How Catholic Koreans Feel About Unification

This is the 60th year of the outbreak of the Korean War. The Suwon Diocese with a questionnaire examined the thinking of the Catholics about North Korea. Since the sinking of the Chonam navel ship, a coldness has set in, and we have a hardening of the different ideologies to the North.

Those who would like to see unification irrespective of time were 93.2%, and those who like the situation as is, was 4.6%. Those who thought it impossible were 2.1%. A Gallup poll made earlier this year found that 26% found the situation now to their liking. The Catholic response was decidedly for unification.

The question, whether you would be willing to pay on an individual basis to see unification, 58.6% said that they would accept the burden. 25.7% didn't know and those not willing were 15.6%. 72.3% of the men and 44.9% of the women were willing to finance the unification.

38% thought that aid should not be given, unless they knew how it was going to be used. 37.1% thought aid should be given unconditionally. 24.1% thought aid should be given on the North's advances on the way to peace.

If we had religious freedom in the North 39.2 % would be willing to volunteer for a certain period of time. Those 20 to 30 showed the greatest interest. 37.6% would be willing to help out monthly in supporting those working in the North. 7.6% would go North to evangelize. Half of those over 50 would be willing to support those working as missioners in the North.

To the question what can the Church do to prepare for unification: 33.8 % thought the church should prepare those who will be going North to evangelize. 24.1% wanted to help the people in the North stabilize their living conditions. 19.8% felt that building hospitals and schools important and 14.3% thought priest and religious should be prepared to go to the North.

The Catholic Church has accepted seminarians who will work in North Korea. The Church has also taken an active part in helping the refugees from the North to accommodate to the South. Maryknoll continues to help fund the work in North Korea with the tuberculosis patients in cooperation with the Bell Foundation. After 60 years of division besides the physical needs, the North will have to take time to become part of the world.

What Makes a Virtuous Enterprise?

This month's Kyeong-Hyang Magazine continues with a series of articles on economics. The writer, a priest from the Andong Diocese, presents a concept of doing business he calls the "virtuous enterprise." He begins with a statement from a past president of Korea: "It seems that the authority of the government has gone over to the market." This bitter confession has prompted many to want this authority reclaimed by government.

The big enterprises in Korea needed the government's help in the beginning, but they have grown to a point where they have thrown off regulations and government control and follow only the dictates of the market. The influence of business has expanded beyond the world of finances into politics, society and culture, and continues to grow.

The writer imagines what the future would look like if companies become socially responsible--become "virtuous enterprises." They would not be interested in making more money, as if that is their only responsibility to society.

Although it is awkward to talk about the success of these companies, it seems they are having success. The buying public has a preference for these companies and will look for their products. People of talent are even ready to sacrifice pay to work for them.

A professor from an American University was quoted as saying that companies of this type are able to internalize the motivation of workers. Their workers feel proud to be part of such companies and will work zealously to make them successful.

As an aid in achieving this goal, there is a Christian equity index, which includes companies that are considered ethical and are recommended for investment. In Europe, there are 533 companies whose revenues come from approved sources. Groups that make money from pornography, weapons, tobacco, birth control and gambling are excluded.

The goal of socially responsible companies may be a dream of the writer and of most of us, but it is an ideal that is actually finding many who want to partake in this new way of doing business.

Ode to the Earth

The origin of life and its habitat is the earth. Earth is where God wanted life to begin. A pastor in Andong, the smallest diocese in Korea, reflects in the Diocesan Bulletin on life and the earth.

97 percent of the food we need to live comes from the earth or, more exactly, the soil. From the time that we began to farm there has been an effort to make the earth more fertile. The mystery of earth life is a matter for much thought: "A man scatters seed on the ground. He goes to bed and gets up day after day. Through it all the seed sprouts and grows without his knowing how it happens." (Mk. 4:26-27).

Working with the life forces of the earth, humans produce our life-giving food stuffs. In nature, there is no waste--all is used. By using, as much as possible, these same natural methods of the earth, our farming will likely lead to better health for us and for the environment. The earth is one of God's greatest gifts to us, and when we work with the guidelines given to us at creation, we can expect to live in harmony with creation. .

The writer includes a poem by the very extraordinary Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). She was the first to coin the word green for God's life-giving world.

The earth is at the same time
Mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human.
Mother of all, she contains in her the seeds of all,

All moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power.

In all ways fruitful, for all creation comes from her.

Yet the earth forms not only the raw materal for humankind,

But also the substance for the incarnation of God's son.

For over forty years, farmers have taken up industrial and chemical farming methods. In the beginning, this was enthusiastically accepted by farmers. It made farming easier and the harvests more abundant. However, over time it was discovered that this was against life. Use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers were killing the organisms in the earth that would fight off diseases and pests and keep the earth fertile. Dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides is an escalating process that increasingly harms the natural fertility of the soil, neutralizing and removing many of the minerals that were making the soil fertile.

In addition, this use of chemicals has done much to pollute our rivers and lakes, even the oceans. Although switching over to natural farming is a desire of many farmers, habits are not easily changed and the loss of produce in the change-over is for many too much of a risk to jeopardize their livelihood. In Korea, in 1983, about 10 million were working on farms; it is now about 3.5 million. The Andong diocese has made farmers their number one priority. Other dioceses will wait with much interest to see what they will accomplish in helping farmers make the transition to natural farming.

Eucharist-- Truly a Sign of Unity

The Feast of Corpus Christi presents us with the teaching of Trinity Sunday, and another example of how to live in community with love and unity. The Korean experience of Church has been 'top down'--a very obedient Church. The word hierarchical has not yet received the pejorative meaning that other countries have accepted. Part of the reason is the Korean culture and the way our Catholics have been formed.

