such an abrupt change in cultural values, feeling confused was a common response of many, leading to stress, a weakening of the support systems, the breakdown of family life, the loss of a person's sense of self, and gradual erosion of the value of life itself. Especially disturbing has been the many incidents of women committing suicide and having serious mental problems. 

A Korean speaker at the conference felt the large number of suicides in the two countries was a sure sign  we are dealing with a pathological societal issue that until recently had been mostly considered solely a personality disorder and thus had not been addressed adequately by  society. He wanted the citizens of both countries to become familiar with what is going on in society that is prompting so many to take their own lives. By being better informed,  he believes we will be empowered to do something about it. He also felt that the Church and all religious organizations, because of the nature of their mission in society, has to be in the forefront of this movement to decrease the number of suicides.

A Japanese bishop made clear in his presentation that killing oneself in many cases is not a free act. We are beginning to realize that many are driven to kill themselves and are powerless, if help is not available, to prevent it. The Church is beginning to see that suicide is both a personal and a societal sickness, and that we have to be careful not to consider it just a sin.

We must make an attempt to understand what motivates the potential suicide, by reflecting on why they are lonely and feel  alienated. When they come for counseling, we will not be of much help to them if we just lay down moral principles that say they should not think those thoughts. The primary effort must be made to uncover what has driven them to bring these thoughts to mind. And then be prepared to offer them a viable way of dealing with these thoughts. A way that is both practical and doable, given the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.

We Are All Brothers and Sisters

A professor of biology writing for the Kyeongyang Catholic Magazine begins his article on ecology by referring to the well-known speech of the American Indian, Chief Seattle. Among the most quoted words of the speech were the following: "This we know, the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family." The central theme of the speech was that we are all brothers and sisters. And with the phrase from the Analects of  Confucius: "It is not poverty that is the problem; inequality is the problem," the professor prepares us for his own thoughts on the environment.

In 1991, when the professor was an exchange scholar at Cornell University, the United States was one year away from celebrating its 500th anniversary. Together with other students, the professor listened one evening to a talk on the discovery of America, and each one  present was to give a response. His response was that America was not discovered  but was invaded; it was already inhabited, he explained, by those who came by means of the Bearing Sea some 50,000 years ago. Considered to be of the red race, they had a remarkable culture and this is recognized, he says, and yet in the same history books, we are told that  the Americas were discovered.

He stresses that he does not want to refute or minimize what mighty America has done but latent in the American thinking is the belief that "big is beautiful and white is superior," and this prideful attitude he can't help but pity. He has little love for a "Peace Americana," and what added fuel to this way of thinking, he says, was the speech of Chief Seattle. His speech--and the controversy surrounding it--can be easily accessed on the Internet.

We are all descended from the same ancestors, attested to by both biology and evolution, the professor says. That we all have the same orign is a fact of biology. We know also that the way we have been living has caused harm to ourselves  and  other living creatures. Knowing this, however, has not effectively  moved us, he says, to make serious efforts to alleviate the problems.

 

He compares our situation to a boat that is sinking with  6 billion passagers onboard, and poses an interesting scenario. We Koreans, he says, who are using so much energy are also on this boat. Onboard also are those from the underdeveloped countries who have no choice  but to use little energy. Let's assume, he says, that there is food and water for a hundred days. If there are those with plenty of money to buy what they want and those that can't will this boat arrive at port without difficulty?

The professor often brings to the attention of his class and others within the school environment the words in the Analects where Confucius says "It is not poverty that is the problem; inequality is the problem."  He ends the article with an aphorism from Mencius (slightly changed to words more familiar to us), "Before you criticize another, walk a mile in the other's moccasins."

After reading the speech by Chief Seattle, which was translated by the professor for the article, I can see how a Korean would be upset. It moved me greatly. They certainly express the feelings of many American Indians, even today, and provide all of us with useful guidelines on how we should look upon creation.

Welcoming North Korean Refugees in the South

Refugees from the North now living in South Korea have increased, and the recent attack on one of our islands, coming after the sinking of the Cheonan, will soon tell us what affect it will have on refugees. Distrust of the North Koreans is understandable and this recent incident could make matters worse. There are now over 20,000 North Koreans living here. A columnist  for the Catholic Times gives us background information highlighting some of the potential problems.

Over 80 percent of the refugees are women. Until the year 2,000, women refugees numbered under 50 percent, and the ages were from 20 to 40. Difficulty of life in North Korea prompted many of them to leave for China and from there the trip to S.K was less of a problem. The men have to spend about 10 years in army service, which makes it more difficult for them.

The number of women who have found employment is much lower than it is for the men. The government knows about the problem and has changed the law recently to be of more help to the refugees. However, from the tone of the column, the plight of the refugees is greater than in the past because of the larger numbers. A survey of 222 refugees revealed that over 56 percent were not making $500 dollars a month, the government's figure for sustainable life.

