One of our very outspoken elder priests, 86 years old, who has been president of the Catholic University and a professor at Sogang University, was interviewed by one of the Korean dailies on the present situation in the country. Though the priest was not enthusiastic about either the past or present political conditions in Korea, the interviewer said he would always end up on a hopeful note.
He gave his opinion on the state of affairs with the North. The regime in the North, he feels, will not last long. We had the tyrannies of Mao Zedong and Stalin and our own tyrannies of past dynasties. But 29-year old Kim Jong-eun, who has studied in Europe, will have difficulty following in the steps of past dictators and keeping control of the country. Once the internal structures are in place, the priest believes that Kim Jong-eun will be open to giving his people more freedom. Having learned and seen a lot outside of the country, he will try to realize these dreams by changing the way the country is governed, the priest said.
He reflected also on our recent Seoul mayoral contest between candidates from the two major parties, neither one getting much support from the voters, compared to the non-aligned candidate. Next year's election for the presidency also has an independent candidate who is popular with the voters. The young especially are showing distaste for the two major parties. Attempts of the government to reach the young people have not been successful. The reality of the current situation is that Korean college graduates are not finding work or are underemployed, and that the suicide rate for the young is high. Some of the younger people, the priest said, are members of the '88 Generation' because they are taking jobs for an average of less than a thousand dollars a month, a very low salary for a college graduate.
Korea is a small country, and it is impossible to put all the college graduates to work. His solution is to send them overseas like our Olympic ice skating queen Kim Yuna. If the young are kept in the country, he believes it will foster the leftist philosophy of our future leaders.
His solution is to create a Culture Corps. We have learned a great deal from the time of the Korea War, he said. It is time now to help other countries by sending our graduates where they are needed: to eradicate illiteracy, to help schooling the disadvantaged, and to setup medical projects. At least 200,000 workers will be needed and should be given from 2,500 to 3,000 dollars monthly, a very attractive salary. It will be a great drain on the country, he admits, but he believes it will all come back to us when they return. This will help alleviate the conflicts between the younger and older generations and be a good example to the rest of the world.
He points out that they will not be going out as workers with specialized skills but simply as persons intent on helping others live a better life. Is there any other work that will have so many good benefits? he asks.
That we will ever see this happening is not very likely. But to have one of our elders thinking these thoughts may inspire others to do the same, and in time maybe what now seems unlikely may become reality.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Mutual Joy from the Sacrament of Reconciliation
In the Peace Weekly, a columnist writing about his experience in pastoral work recalls when he was a young assistant. He had finished his Sunday evening Mass and was on his way to the rectory when he was met by a grandfather and grandmother. They told him they left the Church many years ago, and now, an extended family of 30, they wanted to go to confession.
The priest asked how long they had been away (average is about 25 years). They had left the Church 50 years ago. The priest was not in the mood to hear confessions; the prospect of hearing 30 confessions at the end of a long day was not a pleasant thought. However, realizing what he was called to do, he went to the confessional.
The family, one by one, went to confession and the grandfather was the last to confess. He made a general confession, mentioning all the sins he could remember from the time he was baptized; it included all his hurts and complaints over a life time.
There was little that the priest had to say in admonition, hearing what the grandfather had to say and his contrition. He was happy, knowing that the grandfather was to begin a new life, and found joy to be part of it. When the priest left the confessional the grandfather was sitting in the last bench of the empty church; they both hugged each other and started to cry. The grandfather thanked him for hearing what he had to say.
The priest looked at his watch; it was 5:00 am, just one half hour before his morning Mass. He went into the rectory to wash up a bit, and returned to say Mass. All 30 of the family were there to attend and go to communion.
Although he had been hearing confessions for 8 hours, he was surprised by how little he was conscious of the time that had gone by. If they had told him he would be in the confessional for 8 hours, he wonders what would have been his response. Yes, he was tired from the many hours in the confessional but at the same time the joy he felt by helping the family to return to the Church was a great consolation.
