The world is beginning the Fourth Industrial Revolution, continuing the Third but with big changes. A technological revolution that will alter the way we live, work and relate. A transformation which humanity has never experienced; the positive good in serious danger of great mental and physical suffering. So how do we prepare?
Is the Church connection with the poor in a society close or distant? A question the pastor of a parish asked his parishioners. He answers that church thresholds are high, the fourth revolution will only make it harder; reflection on the part of the church membership is necessary. For a year the parish in small group discussions, with the different age groups, grappled with the question on how to deal with the new world that is beginning.
Both Catholic Weeklies reported on the parish and how they are preparing for the new revolution and the problems it will bring: gaps in workplaces, break down in intimate communication and marginalization, loss of human dignity, destruction of the environment was listed.
The method was to hear a talk on the subject, and in small groups according to age, discuss the subject and the presentation. The parish council president summarized the year-long discussion in this way: uncomfortableness, the breakdown of families and loneliness, job seeking problems and uncertainty, loss of dignity, etc. Loneliness, estrangement, and poverty is where the Church can help,
In the future, the parish decided to continue the discussion with the different age groups and the different problems each age group will have to deal with.
The pastor of the parish considered the poor the ones who will suffer the most. When the emphasis is on the utility of tools the human element tends to be forgotten and the appearance of a new type of poverty. This is what society will have to face.
Catholicism in Korea was started by the laity, developed and maintained by them. This requires the laity to speak out loudly about the hope they have and to emphasize human dignity. Necessary to determine why uncomfortable with the instability of the workplace. All of us need to decide what is the common possession of humanity, deal with it and take concrete steps to maintain it. An example would be with our environment. Development no matter how important and helpful should not be at the expense of human dignity.
Young people's position in this new reality will be great. The generation gap between the young and the old needs to be decreased for the young will be the ones who will have the task to help the older generation feel comfortable in the new. Efforts to deal with the uncertainties of the future needs a new culture which technology cannot supply. The majority felt the culture needs to be assisted, to help accept what the future brings.
As technology continues to develop it will be the young people who will be the ones who will adapt easily and they need to be the leaders in helping others feel comfortable with the new. Pope Francis hopes the leaders in the movement will not forget the poor. Technology has done a great deal of good but it may be unconcerned with the common good and the moral element but concerned only for wealth and economic growth. This will be one of the dangers of our new reality.
The Vatican each year on Buddha's birthday sends congratulations to all the Buddhists all over the world. It's a message of greeting to work together in achieving the universal values of humankind. The Buddhist Jogye Order also lights up the Christmas tree before Christmas on their property; a beautiful sign of respect for a neighboring religion. In the Catholic Peace Weekly, a journalist reviews the changes in relationships with other religions since the Council.
Catholics were not as flexible from the beginning. The Second Vatican Council, which ended in 1965 made the difference. The council adopts the declaration of 'Nostra Aetate' which summarizes the position towards other religions. One passage of this document is as follows. "The Catholic Church does not reject anything that is right and holy in these religions. She looks with sincere respect upon those ways of conduct and of life, those rules and teachings which, though differing in many particulars from what she holds and sets forth, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men."
Until then, Catholicism was seen as a judging church. It did not compromise in defending doctrine and excommunicating heresy. But it is not surprising that there is truth in other religions. The document further declares: The Church, therefore, has this exhortation for her sons prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions and in witness of Christian faith and life acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men as well as the values in their society and culture." This is embarrassing. Not to only recognize the values of other religions but to protect and promote them. How unprecedented.
The Second Vatican Council was the modernization of the Church, the watershed of reform and renewal. It adopted 16 documents that interpret the call of the times. From then on the Catholic Church changed. It turned into an open church that communicates with other religions and not one that monopolizes the truth. It is not a church that only teaches and condemns but a church that embraces human suffering and defects. Historians today are not hesitant to consider this Council as one of the great events in Catholic history.