Because of the difficulty of making it alone, many get into prostitution or line up at the marriage bureaus to find someone to make their life easier--a sure sign of how difficult it is to make the transition to life here.

The columnist compares the refugee problem in Korea to the problem in Germany after unification. Many of those that stayed in East Germany suffers even now from the after-effects of the hunger they experienced, while those who went to West Germany, risking life in the slums, became part of that society. The present Chancelor of Germany, Angela Merkel, is one of this group.

A recent visitor from Germany, a member of the government, mentioned that it will be very important to know how well the North Korean refugees are doing here in the South, for it will determine the ability of the South and North to come together someday in the future.

The columnist feels that there is more the government and different organizations in the South can do to help. He also feels that the Catholic Church should be doing more to help the refugees in making the difficult transition to life in the South.

Individual Catholics have taken refugees into their homes to ease them into the South Korean culture. It gives them some time to learn about life here from fellow Koreans and about the work possibilities. This is a good way for our Catholics to get involved in a great work of charity and to prepare for the day of unification.

Saving Marriages with the Retrouvaille Movement

Like all countries Korea has its share of divorced families. The daily papers tell us stories of married couples that live in the same house but are living with masks-- they are no longer couples. Some time ago a  TV program dealt with couples living together and not talking to  each other for years. This has been  sufficient reason for divorce in the court of law. They stay together for the sake of the children.

Of the countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD), Korea has one of the highest rates for divorce. It has been reported that the divorces by agreement  have declined, but those submitted to the court of law have increased.

One article  mentions alienation in the marriage  begins with criticism of the other, defending oneself, contempt for the other and finally the walls go up-- communication stops. The Church in Korea has made the break up of the family  an important issue in their pastoral programs.

The Peace Weekly introduces us to the Retrouvaille  movement, an attempt to save these unions from  the complete breakdown. On average in Korea,  according to the article, 342 couples divorce daily, and 49%  have irreconcilable differences in personality. On the outside many seem to be without problems but  are on the verge of divorce. This movement tries to return them to a normal married life. The two keywords for the movement are trust and forgiveness.

The weekend that  starts the process is similar to the Marriage Encounter Movement which is for harmonious couples that want to deepen their relationship. The Retrouvaille Movement is for couples that are in crisis. To get a good idea of the movement which a Columban Missionary was instrumental  in starting in  Korea go to his article. 

The weekend is time spend  sharing their experience, and to encourage one another to seek change in their lives. After the  initial program, there are others to help them to apply what they have learnt to the marriage. Here in Korea they have been able to save 40 marriages.
The  program requires a great deal of those who conduct it, but it also is very satisfying to have done something that enabled the couples to stay together. Hopefully, it will spread throughout the country.


The  program requires a great deal of those who conduct it, but it also is very satisfying to have done something that enabled the couples to stay together. Hopefully, it will spread throughout the country.







 

The First of the New Years.

Today is the start of a new liturgical year, Advent. Here in Asia, the Catholics start off with their first New Year's celebration with resolutions for the new year. They will have their second chance as world citizens on Jan. 1st, the Solar New Year, and again as Asians on the Lunar New Year, Feb. 3rd. The least important of these new beginnings would be the liturgical year, followed by the Solar New Year. For many, the real New Year will be the Lunar New Year. Attempts have been made to make this less important, with little success; it is given three red days on the calendar. The Bishops' pastoral message has helped form our own resolutions this year, and we have the opportunity of renewing them in each of our three New Years. 

Both Catholic papers mentioned in their  editorials the resolutions addressed by each Bishops' pastoral message.  The idea emphasized in each was the new evangelization, which was to be approached with  passion and renewed dedication.  Each bishop had his own message for the diocese but all had the new evangelization as the center piece of the message.

The Peace Weakly laments that the pastoral messages are not taken seriously by the diocesan Christians. They seem not to be interested, and the editorial gives a great deal of the blame to the pastors, who also do not make much of the message; yet this is the direction that the Bishops have set for their dioceses.

Here in Incheon we will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary as a diocese and the bishop, in his message, thanked all the foreign missioners who have worked in the diocese over many of those years. The diocese started off with nine parishes and 23,000 Catholics. Today there are 114 parishes, about 450,000 Catholics and 262 diocesan priests.

The present bishop thanks the first bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. William McNaughton M.M., who was the ordinary for 41 years, and also thanks and expresses his love and respect for his predecessor.

The pastoral message addressed three main concerns. First,  the bishop thanked God for the many graces the diocese has received.  He thanked all for their cooperation in building the Spiritual Retreat House at the pilgrimage site in Kang Hwa.

Second, he stressed the importance of building for the future, as well as expanding our efforts to work for the new evangelization, the reason for the existence of the Church. This will require more love on the part of all of us. We have to be an example of Christ-like living if this is to have results, he said.  And grammar, middle and high school children, along with our young people, must be encouraged to enter the community of Faith.