The numbers going to confession in recent times has dropped.What happens in one part of the Catholic World appears shortly in another part. There is no easy answer to the situation. Many do not have time to reflect on their lives. Experience tells many who spend time in the confessional that it is the spiritually advanced that have a greater grasp of their sinfulness:one of the paradoxes of life--the closer one gets to the light the more one sees. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a better word to use than Confession. It is God that seeks with love,to reconcile us with ourselves, others and Himself. Not understanding that what we do has reprecussions on all of creation may help to understand the distancing from the Sacrament.
The priest asked how long they had been away (average is about 25 years). They had left the Church 50 years ago. The priest was not in the mood to hear confessions; the prospect of hearing 30 confessions at the end of a long day was not a pleasant thought. However, realizing what he was called to do, he went to the confessional.
The family, one by one, went to confession and the grandfather was the last to confess. He made a general confession, mentioning all the sins he could remember from the time he was baptized; it included all his hurts and complaints over a life time.
There was little that the priest had to say in admonition, hearing what the grandfather had to say and his contrition. He was happy, knowing that the grandfather was to begin a new life, and found joy to be part of it. When the priest left the confessional the grandfather was sitting in the last bench of the empty church; they both hugged each other and started to cry. The grandfather thanked him for hearing what he had to say.
The priest looked at his watch; it was 5:00 am, just one half hour before his morning Mass. He went into the rectory to wash up a bit, and returned to say Mass. All 30 of the family were there to attend and go to communion.
Although he had been hearing confessions for 8 hours, he was surprised by how little he was conscious of the time that had gone by. If they had told him he would be in the confessional for 8 hours, he wonders what would have been his response. Yes, he was tired from the many hours in the confessional but at the same time the joy he felt by helping the family to return to the Church was a great consolation.
The numbers going to confession in recent times has dropped.What happens in one part of the Catholic World appears shortly in another part. There is no easy answer to the situation. Many do not have time to reflect on their lives. Experience tells many who spend time in the confessional that it is the spiritually advanced that have a greater grasp of their sinfulness:one of the paradoxes of life--the closer one gets to the light the more one sees. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a better word to use than Confession. It is God that seeks with love,to reconcile us with ourselves, others and Himself. Not understanding that what we do has reprecussions on all of creation may help to understand the distancing from the Sacrament.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Looking For the Peaceful LIfe
The influence of new religions and religious-like movements on Korean Catholics is a serious problem for the Church, says a professor teaching missiology at the Catholic University. One of the more popular New Age movements, the Dahn World, uses all the Korean methods of self-betterment and at the same time moves into the religious sphere. It has a strong foothold not only in Korea but throughout the world, with about 1000 franchises in nine countries and an estimated membership of 500,000.
The professor, in his article in the Kyeongyang Magazine, brings up the criticism of present-day religious life and notes that this dissatisfaction continues to grow. Many who have rejected the established religions are looking for something to fill the emptiness that has come into their lives. They are looking for a transformation of culture to fill this void. Because of secularization and the increase of leisure time, health, to cite one example of dissatisfaction with the status quo, is more likely to be seen as a condition that can be controlled, not as in the past by professionals but by the health-seeker's decisions on lifestyle, making health an important field for new enterprises to exploit.
Today's New Age Movement is responding to this new awareness and presents a big challenge to Christianity. Not only does it deal with health issues but with a spirituality that cuts across denominational boundaries. It is an area of spirituality that the established religions have not done a good job in presenting. These movements are also delving into areas that many are curious about: the UFO world of extraterrestrials, the training in the secret ways of Ki, the way of the mind, and the more organized efforts of movements like Dahn World, among many others.
The professor ends his article by noting the results of a 2004 Gallup Survey of the teachings of different religions concerning life issues. These surveys have to be taken with some skepticism but results revealed that the beliefs of Catholics are far from what the Church teaches.
To the question "Why have a religion," 78 percent said it was to find peace of mind. The professor feels part of the reason for this belief is the influence of a new age spirituality. He feels a need for our Catholics to reject this asking-for-a-blessing type of spirituality and to remember that God is always with us.