Church renewal did not come until the Second Vatican Council, the church suffered pain. The first Vatican Council was held in 1869, more than 100 years ago. The ideological confrontation and confusion were severe. During the Council, the Italian troops occupied the Papal States. As a result, the Pope lost a large territory that had been ruled since the Middle Ages and became a poor church. Today's Vatican City is a land that was reestablished in 1929 under the agreement of the Vatican and the Italian government. The renewal of the Catholic Church may be a gift of poverty—the bitter experience to lose all secular territory and left to trust in the existence and essence of the Church. This urgency prompted the Second Vatican Council to convene, creating a tremendous new wind both inside and outside the church.
The writer reflects on Korean Buddhism on Buddha's Birthday May 12th. Remarks about neighboring religions require care and are risky but the concern is needed. The place of Buddhism in our culture and way of thinking is great. Buddhism has had members who have desired restoration which may be synonymous with the Catholic revival. In Korea, the relationship between the two seems to be healthy.
These words do touch a sore spot in the thinking of many Catholics, seen since the Council, and continues within the Church. Reformation is not a word that many Catholics like to hear and the reason we have many who sympathize with the SSPX (Society of Saint Pius X) movement of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
Some of the modern tendencies which the archbishop opposed were ecumenism—a viewpoint which considered all religions as beneficial and valid— collegiality and the change in the liturgy of the Mass. What is essential and what is accidental to the Church will continue to be discussed; hopefully, we will be able to change the 'either/or' thinking to 'both/and' in areas of church life which are not of the essence of Catholicism.
St. Vincent of Lerins said it with great wisdom in the Divine Office for Friday of the 27th Week of Ordinary Time: "Christian religion should properly follow these laws of development, that is, by becoming firmer over the years, more ample in the course of time, more exalted as it advances in age."
Writing in the Catholic Weekly a member of the bishops' committee on women's issues mentions meeting a friend after Mass. The friend knew nothing about politics but seeing what was going on in the parliament made her uncomfortable.
During the process of passing a fast track political reform bill, the Speaker of the Assembly was condemned for an act of 'sexual harassment' for touching the cheeks of a female lawmaker who was blocking his way. Holding flowers and holding an emergency press conference the women lawmakers denounced the Speaker.
A person talking with a tall person may have a sense of inferiority. Saying she was willing to become an 'Old Miss' to serve her constituents can be considered sexual harassment by some. It's not always easy to determine what is sexual harassment and what is not.
The woman who is considered to have started South Korea’s 'MeToo' movement was a prosecutor. She was groped by a colleague at a funeral of a co-worker's father. She complained and suffered much because of her efforts to address a wrong. After the accusation in 2018 was made it was followed by accusations against politicians, celebrities, and many others in the court of law. The Catholic Church also began education programs to prevent sexual violence in each of the dioceses. This greatly enhanced the gender sensitivity of the citizens.
'MeToo' movement was preceded by female victims, but it's now a movement that reaffirms that human beings, not only women, need to be respected and treated with dignity and this is acknowledged by most of society.
In the context of the recent confrontation in the National Assembly, the writer feels the women lawmakers and their party have allowed "sexual harassment" to be used as a political tool and has little to do with gender sensitivity. This incident confuses the sense of gender and the writer's friend who was upset at what was happening is an indication that the behavior of the women lawmakers weakens the true sexual violence that we see in society.
The 'MeToo' movement is not just a small cry for justice. In the process of fighting over gender inequality, there is the danger of losing more than is gained. Victims have a desire to escape the nightmare of sexual violence. However, in our society, she gives the example of a 12-year-old girl who was subjected to physical and sexual violence by her foster father and killed. The mother was so fearful of her husband that she said nothing. There are still a lot of people who do not want to be accused of sexual assault, and the behavior of the politicians makes the lot of true sexual victims more painful to speak out.