The third concern was for the family. The family is the smallest yet most vital community in the Church. The acceptance of divorce by society is now widespread and many of our Catholics have accepted it as well. To counter this trend, all of us must make the bonds of the family stronger, the bishop said, in an effort to sanctify the life of husband and wife so that they may overcome the difficulties they face.

Along with the family, we must be concerned about the very serious problem of suicides in Korea. This is  something that is increasing  and efforts have to be made to have the culture of life permeate all segments of society.

The bishop ends his message by expressing gratitude for the graces received and urges everyone in the year ahead to have firm resolutions working together and dreaming of a new tomorrow.

Following the Hexapla of Origin

The Peace Weekly introduces us to Fr. Lee, a priest-scholar with a doctorate in Old Testament studies from the Catholic University of Paris. He is preparing a multivolume, multilingual  edition of the Bible. Each double-page spread will have, in parallel columns, texts in Korean (a modern translation), Latin Vulgate, Greek, English, and a traditional Korean translation, ending with the Hebrew text; when there is space a French translation will be included.

The Old Testament will be published in 21 volumes and the New in five volumes, with a production cost of about  $2,500 per volume. It's a massive undertaking but the priest feels it to be necessary. During his days in the seminary in Korea his professor would have to mimeograph the Hebrew text for the students to use in their studies. Now, there will be no need to have six or seven books to make an in depth study of the Scriptures.

Fr. Lee used the Hexapla of  Origin (185-254) as the model for his own work. The Hexapla is made up of six columns of parallel texts: Hebrew text, Hebrew transliterated into  Greek, the Greek version of Aquila, the Greek version of Symmachus, the Greek version of Theodotion, and the Septuagint. It was Origin's intention to correct the corruption of the texts in his time by putting all that was known about the Old Testament into one volume.

Six volumes of the Old Testment are now finished, to be followed by 15 more volumes of the  Old Testament and five volumes of the New, which will complete the Bible in 26 volumes. In all, there will be 100 copies made. 10 copies of the finished work will go to each of the seven seminaries, and the remaining 30 copies will go to those who have helped sponsor the work. 

In his work of running a parish and teaching Scripture, Fr. Lee found the lack of easy access to the original texts a problem. Now those interested in deepening their knowledge of the Scriptures will benefit greatly by this effort. He hopes the Church will take an interest.

And for the last 40 years the Church has shown a greater interest in the study of Scripture. Many programs are now being offered in many different parishes and organizations to encourage more interest in this area of study. With Bible Week this year, the Church has provided another stimulus to assist those who want to use the Scriptures for living a more mature faith.

A Bribe or A Gift?

 
The  giving and taking of bribes is a common practice in all countries of the world, and Korea is no exception. The daily news brings it to our attention much too often.  While the difference between a gift and a bribe is not always easily made, some contend that, whether they are  gifts or bribes, the practice has helped to lubricate our business society and helped to develop the country.

Korean society is very quick to appreciate favors and to return thanks in a material way. What is a gift and what is a bribe may be known only by the one who  gives and the one who receives. And it may not at the time be clear even to them. Gifts, in contrast to bribes, are most often given for favors received, for good work, as a gesture of congratulations or condolences, and, sometimes, simply for the joy of giving.

One of the columns in the Peace Weekly mentions the number one reason for dismissal from government service as the receiving of bribes. When does a gift become a bribe? It is now being discussed in the political arena in Korea. How much can one receive as a political gift without it being a bribe?

This is not only a problem in today's world but goes way back into history. The column mentions an incident in Egypt, 1500 years BC, where someone was reprimanded for giving a bribe to obtain a dishonest decision in law. And in ancient China a noble person did not accept bribes.

Usually, one who receives a bribe will consider it a gift so it can be accepted with a clear conscience. However, a gift is just that, a giving that expects nothing in return, while a bribe is giving in order to receive. The Bible has many entries in which bribes are castigated: "Never take a bribe, for a bribe blinds even the most clear-sighted and twists the words even of the just" (Ex, 23:8).  It compares bribes to black magic: "A man who has a bribe to offer rates it as a magic stone" (Proverbs 17-8). 

The column gives other quotes from Scripture that show the evil of bribes but comments that in all the quotes it never refers to the giver of bribes but always to the receiver. This is conjectured to be because the one who gives is weak and the one who receives is strong and influential. At the time of the Scriptures those who received bribes where those who  could give some advantage to a person, and  also had a say over matters of life and death.  "There are those of you who take bribes to shed blood. You exact interest and usury. You despoil your neighbors violently; and me, you have forgotten, says the Lord God" (Ezekiel 22:12).

To receive a gift is always pleasant and can't help but dispose one to see the person giving the gift with benevolence. This is the danger even in receiving a gift which is truly a gift. You want  to return the favor, and this is where the problem comes in. If the gift changes the way we treat  others who have not given us gifts, then that gift works like a bribe, and our actions are unjust.  It is a serious problem.