Today is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Jesus' first disciple and World Day of Peace. When she gave her fiat, she knew it was not going to bring peace into her life but much trouble. Her understanding of what was to come teaches us a great deal of what it means to follow Jesus. Peace and joy do come, but it is not the goal but the by-product of a life of mature discipleship. Happy New Year.
The professor, in his article in the Kyeongyang Magazine, brings up the criticism of present-day religious life and notes that this dissatisfaction continues to grow. Many who have rejected the established religions are looking for something to fill the emptiness that has come into their lives. They are looking for a transformation of culture to fill this void. Because of secularization and the increase of leisure time, health, to cite one example of dissatisfaction with the status quo, is more likely to be seen as a condition that can be controlled, not as in the past by professionals but by the health-seeker's decisions on lifestyle, making health an important field for new enterprises to exploit.
Today's New Age Movement is responding to this new awareness and presents a big challenge to Christianity. Not only does it deal with health issues but with a spirituality that cuts across denominational boundaries. It is an area of spirituality that the established religions have not done a good job in presenting. These movements are also delving into areas that many are curious about: the UFO world of extraterrestrials, the training in the secret ways of Ki, the way of the mind, and the more organized efforts of movements like Dahn World, among many others.
The professor ends his article by noting the results of a 2004 Gallup Survey of the teachings of different religions concerning life issues. These surveys have to be taken with some skepticism but results revealed that the beliefs of Catholics are far from what the Church teaches.
To the question "Why have a religion," 78 percent said it was to find peace of mind. The professor feels part of the reason for this belief is the influence of a new age spirituality. He feels a need for our Catholics to reject this asking-for-a-blessing type of spirituality and to remember that God is always with us.
Today is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Jesus' first disciple and World Day of Peace. When she gave her fiat, she knew it was not going to bring peace into her life but much trouble. Her understanding of what was to come teaches us a great deal of what it means to follow Jesus. Peace and joy do come, but it is not the goal but the by-product of a life of mature discipleship. Happy New Year.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Pope Benedict's Social Gospel Message on New Year's Day
A professor at the Catholic University of Incheon writes in the Kyeongyang Magazine of the difficulties teaching the Social Gospel. Seminarians see it as too complicated, theoretical and difficult. He considers it essential to his mission.
The Social Gospel is the Church's teaching about our role in society, our rights and duties as members of society, and the obligations of a society toward its members. He tells us how he has grown to appreciate the importance of this teaching.
As a middle and high school student during the difficult days of the military rule, he knew something was wrong talking to the older students. During his high school years, he heard about the separation of Church and State. On Sundays, when he heard the pastor talk about the problems in society, he wondered whether the pastor was a communist.
He often asked himself why doesn't the pastor stay with religious topics instead of talking about society. He thinks this was probably the thinking of most of the students. His one thought was to do well in his studies and go to a good college. He wasn't concerned about what was happening in society; it would have no effect on whether he and the other students succeeded in life. He couldn't understand why college students were spending so much time demonstrating and not studying. Their job was to study and leave the running of the government to the politicians.
One day in religion class, after Saturday evening Mass, the teacher gave them a question to discuss. "If you are faced with a choice between your country or your faith, what would you choose?" They all came to a similar conclusion: without a country, they would not have a faith life. They brought up Vietnam and those that fled the country, becoming refugees. They decided the country comes first. Secondly, they would work for freedom of religion.
The teacher, a college student himself, thought differently but wasn't surprised by their answer. In our society, there is no need to make a choice but the Catholics both in Korea and the early Church had to make that choice, and they chose faith over the country.
The professor, looking back at that time, remembers how this came as a surprise to him, choosing faith over the country. It was something completely foreign to what he had been taught. He kept trying to figure out what he would do if he were faced with that choice. It was a problem, certainly, but it was not as important to him as the effort to get a good score on his college entrance exam.
