Monday, November 15, 2010

Prophetic Voice of Catholic Media

The 11th symposium of a pastoral group met recently to examine the prophetic voice of the media and its place in the life of the Church. The topic was "With the word, we see the way: Obligation and reflection on the media and the Church." Both Catholic newspapers covered the symposium and gave brief summaries of the proceedings.

One participant mentioned that if the media is to give the citizens joy and hope there has to be media reform. Legislation should stop the influence of big money and control of the media. Public opinion and religious groups have to be mobilized to work for an independent media. At present the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and much of the blame, said the participant, belongs with the media. After receiving help from the International Monetary Fund, Korea accepted neo-liberalism (no government controls on economic development) and we now have in Korea, according to the participant, 20 percent of the population who are well off and 80 percent who are struggling to make ends meet. The media does not educate the public on the effects of neo-liberalism and by their silence the citizens remain ignorant of the root problems and why we have them.

Another participant directly involved with the Catholic media said that Catholic media needs to be more conscious of Gospel values, and stay away from dealing with disputed societal issues. That should be, he believes, the work of the secular press and the specialists, with the Church restricting its interests to fundamental issues and causes. The media does have a prophetic role, he said, and should not--as the prophets of old did not--stay in the back room to pray but go out to the people to reprimand those who had done wrong and make known God's will. The job of the journalist is not easy to begin with. It is even more difficult when taking on the role of a prophet. This is what Catholic media should be doing in today's world but fitting the prophetic role of a journalist with love, forgiveness and reconciliation, is not easy.    

Media is a business, with the inevitable turmoil of competing in a market economy. Talented people are needed. The quality and quantity of production considered; money, advertising and government involvement are all areas of concern.

The situation is made somewhat easier for the Church by having a good "brand name" in its favor. We do not have serious divisions, in-fighting and control by business, so we are free to go after the facts and truth. This allows us to work for the common good, and be the much needed prophetic voice that will educate the public on issues that the secular media covers poorly or not at all, or does so from a narrow ideological perspective.


















Sunday, November 14, 2010

Catholic Layperson in the Church

Layperson Sunday will be celebrated in Korea today, one week before the  Sunday of Christ the King.  It will be the 43rd time since its inception  back in 1968. On this Sunday, a layperson gives the sermon, which is usually sent from the Lay Apostolate Conference for use in the parish if desired. This year the topic is "A new way of evangelizing has arrived."

The sermon informs us that of the world's population of over six and half billion four billion live in Asia, and only about 3 percent are Catholic. And in many countries they are persecuted and face other difficulties in worshiping openly and freely. It is not sufficient only to pray; material aid and lay missioners are also needed.

Mention was made of the documentary film "Don't cry, Tonj," depicting the life of a Salesian priest-doctor, Lee Tae-suk (1962-2010), who volunteered as a missioner to the Sudan.  He died Jan.14 at the age of 48 from colon cancer. This film is a powerful portrayal of what it means to love one another and what evangelization should mean to us.

The Pope in his Mission Sunday message  tells us that the call of Jesus is a response in mission  by "priests, consecrated people, catechists and lay missionaries in the constant  endeavor to encourage church communion.  Even the intercultural phenomenon may be integrated in a model of unity in which the Gospel is a leaven of freedom and progress, a source of brotherhood, humility and peace." The Pope reminds us that fellowship within the  Church is an important part of mission.

The sermon on Layperson Sunday, using an example from Korean Church history in the last years of the 18th century, tells us that a catechist,  in order to save the life of the only priest in Korea, a Chinese priest, gave up his own life. The priest, six years later, seeing the suffering of the Christians, gave himself up to the authorities to help lessen their suffering. This is a good example of the traditional  fellowship within the Church, the sermon emphasizing that the fellowship of priests, religious and lay people is important and necessary.

A Religious Sister quoted in the Catholic Times mentions the challenges the Church has in Asia: increasing our solidarity with the poor, promoting interreligious dialogue, and moving forward with inculturation--making the Church more Korean. The challenges for the layperson are found primarily in how best to prepare for awakening to the call of mission in order to respond to the needs of the  present by a unified pastoral concern. Activation of the various lay groups and an understanding of layperson and religious as companions in the mission of Christ must be stressed.


Saturday, November 13, 2010

A Singular Vocation to the Poor of Korea

A young woman of 23 came to Korea back in 1959 after a 5-week boat trip from England. She came with 7 pianos that she was going to give to the Taegu Catholic University music department that she heard lacked pianos. She was invited to come to Korea by the archbishop of Taegu and although she was engaged to a doctor, after arriving in Korea she sent the engagement ring back with a note expressing sorrow, but she had decided to give up marriage to work for the poor in Korea.