The Catholic Times editorial for this issue brings to the reader's attention the meaning of the Eucharist. When we see disunion and division, we are not living the Eucharistic Life. We do not give witness to what we believe. This kind of talk in Korea has little trouble being understood, but not easily digested in other parts of the Catholic World.

Understanding of Church is no longer so easily defined as in the past. We have those that want to see more from below and those who have little difficulty in listening to those who are in a position of authority. Those with a hierarchical understanding of Church (Korean Church) find the Eucharist and its call to unity easy to understand. There are many variables that have to enter the equation, but the outline is clear for the Korean Catholic.

The editorial does add that the Eucharist calls all of us to get involved with the works of justice, peace, and to be with the poor. The Eucharist ties us together in a oneness to work for a "new heaven and a new earth".

After the consecration at the Mass, we have the words: "In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit."

What does it mean to be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit? It is here that there are many and varied opinions. In Korea we are spared, at present, the problems that are envisioned in other parts of the Catholic World. Hopefully, we will have time to work through the differences that will come, and include them in the formation of our Catholics, so the Eucharist will continue to be the sign of unity and love visibly seen--between Jesus and his body the Church.

Smoking and Drinking of Korean Youth

Since we are going to smoke and drink, what is wrong with starting early?"
"I know it is not something good, but it's not something that takes effect immediately."
"Smoking one cigarette--does that make one a delinquent?
" I am thinking of stopping smoking, but there is no problem with drinking is there?"

Just some of the thoughts about smoking and drinking from adolescents written up recently in the Catholic Times. It was evident to the writer that they understood the problem with narcotics but considered smoking and drinking differently.

According to a survey made online, about 25% of teenagers drink, with little differences between the sexes. The percentage of those that smoke will be lower, about 13%; of this number 16.8% are male and 8.2% are female. Korean teenagers start smoking earlier than in the past and many start around the 13th year. Grammar school is no longer a safe haven. The writer believes adults are not sufficiently familiar with the problem.

In addition to the ever present peer pressure, the younger generation is exposed to more virtual reality than previous generations. They are influenced, and habits formed by an almost constant stream of risky behaviors that are routinely depicted in the mass media.

There is a general unconcern about the ill effects of alcohol and tobacco, the evidence clearly shows there is a higher percentage of delinquency and crime among drinkers and smokers, and, when depressed, youngsters who drink have a higher rate of suicide. And sexual experimentation, with its attendant problems for the young, has also been shown to be connected to alcohol and tobacco use. The sad truth is that there are good reasons to be concerned about this growing habit among our adolescents.

Society, according to the Catholic Times article, must accept some of the blame for this worsening condition. Adults are too tolerant of smoking and drinking by the young. Those under 19 are not to be sold cigarettes or alcohol but this is very loosely followed. They will always find a place where they can buy what they want.

And we must not forget, in this effort to help our young people kick the habit of dependence on drink and tobacco, the important part played by the movement for life.

A Very Vunerable Life Span

An e-mail was received in praise of the United States with the following poem, along with pictures of President Obama relating with his opponents in a friendly manner. The theme of the poem (translated freely below) is particularly relevant in these turbulent times when the potential predatory nature of nations is all too visible. The history of nations should remind us that world powers have a limited and very vulnerable life span.

There was a hunter some time ago,
His bow in hand, his eyes on an eagle.

The eagle not conscious of his imminent death
Was preparing to grasp a snake.

The snake was staring, with no awareness of the eagle,
At a frog who was glaring at a ladybug,
Motionless, unaware of the frog,

Its attention firmly fixed on a tick.

.
The hunter dropped his bow
And quickly turning he thought to find

What might be eyeing him from behind.

Was he, like they, both predator and prey?

Not seeing anyone, the hunter saw

In a flash of insight

The silent predator, time's hourglass.

It preys on all of us.

Koreans have great respect for the way the United States government seems to change with little ill feelings between the two competing parties. There is hand shaking and a calm acceptance of defeat--all done with class. There are no fist fights or violence in their deliberations, and if one party does not get their way, they go to the people and willingly abide by their decision. This is not so readily done here. The transition to democracy in Korea is a very recent phenomenon, and seeing the States with its melting pot of nationalities getting along so amicably is a challenge. The dream is that Korea soon will be the home to this type of democracy.

Catholic Korean Community in Germany

The Catholic Church in Korea has sent priests to all parts of the world to care for the Koreans living abroad. About 150,000 reside in 66 nations on six continents, according to the Committee for the Pastoral Care of Koreans Living Abroad. The number of Catholics in South America is the greatest and in Africa the least.

One overseas Catholic community that has been covered lately by the press in Korea is the Korean Catholic community in Germany. It had its fledgling start back in 1960, when many of our nurses and miners went to Germany to work. As with the beginning of the Church in Korea, they began to meet weekly, conducting services without a priest, similar also to what is done today with mission stations.

The Frankfurt area is also home to the second-largest Korean community in Europe; they will be celebrating 40 years as a Church this year. In 1970, with the coming of priests and religious, who were in Germany for studies, the community began in earnest.

On a visit to Germany In 1971, Cardinal Kim was asked for priests to take care of the Korean Catholics and 3 priests were sent to begin 3 parishes. Since that time, the Frankfurt community has grown to 1000 with 4 mission stations. All together there are now 6 Korean parishes in Germany.

Presently, the Frankfurt Church has been using another church building for their Masses, but is in the process of building their own church. Parish work remains very similar to how it was done in Korea: pastoral council, altar groups, working with the elderly, and the very important small group meetings, called Basic Christian Communities, that gather in different areas of the parish. One big difference from the other German parishes is that most of them receive help from the government because of the religious tax paid by Germans. The Korean community is completely independent of that money and is considered a new model of Church in Germany.