Research on Artificial Intelligence Needed

 

The Catholic Times, in its recent editorial, considered the future of artificial intelligence and our response.

This is the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Humankind has created the benefits of human civilization resulting from our era's science and technology. Whenever new technological tools and means such as steam engines, electricity, movies, radio, TV, the Internet, and PCs were invented, humans expressed concerns about the convenience and benefits they would bring, as well as the side effects and adverse effects. However, regardless of people’s expectations and concerns, science and technology have always continued to develop.

Today, the world is caught up in the topic of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence leads to unprecedented and groundbreaking developments in all areas of society. In our country, various concerns, identifications, and attempts regarding artificial intelligence are continuing. Companies and the government have invested a huge budget into developing artificial intelligence, and the legislature is enacting a basic law that will be implemented next year. Citizens are studying how to use it conveniently in their lives and work.

The Catholic Church, especially the Vatican, has long been deeply interested in this issue and has been contemplating theologically and pastorally on the ramifications. The ‘Appeal of Rome on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence,’ which many governments and companies have accepted as ethical guidelines, clearly demonstrates this interest of the Church.

We believe that at this great turning point in human civilization, the church should deepen theological and pastoral research on artificial intelligence, which is leading the change, and present its insights. Finding ways to utilize it as a useful tool in pastoral and religious life is important. Still, we also need to deeply consider how to properly utilize artificial intelligence in the journey of faith that truly seeks the truth. Special attention is required from theologians, philosophers, science and technology developers, and researchers.

 "Rome Call for AI Ethics" is a document initiated by the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, promoting ethical principles to guide the development and use of artificial intelligence at a national and international level.

 1. Transparency: in principle, AI systems must be explainable. 

2. Inclusion: the needs of all human beings must be considered so that everyone can benefit and all individuals can be offered the best possible conditions to express themselves and develop. 

3. Responsibility: those who design and deploy the use of AI must proceed with responsibility and transparency. 

4. Impartiality: do not create or act according to bias, thus safeguarding fairness and human dignity. 

5. Reliability: AI systems must be able to work reliably. 

6. Security and privacy: AI systems must work securely and respect users' privacy. 

Aging Society in Korea

An editorial and article in the Catholic Times brings the readers up to date on a serious issue that many countries are beginning to face—an aging society.

December 23, 2024, Korea entered a ‘super-aged society’ according to the UN standards, with the elderly population exceeding 20% ​​of the total. The number of registered residents aged 65 or older is 10,244,550, more than 20% of the total registered residents 51,221,286. It has been 7 years since Korea entered an aging society in 2017 when the elderly population was 14%.

According to the “Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea 2023”, published by the Episcopal Conference in April 2024, the percentage of believers aged 65 or older in the Korean Church was already super-aged, at 26.1%. However, now that the entire Korean society has become a super-aged society, there is a need to properly present the Church’s teachings on society. 

Problems facing the Church in a super-aging society include the spread of euthanasia, alienation of the elderly, and low birth rates. What does the Church teach about these issues? 

Euthanasia, whose meaning is now being distorted by calling it “death with dignity”, is currently permitted in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and other countries. According to a survey conducted by Korea Research’s “Public Opinion" in 2024 with 1,000 adults, 84% of respondents said that “the introduction of an assisted death system with dignity is necessary.”

However, the Church completely prohibits euthanasia. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Vatican stated in its April 2024 Declaration: “Infinite Dignity,” “Assisting someone about to commit suicide is an objective crime against the dignity of the person who requested it.”

In addition, the number of older adults living alone is increasing, and issues such as elderly marginalization and people dying alone are emerging. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety released statistics on January 3, 29. 6% of single-person households were over 65 years of age. According to the “2024 Survey on the Status of Deaths from Loneliness” by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 50.3% of those dying alone in 2023 were among those over 60. [ A person dying with minimal or no social contact and often dying alone and not discovered for some time]   

The Church has established the “World Grandparents and Senior Citizens Day” to focus on pastoral care for the elderly. The theme of the 2024 “4th World Grandparents and Senior Citizens Day” was “Do not abandon me in my old age” (cf. Psalm 71 [70]:9). In addition, Pope Francis emphasized at the end of the Angelus on the same day: "We should not get used to leaving the elderly alone."