She wants women to check what is meant by gender sensitivity. She was sad that the women were not able to say no to the political use that the men wanted to make of the incident, where the Speaker touched the cheeks of the woman lawmaker. They were pushed out in front to demonstrate. "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces" (Matthew 7,6). She wonders if she is the only one to have these words come to mind.
She is reminded again that the purpose of the 'MeToo' movement is to create a world in which women's dignity is upheld. Women need to do what they need to do and not have political expediency motive them. Not long ago, Pope Francis also acknowledged the sexual violence in Catholicism and publicly acknowledged that Catholics are also involved in the global movement. Leaders and all members of the Catholic Church should continue to implement gender sensitivity initiatives.
A retired journalist writing on media literacy in the Catholic Weekly mentions the word 'Giraegi' often heard these days. Not known in the past but appears often on lips and in print.
Here is a definition from the Wikipedia dictionary: "Compound word of 'reporter' and 'garbage'. In the Republic of Korea, false facts and exaggerated inflated articles significantly reduce the level of journalism and its place in society."
This expression became a common concept after the sinking of the Sewol Ferry on April 16, 2014. Most of the media were reported to be disordered and were censured by the family of victims and citizens. Some young reporters reported on their in-house network of the 'Giraegi journalism' they experienced.
Criticism of the media was on their relying on government inconsistent and inaccurate reporting without verification. Taking pictures without permission and other insensitivity shown during the tragedy. This showed to many the dysfunction of the media.
Media outlets have again prepared rules for the reporting of disasters, but does it need more confusion and sacrifice before the rules become reality? There were many tragic accidents after the Sewol disaster, but nothing has basically improved. When there was a disaster, not many in the media monitored the disaster preparedness and critiqued the reporting.
In 2015 Korea was attacked by the 'Mers virus' (Middle East repiratory problem, also called camel flu) Here again much of the media was obsessed with breaking the news without observing the accuracy of the reporting. There was a lot of false reporting at the time. It was badly handled.
Last month we had the wild fires in Gangwon Province which caused much damage and loss of life and forcing many to evacuate their homes. Here we saw that some reported as if present and were not, and did not broadcast in sign language for the hearing impaired which is necessary for reporting disasters.
The principles of reporting disasters: accuracy, rescue and saving of life procedures primary, minimization of damage, reporting on preventive information, prohibition of unethical coverage, control and attention to area, operation of an on-site desk, restraint in unreasonable press competition, handling of official information, verification of sources, restraint in emotional expression, careful of personal details, care for the victims, prudent in interviews with victims and young people, correction and evaluating other opinions etc.
We have still a long way to go in following these regulations. We need to educate ourselves in media literacy and watch how reporting is done and be able to criticize what we see and hear and we will rid society of 'Giraegi' journalism.
Self-control, temperance is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Gluttony has to do with food but we can be 'gluttons' in other areas of life especially in the digital age in which we live. Sex, drink, and food needs control, our ancestors saw lust and gluttony as a problem, two of the capital sins. Today the areas of overindulgence have increased a hundredfold; the digital world is one of the main ones.
Many who do not check SNS (Social Networking System) repeatedly become anxious. Sometimes it interferes with daily life. What needs to be done? In the Catholic Weekly, the head of a consulting service treats the problem for the readers.
SNS, (Korean Kakao Talk) is the most popular SNS in Korea. Korea continues as the best-wired country in the world and why fatigue and stress-related use have become a social issue.
Imagine a scene on a train or bus. Most people are using smartphones, messaging, playing games, shopping, watching dramas. Staring at smartphones on the streets, alleys and in elevators. Most frequently used content among smartphone users is (SNS) since it binds disconnected individuals together in many different ways.
SNS allows one to enter the fantasy world. People want to be loved and appreciated by others, and the desire to show off. Psychological hunger is satisfied to some extent by displaying unrecognized ability, talent, wealth, and appearance to others through SNS.
Many people may not be showing their true self on SNS. Nevertheless, if you are seeing everyone happy, one desires to show one's own happiness and not to look like a loser. But human desire is many faceted and one wants to fill it with new things. I want to look 'better, happier, more loving, smarter' and increasingly reliant on SNS.