The Peace Weekly has an article on her receiving an award from the Paradise Welfare Foundation: a secular foundation that is awarding Susannah for her many years of service to the poor. Susannah is now 74 years old and will be given the award even though she is a foreigner. She is an example of service to the poor and a foundation stone for the social work that developed in the Taegu area.

Susannah comes from a wealthy and illustrious English Family. She converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism when in high school and desired to work for the poor. After graduating from Oxford and learning of the persecution of the Christians in Korea, she decided to come to Taegu to be part of this history.

During her time in Korea she was a teacher of English at the University, prepared meals for the shoeshine boys, helped homeless girls, and founded a vocational school for girls.  She felt a singular vocation to help the Archbishop in his work to help the poor.

The article mentions that it was not always easy for her. One of the irksome problems was to understand that 'yes'  does not always mean what it seemed to mean. The Koreans will often say 'yes' for reasons of politeness, not wanting to hurt  feelings, but in other ways indicating that they mean 'no'.  She finally came to understand this saying something and meaning something else. The words we use to express our feelings may be different for each of us but the feeling of love which prompted the expression is often the same.  


She is now a permanent resident of Korea and is present at the baptisms and weddings of many converts to Catholicism, for whom she has a special fondness. It can be said that England is her maiden-home and, in place of a conventional marriage, she found her marriage-home here, in her beloved Korea. Now the work is in the hands of Koreans and she intends to encourage them. "If we are to understand God's unconditional love," she says, "then human love is necessary. By means of human love we know God's love."





Friday, November 12, 2010

Pope's Words to the G-20 Summit in Korea

Following is a loose  translation of the message sent by Pope Benedict to Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who is hosting the  G-20 Summit of 2010, which convened yesterday in Seoul.

The Pope writes that this meeting, being held in Asia at the beginning of the 21st century, is a fitting acknowledgment of Asia's importance and responsibility to the international community. And that, in addition, selecting Korea, a first-time participant, to host the G-20--the first among those not belonging to the G-8 to do so--is also a recognition of Korea's significant economic development. After the recent crises, this will be a Summit that will take the lead, according to the Pope, in deciding many  complicated issues.  Future generations will  depend on your decisions, and therefore, will require the participation and agreement of all nations. Dignity of all people the primary and central value, is the ultimate goal. This is basic and will require the  cooperation of the international community.

The Catholic Church, in accordance with its mandate, wants to share in the concerns of the leaders who are participating in the Seoul Summit. The Pope encourages them to struggle with the serious problems we all are faced with, keeping in mind the deeper reasons for the economic and financial crisis, and come up with policies that will be just and sustainable. The policies that are decided, if they are to be ultimately and truly effective, will have to be for the authentic and integral  development of the whole person.

The attention of the world is on the meeting, the Pope said. He hopes that they will not decide on matters that will favor some countries at the expense of others. And hopes they will decide on appropriate measures to solve the problems we face.  We are all living together with many different cultures, financial systems, political groups, and  even though harmony will be difficult to achieve, history teaches that when we have respect for the person and work together to achieve this harmony, we will have satisfactory results. Thanks to the crises that we have today, we are able to recognize that civilizations, cultures,  economic, social and political systems, will come together in a vision we all can share, and show our maturity to the world and future generations,  provided, we respect the laws and demands of God the creator, in bedded in the  nature of things.

The Pope hopes the G-20, by considering the many and sometimes conflicting issues facing the world today, will respond to the expectations of all of us by showing a desire to search for the common  good and by a willingness to cooperate in achieving it. He ends his message by invoking God's blessing on all participants in the Seoul Summit. 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Violence of Words

On the spiritual page of the Catholic Times a columnist asks,"Do our words make others fearful? He recounts the story of a friend who lives with his mother and often has difficulty understanding her feelings; she continually upsets the emotional life of the family. The son would like to have his mother go for therapy but  is afraid this will develop into a problem and keeps quiet. The columnist indirectly asks what does he  fear?

From the time they were children, she would tell them, when they did not listen to her, that there was no reason to keep on living, or she would tell them it would  be better for her to leave. This so frightened them that they obeyed, but feelings of oppression and  despondency became part of their life.

When the columnist expressed sympathy for his situation, he broke down crying. He told the columnist how his mother had no relationship with others in the neighborhood, and that she would repeat many times during the day all that she had done for them. And how disappointed she was in them for not doing what she expected.