One of the causes of a super-aging society is the low birth rate. In 2024, Korea’s total fertility rate will be 0.74, the lowest in the world. According to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by Korea Research in 2024, only half of those in their 30s or younger thought they “should have children.” The reasons were the economic difficulties of raising children (61%) and the difficulty of finding happiness in our complex society  (56%).

Pope Francis attended the low birth rate countermeasure conference in Rome in May 2024. He said: “Newborns are the first indicator of hope for people,” and added, “We must seriously consider and come up with family-friendly policies, and especially women should not be put in a situation where they have to choose between raising children and working.”

The priest in charge of the Seoul Archdiocese’s Elderly Ministry Team pointed out: “The speed of aging in our country is accelerating very quickly, coupled with the low birth rate. Since social systems and citizens’ awareness are not keeping up with the pace, it is expected that the problems of generational conflict and alienation of the elderly will become more prominent in the future. In line with Pope Francis’s special interest in the elderly, the Church should develop and operate integrated programs that organically connect all generations, from infants to the elderly, with the pastoral goal of ‘intergenerational connection’.”

Prayer for Unity Within Christianity

An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly reminds us of the importance of the Unity Octave. We all desire it and know it is Jesus's desire, but too many personal issues stand in the way. It will begin on January 18th and end on January 25th.

960 years ago (1054), when the Eastern Church centered around Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in the Eastern Roman Empire split from the Western Church (Roman Catholic), the Catholic Church, which had been a single church, experienced a major division. 463 years later (1517), the 'reformers,'' including Martin Luther, established a new church (Protestantism), and the pain of division once again was experienced.

The division did not stop. 17 years later, in 1534, when King Henry VIII of England's marriage to the queen was not accepted by the Pope, he established the Anglican Church with himself as its head. 

They remained disconnected and lived as if they were 'different religions.' The movement for unity began in 1857 when Anglican priests in London, England, formed the 'Society for Promoting Christian Unity,'' a prayer group with Catholics. 

Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) laid the foundation for the movement for church unity by using the warm term 'separated brothers' instead of  'heretics,' which Catholics used to refer to Eastern Orthodox Christians and Protestants. Popes after Leo XIII also showed an active attitude toward the movement for unity. 

The 'Week of Prayer for Christian Unity' began in 1908 with the 'Week of Church Unity' advocated by American Father Paul Watson (Anglican). In 1926, the Protestant Movement for Faith and Order proposed a week of prayer for church unity. 

The Second Vatican Council became an opportunity for the Catholic Church to actively participate in the movement for unity. The Decree on Unity, "Reconstruction of Unity," proclaimed in 1964, contained guidelines for joint dialogue and joint activities for developing the unity movement. 

It also recommended Catholics pray with their separated brothers during prayers or meetings for unity. After the Decree was issued, the unity movement began to gain momentum. Today, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox hold joint prayer meetings every year during Unity Week. 

Korean Catholics also actively participated in the unity movement by establishing the "National Committee for Christian Unity" (now the Committee for Church Unity and Interreligious Dialogue) under the Bishops' Conference in 1965. From the late 1960s to the 1970s, they continued to hold joint prayer meetings, unity forums, and meetings of Christian religious leaders, making efforts for unity in various forms.

Since 1965, the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church of Korea have held joint prayer meetings. In 1986, the 'Joint Prayer Meeting for Christian Unity Week' began with the participation of Protestants and Orthodox Christians. In 2001, representatives of the denominations came together to officially start the 'Korean Christian Unity Movement.'' 

Since 2008, the Bishops' Conference has been organizing the 'Church Unity and Interreligious Dialogue with the Bishops' Conference program, where deacons from dioceses nationwide participate. This program allows deacons to broaden their understanding of the Orthodox Church and Protestantism. 