Anything done in excess can become a problem. Those who use SNS excessively may experience psychological problems such as panic disorder, depression as well as physical disorders. Withdrawal symptoms come with efforts to discontinue. The fantasy world created in SNS can be mistaken for reality and we delay doing what we need to do now and isolating ourselves.
Fantasy exists at present because many are not satisfied with their reality. Individual's desire to deny their reality and make their lives freer constantly creates fantasy. In other words, fantasy is bound to be created as long as we are not satisfied with real life. So, the free fantasy world given in SNS is bound to become stronger and more elaborate with time. SNS is a great escape from reality, but after it's over we need to return to reality.
On our return to reality, we need to acknowledge who we are and examine the fiction shown on the SNS. Persons created for the fantasy world of SNS are created by ourselves and we need to find ways to realize this in daily life.
Addiction is a pathological consequence of the desire for pleasure, the desire for freedom, power, love, belonging, both in the realms of psychology and sociology. In reality, however, it takes too much time and effort to meet these needs naturally. So, the desire to speed up the progress leads eventually to addiction. Whether SNS addiction or not, addictions are not easily overcome, wisdom requires looking for help.
A professor in the art department of a university tells the readers in the Catholic Peace Weekly's Current Event column the difficulties of Korean artists. He taught a course with the title: Art and Bread to nurture the spirit of artists dreaming of a career in the art world. The aim was to help establish their own artistic view by looking at artists who overcame trials and adversities to create the Korean art world.
Students attended the classes with seriousness because they thought that such trials and adversities would also be their lot. Students asked: "Why should an artist always live and die in poverty and sickness?" He wasn't able to give a clear answer. This is probably the fate of the artist. Students have to endure the high entrance competition to walk the artist's path. Competition rate is over 30 to 1 on average. A music vocal major is close to 400 to 1. The employment rate of students who graduated with such competition is low.
According to a recent report on career information in Korea, the highest salaried job rankings were in national legislators, plastic surgeons, senior corporate executives, dermatologists, university presidents, and deans. The annual salary is more than 85,000 thousand dollars. The lowest rankings were poets, lyricists, after-school teachers, stand-ins, novelists and fast-food clerks. It is about 10,000 dollars well below the minimum wage of about 14,000 dollars
Artists are making less money than fast food clerks. This is also evident in the results of the "Survey on the Status of Artists" released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 72% of the total number of artists are earning an annual income of fewer than one thousand dollars a month. Nearly 30% of the artists have no income from artistic activities.
In 2011, the Arts Welfare Act was created. The law aims to protect the professional status and rights of artists by law and to promote artists' creative activities and contribute to the development of the arts through the support of artists. The law contains a fascinating story of the death of a poor artist.
The artist was found dead in a rented house a few days before the year 2011. He was suffering from thyroid and pancreatitis problems, wasn't eating and not properly treated and died. A note on his neighbor's door said: "Thank you so much for your help. I am embarrassed to say this but I haven't eaten for a few days so if you have some rice and kimchi please knock on my door." These words give one a picture of this artist's situation. The story of his death evoked in the professor great sadness and regret.
He remembers the picture of Van Gogh's pair of shoes.They seem to symbolize Van Gogh's difficult passage through life. The owner of the shoe is invisible. Poor and sincere life is full of shoes.
'All artists have the right to perform artistic activities in an environment that guarantees human dignity and physical and mental stability.' Article 3 of the Act on the Welfare of the Artist. Does Korea protect the rights and human dignity of artists?
Bishops of Asia decided to become the 'church for the poor' in their first meeting' in Manila in 1970 and established the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC). In the recent Catholic News Weekly, the director of the Institute of Theological Studies explains the meaning behind the establishment of the FABC and the three-part dialogue with Asia in proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
The spirit of 'renewal' and 'dialogue' of the Second Vatican Council influenced the Asian bishops. After the death of Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI led the Council and published the encyclical Human Development (1967) based on the teaching of the Council. The pope presented development as another name for peace. Not only the absence of war and hunger but the study of peace as a true development of our humanity, giving Asia the necessary energizer.