Little by little he began to see that the Church has the right to speak about problems in society. The Gospel message of liberation has to be spoken; this is the prophetic message of the Gospel. But the professor, who now teaches the Social Gospel, understands the problems many are having, even today, in seeing how the Gospel teachings relate to society.
In looking over history we can see how many times and in how many ways we as Christians have been compromised by the society we live in. The majority is not always right; we have seen the sad results of that thinking in many parts of the world. Pope Benedict gives us a wonderful treatise on the Social Gospel's treatment of religious freedom in society in this New Year's Message. It is a difficult task for all of us but to work to conscientiatize ourselves and society--by learning, teaching, and living the Social Gospel--is an important part of the Christian message we have received.
The Social Gospel is the Church's teaching about our role in society, our rights and duties as members of society, and the obligations of a society toward its members. He tells us how he has grown to appreciate the importance of this teaching.
As a middle and high school student during the difficult days of the military rule, he knew something was wrong talking to the older students. During his high school years, he heard about the separation of Church and State. On Sundays, when he heard the pastor talk about the problems in society, he wondered whether the pastor was a communist.
He often asked himself why doesn't the pastor stay with religious topics instead of talking about society. He thinks this was probably the thinking of most of the students. His one thought was to do well in his studies and go to a good college. He wasn't concerned about what was happening in society; it would have no effect on whether he and the other students succeeded in life. He couldn't understand why college students were spending so much time demonstrating and not studying. Their job was to study and leave the running of the government to the politicians.
One day in religion class, after Saturday evening Mass, the teacher gave them a question to discuss. "If you are faced with a choice between your country or your faith, what would you choose?" They all came to a similar conclusion: without a country, they would not have a faith life. They brought up Vietnam and those that fled the country, becoming refugees. They decided the country comes first. Secondly, they would work for freedom of religion.
The teacher, a college student himself, thought differently but wasn't surprised by their answer. In our society, there is no need to make a choice but the Catholics both in Korea and the early Church had to make that choice, and they chose faith over the country.
The professor, looking back at that time, remembers how this came as a surprise to him, choosing faith over the country. It was something completely foreign to what he had been taught. He kept trying to figure out what he would do if he were faced with that choice. It was a problem, certainly, but it was not as important to him as the effort to get a good score on his college entrance exam.
Little by little he began to see that the Church has the right to speak about problems in society. The Gospel message of liberation has to be spoken; this is the prophetic message of the Gospel. But the professor, who now teaches the Social Gospel, understands the problems many are having, even today, in seeing how the Gospel teachings relate to society.
In looking over history we can see how many times and in how many ways we as Christians have been compromised by the society we live in. The majority is not always right; we have seen the sad results of that thinking in many parts of the world. Pope Benedict gives us a wonderful treatise on the Social Gospel's treatment of religious freedom in society in this New Year's Message. It is a difficult task for all of us but to work to conscientiatize ourselves and society--by learning, teaching, and living the Social Gospel--is an important part of the Christian message we have received.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
When Trying to Forget is not a Good Idea
The weekly column dealing with questions from readers of the Peace Weekly discusses the common problem of emotional scars that are difficult to heal. This week the discussion focused on the problem that could result when losing a girl friend. The father of the troubled youth wrote to the priest-columnist to ask for his help. His son can't sleep, drinks a lot and says he wants to enter a monastery.
We are told that even when we suffer from loss of memory as we grow older, we don't forget the emotional scars and sorrows we've experienced in our life. When we try to forget these traumas from the past and can't, it becomes a problem both in our daily living and in our spiritual life. Learning to forget these past traumas is an important skill to have if we are to live a healthy life.
A young woman came to a priest telling him she can't forget her boy friend who had died. She wanted the priest to recommend a convent. The priest selected a very strict community, thinking that this would help her forget. However, within a year the young woman left the convent and told the priest that as time passed, the thoughts of the boyfriend became even more vivid, and she had to leave.