Although each church leader is making steady efforts for unity, it is regrettable that many believers are still unaware or indifferent to the unity movement. Many believers do not even know when Unity Week is, and many believers perceive Protestantism as a 'different religion from us' and feel distant from it.

For the Christian unity movement to bear fruit, local parishes need to actively inform believers of its significance and necessity during Unity Week and make efforts to expand it into believers' lives. Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who visited Korea in October last year, emphasized that "the basis of the Christian unity movement is that all Christians remember unity during prayer." 

The Council for Promoting Christian Unity, together with the World Council of Churches (WCC), produces and distributes a collection of materials for the Church Unity Week used by Christian denominations worldwide every year. This year, a collection of materials was published with the theme: "Is Christ Divided?" It includes a unity prayer service, Bible meditation, and prayer. Let us keep this in our prayers now and often during the year.

Withstanding Social Weathering

A science teacher, in his Catholic Peace Weekly column on Science and Faith, gives the readers a meditation on the passage of time and our reality.

During elementary school music class, we sang a children's song with lyrics like this: "Break the boulder into rocks, break the rocks into stones, break the stones into pebbles, break the pebbles into grains of sand~♬. " 

The title of this song is "Stone and Water", and the lyrics were written by the late Yoon Seok-jung (John), a children's literature writer. Yoon Seok-jung's lyrics are masterpieces that can still bring us back to childhood.

Like the lyrics of "Stone and Water," large boulders gradually break down over time and eventually turn into grains of sand. This process, known as weathering in geology, involves physical and chemical actions such as erosion by flowing water, volume changes due to temperature differences, and weathering by wind and living organisms. 

A large, flat stone is called a rock (盤石), and according to the Korean dictionary, it is a metaphorical expression for a very solid object, idea, or foundation.

One of Jesus' disciples was given the name  Peter. Jesus called Simon, who was living as a fisherman near the Sea of ​​Galilee, and made him his disciple, saying, “You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18) and gave him the name Peter (meaning rock, in Greek, Petros). 

Peter was crucified upside down in 64 AD by the tyrannical Roman Emperor Nero, and Constantine the Great built a temple over his tomb in 324 AD. In 1506, Pope Julius II began to expand this temple, and after about 100 years, it became the current St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Francis opened the Holy Year Door of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on December 24, ushering in the Jubilee of 2025. As we celebrate the Jubilee, let us pray and think that the Lord's peace may descend upon the world, especially our country. 

How long will it take for our hearts, minds, and faith to crumble? Every single grain of dirt we step on can be a lesson to us. It takes thousands of years for a rock to become a grain of sand. However, the human heart can crumble at any moment due to the weathering of worldly temptations and weaknesses. Will our firm beliefs crumble like dirt with the passage of the years? To overcome these turbulent times, we must be like a rock that can withstand long-term weathering in our beliefs, uprightness, and faith. 

["The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." (Matthew 7:25)]

Human Love In God's Plan

 

An article in the Catholic Times by a religious sister often wrote about human love and represents the 'Body, Marriage, and Family Theology Research Group.' Her article gives the readers some understanding of her interests and emphasis. 

She begins with the question of the Pharisees: "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife for any reason?" (Matthew 19:3; Mark 10:2)  The Pharisees try to establish authority and legitimacy with the Mosaic law that permitted divorce. Still, Jesus responds that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hardened, but it was not like that from the beginning.

The teaching draws attention to the 'beginning (first)' that Jesus repeatedly mentioned in verses 4 and 8. 'Beginning' refers to the creation of man in Genesis 1 and 2. The Mosaic Law, which the Pharisees cited as evidence, is the fruit of original sin, not originally part of God's plan. In other words, Jesus repeatedly mentioned the beginning to mean that all human beings in history tend to sin. However, the state of the beginning, God's original plan, still shines and is effective for humans. The functioning and growth of the human conscience is what confirms this.

Let's imagine that there is an apple in front of me now. This apple looks different depending on the angle and direction of the light shining on it. However, when we talk about an apple, we only talk about what we see, not what we know about the whole apple. We have to taste and see it, and everyone's evaluation of the taste is different. Let's think of this apple as 'me/human being'. Where do I see 'me'? And how do I understand 'me'? This standard is essential. Because depending on how I see myself, my understanding of myself and my standards for looking at others will change.