It was only in later years that he learned  his mother was taking medicine for depression. The columnist tells us that although the son was well-educated, he was suffering from the unhealed scars of his early years and was often overcome by feelings of  immaturity. When he saw the letter 4--to a Korean, a number associated with death--or someone writing a name in red, they would remind him of death and bring on feelings of despondency and fear.

The columnist  tells us that when we try to control another person's feelings with what we do or say we are using a form of violence. This would be especially true when dealing with children. We must learn, he says, to be more conscious of the power of the words we use. A person with a good heart will use words that give life, helping both the  speaker and  the hearer to live the resurrected life. Our Lord tells us in Luke, "Each man speaks from his heart's abundance."

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Office for the Dead: Korean Rap!

Korean Catholics at the death of a parishioner meet at the home of the deceased to extend their condolences to the family and sing  the office of the dead--yeon do. In recent times the yeon do  would be recited in the hospital's mortuary, at the cemetery, in church, during visits to the home after burial, and also at the home of the deceased on the anniversary of the death.  

A priest columnist in the Catholic Weekly introduces us to the meaning that the yeon do should have for Catholics. Many Catholics think it's a prayer only for the dead but he mentions an old book, written in Chinese, that explains the yeon do and gives three reasons for the prayer.

The singing of the office more easily lifts our thoughts up to God, helps us to compose ourselves, and increases our hope. Secondly, obedient to the directions of the music and with our sincere intentions, we are fighting off the devil and other distractions from the world outside. Thirdly, at a funeral we tend to be sad and anxious but with the singing, our uneasiness becomes easier to accept than it would be for those without hope.

The yeon do is composed of psalms of repentance, petitions for deliverance, and confessions of faith. More than prayer for the deceased it's a prayer for all of  us.
The old Christians would pray the yeon do as an evening prayer. With the singing of the office our frustrations, sorrow, anxiousness in the presence of death are changed into thoughts of the Resurrection.

The priest mentions that in singing the office our minds are set on the resurrection. In the recitation we reflect on our life, our frustrations, failures, and feelings of guilt. Listening to the music we are consoled.

In the United States recently for lectures, the priest was explaining the yeon do to second and third generation Koreans; on hearing the melody and the singing of the yeon do, they were overcome with pride for their forebears in faith.

One young man asked, “Father, how is it that 200 hundred years ago our ancestors were able to make this calm and   beautiful rap? This was the period of the persecutions, wasn't it? Would it be alright to introduce our yeon do rap in English to the young people?" (The yeon do does sound very much like rap music.) "Of course,"  the priest replied.
  
For many American missioners this was a  distinctive part of the funeral service. It was very moving with an atmosphere for prayer that allowed one to reflect on some of the more important concerns in life. A beautiful custom that, thankfully, does not seem to be changing with the times.                    

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Purgatory Makes It Easy on God

Writing on the opinion page of the Catholic Times a columnist asks what Catholics feel proud of when introducing Catholicism to Protestants. She lists the Mass, Eucharist, Confession, devotion to the Blessed Mother, all important, but for the columnist it is  purgatory. 

How difficult it would be for God if there were just heaven and hell.  Compassionate and merciful it makes it easy on God having a place like purgatory where those who were somewhere in the middle can go.  
 
When she walks along the streets and sees placards proclaiming "A friend of Jesus, heaven. No belief, hell," she averts her eyes and feels frightened.
 
She tells us she lost her parents at an early age and wonders at times where they are. Will I meet them in the next life? They did not know Jesus. Will they be in heaven? In the Old Testament, salvation was found by living according to the law, and in the New Testament by knowing Jesus.
 
She brings to our attention the passage in II Maccabees where the followers of Judas prayed for the soldiers who had died: "In doing this, he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view..."
 
The Catholic teaching reiterated at the II Vatican Council tells us not only Christians but those who follow their conscience go to heaven. What wonderful news. But she still has concerns, whether her parents followed their conscience. This is a subjective matter, but every time she recites the Apostles Creed she says she believes in the Communion of Saints: all united with those in heaven, in purgatory and on earth, so that her office for the dead, Masses and other prayers are of help to her parents.
 
From the time she learned this, she has prayed for all her ancestors. No matter how busy and how tired at the end of each day, she has set aside time to pray for the dead. Up until two years ago she had always performed the rites for the dead in her house; she has changed this to having Masses said. This was not easy but she feels that praying with others is more beneficial than praying by oneself.
 
This is the month of All Souls, and Koreans, like all Catholics everywhere, remember their dead with special prayers and visits to cemeteries. It is another way of being united to all those who came before us and of preparing ourselves to join them-- a beautiful thought.