This time the priest recommended a very lax community where the religious did little praying and a lot of talking. Even though the young woman again did not last a year, this time she came to the priest with a beaming smile, thanking him. "The religious in the community asked me so many questions about my boyfriend," she said, "it made me sick and tired, and I forgot about him."
The priest goes on to say that learning to forget is not the same as trying to forget; when we try to forget we are creating stress for ourselves. We are trying to repress, and this is bringing the issue more to our attention, and making an imprint on our brains. He cites a Japanese psychologist who tells us that the way to forget is not to try to forget but to do everything possible to remember, to bring it all to mind. If we have lost out in love, cry like you have never cried before. If you have failed at anything, feel the pain and do it daily.
Why? He believes that we all have a forgetting curve within us. In 3 months, you will come to a point when you will forget. There is within us a self-cleansing mechanism that will take over. We have all heard of women who continually cried for their dead husbands, and very abruptly married. Men have more difficulty with this approach because they do not talk as freely as women about emotional issues. Men keep it inside, and it takes more time for the process to take over.
It's good to remember that our emotions are sporadic not permanent; they are fickle and we get tired of them. We don't want to deny this fact but work with it. When faced with something that we can't forget and the pain of the memory keeps bothering us, don't make the effort to forget but rather bring the troubling memory to mind. Think about it and tell others about it. If this is done for a period of six months you will find peace.
We are told that even when we suffer from loss of memory as we grow older, we don't forget the emotional scars and sorrows we've experienced in our life. When we try to forget these traumas from the past and can't, it becomes a problem both in our daily living and in our spiritual life. Learning to forget these past traumas is an important skill to have if we are to live a healthy life.
A young woman came to a priest telling him she can't forget her boy friend who had died. She wanted the priest to recommend a convent. The priest selected a very strict community, thinking that this would help her forget. However, within a year the young woman left the convent and told the priest that as time passed, the thoughts of the boyfriend became even more vivid, and she had to leave.
This time the priest recommended a very lax community where the religious did little praying and a lot of talking. Even though the young woman again did not last a year, this time she came to the priest with a beaming smile, thanking him. "The religious in the community asked me so many questions about my boyfriend," she said, "it made me sick and tired, and I forgot about him."
The priest goes on to say that learning to forget is not the same as trying to forget; when we try to forget we are creating stress for ourselves. We are trying to repress, and this is bringing the issue more to our attention, and making an imprint on our brains. He cites a Japanese psychologist who tells us that the way to forget is not to try to forget but to do everything possible to remember, to bring it all to mind. If we have lost out in love, cry like you have never cried before. If you have failed at anything, feel the pain and do it daily.
Why? He believes that we all have a forgetting curve within us. In 3 months, you will come to a point when you will forget. There is within us a self-cleansing mechanism that will take over. We have all heard of women who continually cried for their dead husbands, and very abruptly married. Men have more difficulty with this approach because they do not talk as freely as women about emotional issues. Men keep it inside, and it takes more time for the process to take over.
It's good to remember that our emotions are sporadic not permanent; they are fickle and we get tired of them. We don't want to deny this fact but work with it. When faced with something that we can't forget and the pain of the memory keeps bothering us, don't make the effort to forget but rather bring the troubling memory to mind. Think about it and tell others about it. If this is done for a period of six months you will find peace.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Drinking and Driving in Korea
The statistics show that in Korea deaths from traffic accidents are one of the highest in the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) with twice the number of deaths than the average. A professor at the Suwon seminary writing in the Catholic Times says this is a sign of callous indifference to traffic safety.
One of the reasons for traffic accidents is driving while intoxicated. All know it should not be done. It is accepted as a basic principle of morality that we are to do good and avoid evil. If one drives while intoxicated and foresees the possibility of something going wrong, he then is morally responsible for the results.
This holds true for the owner of a factory who out of carelessness pollutes the surrounding rivers; owners of coal mines who don't show care for the safety of miners, and the makers of medicines who are not attentive to the adverse reaction of their products. When the results of these actions are evil, we must try to avoid the action itself.