An apple looks more precise and beautiful depending on where the light hits. The same goes for me/humans. Here, light is God. I must see myself through the eyes of God, who created me, and meet His plan for why I was 'born.' This is the most significant thing I must do as a person born into the world. So, if I know my true self, I can know you as a bonus and live the true happiness of personal fellowship.

God came from heaven and entered the world and the family physically. The Epistle to the Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 15, sings: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." 

Pope St. John Paul II says that the body is a sacrament as a persona and reveals the entirety of the personality. This is a story that has brought about a tremendous change not only in theological thinking but also in the dualistic thinking deeply rooted in the present age, and the logic of this new thinking has come to us as the teaching of 'body theology,' in which the human body is not separated into spirit and flesh.

God is more interested in me and my life than anything else. He did not abandon me alone but made a plan for me when He created me. Discovering this plan and freely realizing one's life in one's own way is the life of those who have a name, called, and chosen.

While the world packages individualism and individuality as natural rights, on the other hand, we see the phenomenon of individual personality being violated, the unique light of the family fading, and young people wandering during their growing years. This means that the family, where a person is 'born' and the framework of personality is formed, and the place of the gospel is shaken. This is why we must listen and heed this teaching.

Wisdom of the Desert Fathers

 

Learning Life Wisdom from the Desert Fathers is a series that will start in the Catholic Times by a  Benedictine priest who majored in monastic theology, was the abbot of the Benedictine monastery, and was the head of the publishing house of the monastery in Korea. 

‘Stepping back’ is a recharge time to move forward... The balance between ‘being together’ and ‘being alone’ is important. The teachings of the Desert Fathers are the root of monastic spirituality... Presenting an ideal model for Christian life.

The term ‘Desert Fathers’ may sound somewhat unfamiliar. When we say Desert Fathers, we refer to the famous solitary monks who lived in the desert of northern Egypt (lower reaches of the Nile River) in the 4th century.

In the early church, the term ‘Church Father’ originally referred to a bishop, and it arose from the application of the father-son relationship between a teacher and a student. Generally, those who laid the foundation of Christian theology and had a significant influence on church life are called Church Fathers.

On the other hand, holy and great monks who laid the foundation of monastic life practically and academically are called Monastic Fathers. The Desert Fathers are considered the founders of Christian monastic life.

A new spiritual fatherhood gradually emerged among Christians who entered the Egyptian desert in the 4th century. This spiritual fatherhood was no longer connected to the public functions and hierarchy of the church but to ‘wisdom’ (discernment) and the ‘special gift of the word.’ Only those who acquired this gift could become spiritual teachers who guided others. A new arrival in the desert would receive teachings from his Abba (an elder who was a spiritual teacher). Therefore, the elders who led the hermits came to be called 'desert fathers'

Reason for going to the desert. The desert was a barren land where people could not live and the home of evil spirits. It was also a place of purification through all kinds of temptations and trials, and a place to experience God. When the persecution ended in the early 4th century, some of the  zealous Christians left everything behind and entered the Egyptian desert. They did so to live according to the teachings of the Gospel and devote themselves to ‘the one thing necessary’, ‘seeking God’. This required freedom from the noise and disturbance of the world, from worries and concerns, and from deep solitude and silence.

This thorough and fundamental renunciation and withdrawal was also an expression of their will to better respond to the love that God showed us through his Son. They wanted to prove their love for God through fierce battles with new persecutors, evil spirits, and a strict ascetic life in the desert. This life itself was considered another martyrdom, self-renunciation, that is, participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. That is why the monastic life was called the continuation of martyrdom, and because it was martyrdom without shedding blood, it was also called ‘white martyrdom.