When the Asian bishops first met in Manila in 1970 there was a lot of gossip preceding the meeting about the foray of the pope and Cardinal Kim's 'karate' but this began to quickly disappear at the plenary session because of the important discussions on Asian reality.
Only five years had passed since the end of the Council and most of the participating bishops had suffered from colonial rule, and the common meaning of independence and liberation was at the heart of their thinking. The spirit of 'conversation' with the world from the Council provided the occasion for bishops to recall the place of life in Asia and became the focus of the meeting.
Although the conference did not use the term "triple dialogue", the final statement stated that the seeds had already been sown by emphasizing the dialogue with the poor people of Asia, the diverse religious traditions and the cultures of Asia. This topic for discussion was formulated by C. Arevalo SJ who was called the father of Philippine theology.
If the fact that the Asian bishops were gathered in one place is the birth of the FABC, then it's an important step in its history. Four months before the Bishops' Manila Conference in 1970, the Chairmen of the 11 Bishops of Asia met in Hong Kong and discussed the issue of organizing similar institutions as the current FABC.
The pro-nuncio Cardinal Edward Cassidy in Taiwan said to the bishops: "Important persons in the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church are seriously opposed to the establishment of such an institution, so stop immediately." This response was completely unexpected. The participants, including Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan, were surprised, but the Vatican's reaction by Cardinal Cassidy was not strange. The Catholic Association of Latin American Bishops (CELAM), which was founded in 1955, was still not recognized in some parts of the Vatican. Some members of the Vatican were displeased with CELAM, because of "Liberation Theology," and did not welcome the creation of such an institution in Asia as "another CELAM".
But something unexpected happened. A few months later Archbishop Sergio Pignedoli, secretary of the congregation of the evangelization of peoples, was present at the bishops' gathering in Manila and expressed his strong support to Cardinal Kim. Inspired by this, Cardinal Kim directly presented the agenda to a meeting attended by Pope Paul VI, which adopted a resolution calling for the founding of the FABC at the end of the plenary session. Two years later, at the end of August 1972, four cardinals, including Cardinal Kim, went to Rome and received approval from the Pope for a "two-year period", eventually becoming a consultative body for Asian bishops.
Asian bishops held the first FABC General Assembly in Taiwan in 1974 on the subject of "Evangelization in Modern Day Asia." Among the many pending issues, the reason for choosing 'evangelization' as the theme of the General Assembly was simple. In September of that year, there was a "bishop synod on 'evangelization' scheduled in Rome, so it was a kind of preparatory meeting to reflect the voice of Asian bishops. Because of this effort, the next year's Pope's exhortation 'Evangelii Nuntiandi', became the Mission Charter, providing basic principles and guidelines for the evangelization of the modern church.
At the Asian level, this document resonated in many areas with the FABC's missionaries, providing a bridge to link universal and Asian churches. In any case, it was a monumental meeting in that it addressed the theme of evangelization and suggested the basic direction of the FABC theology.
The triple conversation is embodied in its concrete context, in the view of the eschatological theology of 'God's Kingdom'. For example, in the situation of poverty experienced in most of South Asia, the triple conversation is realized with the spirit of the gospel: the church should help not only with the excess but even with what is necessary. In most of Indochina and Southeast Asian countries where the Communist dictatorship, the military dictatorship, and the people suffering under authoritarian regimes live, the struggle against dictatorship is the way to realize the triple conversation—the path of evangelization.
In Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and similar countries we have 'dying alone' of the elderly, those with disabilities, sexual minorities, temporary employment of the young, and the many other problems from our economic development. This is the reason for the holistic human development that is envisioned in Asia—the dialogue with the various cultures, religions and the poor.