The lives of the Desert Fathers present an ideal model of Christian life. Since the Desert Fathers were Christians who tried to live the Gospel more thoroughly, their lives were not special, but simply a deepening of Christian life. In this sense, their lives and teachings are like the roots of monastic life and spirituality. Furthermore, monastic life is a way of life that fully realizes Christian life, and monastic spirituality can be said to be the foundation of Christian spirituality. Therefore, the exemplary lives and teachings of the Desert Fathers still have value and are important to us today because they provide many teachings for the lives and spirituality of modern Christians.

When we encounter the lives and teachings of the Desert Fathers, we do not intend to imitate their external life or methods. We intend to extract some value and spirit from them for us today. What is important is the spirit and value. The specific way of life is merely an external vessel that contains it. The external framework can and should always change depending on the time, place, and situation. Through the proverbs, we see the fierce fight against all human desires and vices, human weakness, God’s mercy, the unyielding will and courage to rise above frustration and despair, faith and hope, and other wise teachings for our lives.

The heroic lives and virtues of the desert fathers attracted countless people to the desert then. Just as bees smell the fragrance of flowers, people flocked to the holy lives and virtues of the monks. They went to famous elders to hear a word necessary for salvation. “Abba, tell me a word. What must I do to be saved?” This question was a typical question asked by those who went to the elders of the desert.

At the same time, it is a valid question for us living in the 21st century. We long for spiritual teachers. spiritual teachers. This is because we need visible examples. We need examples of true believers who tried to faithfully practice the teachings of the Gospel.

[The French philosopher Blaise Pascal is often quoted as saying: "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone," We find it difficult to face our inner selves.]

Reason for Hope

 

In the Diagnosis of the Times Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a priest gives the readers some thoughts that help us understand the present world situation and solutions.

The situation in Germany after World War II was truly desperate. At least 3.2 million soldiers and 2.5 million civilians were killed during the war, and it is estimated that over 10 million people were injured.

The war trauma suffered by the German people was beyond words; 40% of their housing had already been destroyed, and hunger had become a daily occurrence, so the basic conditions for living as human beings had collapsed. Due to the territorial adjustments by the victorious powers, Germans living in various places were driven out, and the streets were filled with homeless people and orphans who could not even find a place to sleep to avoid the rain.

However, even in this desperate situation, Benedikt Kreutz (1879-1949), the president of Caritas in Germany at the time, said now was the time for Caritas. In other words, it is time to practice ‘Charity’, the organized practice of love for neighbors by the church community that starts from the love of God.  Although we have lost hope and are groaning in extreme pain, we can shine new hope in God’s love by testifying to that love. Following Benedict Kreutz's words, Caritas Germany has been actively and systematically practicing love, especially for war refugees, and is evaluated as a valuable foundation for reviving German society.

The eventful year of 2024 ended in chaos in Korea due to the unexpected declaration of martial law and impeachment on December 3. Tens of thousands of citizens gathered in Yeouido in the bitter cold, waving lighted candles and reflecting on the meaning of democracy. 

After many twists and turns, the impeachment was passed, but the domestic situation has not been stable since then. The National Assembly members continue to make statements to reassure the people. Still, the anxiety of the people and the aftereffects of martial law have become the burden of most people and made them walk through difficult times.

However, despite the highest number of self-employed business closures and the shrinking domestic economy, the political world is not gaining the people's trust by pursuing their own interests. It has become difficult to find the year-end and New Year’s atmosphere where one calmly ends the year and dreams of the excitement and hope of a new year. However, we cannot let go of hope. Just as the German Church and Caritas Germany showed after World War II, perhaps the Korean Church should shine a new light of hope by testifying to God’s love right now.

The Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity from the Second Vatican Council states, "Lay people strive for the evangelization and sanctification of humanity, and by penetrating the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel, they work to perfect that order. In this way, lay people bear clear witness to Christ in the midst of the temporal order and serve human salvation. Since the lay state is one of living in the world and engaging in secular affairs, lay people are called by God to perform their apostolate in the world like leaven, burning with the spirit of Christ."  Pope Benedict XVI emphasized that it is through love rooted in God that we can correct the confusion of modern society.

As we begin the new year of 2025, the writer fervently prays that it will be a year filled with hope and happiness through the children of the Lord who bear witness to God's love in their respective lives.