Does this mean, the professor asks, that we must avoid any action when there is a possibility that the results of our action may be evil? Should we not use electricity because of the potential danger of a short circuit? Should we not drive because of the fear of accidents? Should we not allow children to use the computer because they may see porn?
These questions are easily answered, he says, by the application of the principle of the double effect If the intended good is greater than the possible evil that may occur, and does not directly follow from the good, we are acting morally.
When driving after drinking even though we do not have an accident the possibility for an accident was there, and we have done something we shouldn't have done. If there is an accident the principle of the double effect is not applicable because the act of driving intoxicated is an evil act.
The professor no doubt knows of cases where the principle of double effect was used by those driving drunk. In recent memory this principle was even used by many commentators as an explanation for what the Pope said on condoms in the book Light of the World. The clarification from the Vatican makes clear that the Pope was not using the double effect principle.To understand another person is no easy task, especially when you are not sympathetic to the person speaking and his ideas.
One of the reasons for traffic accidents is driving while intoxicated. All know it should not be done. It is accepted as a basic principle of morality that we are to do good and avoid evil. If one drives while intoxicated and foresees the possibility of something going wrong, he then is morally responsible for the results.
This holds true for the owner of a factory who out of carelessness pollutes the surrounding rivers; owners of coal mines who don't show care for the safety of miners, and the makers of medicines who are not attentive to the adverse reaction of their products. When the results of these actions are evil, we must try to avoid the action itself.
Does this mean, the professor asks, that we must avoid any action when there is a possibility that the results of our action may be evil? Should we not use electricity because of the potential danger of a short circuit? Should we not drive because of the fear of accidents? Should we not allow children to use the computer because they may see porn?
These questions are easily answered, he says, by the application of the principle of the double effect If the intended good is greater than the possible evil that may occur, and does not directly follow from the good, we are acting morally.
When driving after drinking even though we do not have an accident the possibility for an accident was there, and we have done something we shouldn't have done. If there is an accident the principle of the double effect is not applicable because the act of driving intoxicated is an evil act.
The professor no doubt knows of cases where the principle of double effect was used by those driving drunk. In recent memory this principle was even used by many commentators as an explanation for what the Pope said on condoms in the book Light of the World. The clarification from the Vatican makes clear that the Pope was not using the double effect principle.To understand another person is no easy task, especially when you are not sympathetic to the person speaking and his ideas.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Abuse of Medicine and the Culture of Life
It is good to remember that when medicine is taken there is always a side effect. Only when the good achieved far outweighs the potential bad side effects is the risk of taking medicine considered prudent. He goes on to say that Koreans are unusually fond of taking medicine. In every house, you will see full medicine cabinets and boxes of medicine everywhere, with all kinds of medicines which they take like food.
The professor says that according to one statistical finding more than half of those taking medicines don't follow the instructions that come with the medicine. And many are mesmerized by the irresponsible advertisements on TV, in magazines and leaflets. Many are also too easily influenced to use medicines solely on the recommendations of friends.
This problem of the overuse, abuse and dependence on medicine is something that militates against the culture of life we should be working to bring into our society. This is a problem that affects all of us. In many cases, the use of medicines is not prescribed. This is the case not only with drugs for the more serious diseases but with medicines to help digestion, relieve pains and headaches, stimulate bowel movements, and to put us to sleep, among a host of other remedies. Even when the use is no longer necessary, the habit often continues.
The misuse of drugs can be broadly distinguished as either institutional or personal. Institutions like hospitals and clinics often immorally incite the overuse of medicines because of the financial incentives. And individuals will alsoself-medicate to treat some abnormality, and do it improperly. The professor tells us that compared to many other countries, the number of medicines prescribed in Korea to the ordinary patient is much higher. The government intends to do something about this problem, he says, but it is not only doctors but patients who have to change their dependence on medicine.
The professor's words should serve as a warning to all of us on the misuse and abuse of medicines. If we are serious about working for the culture of life in our society, we need to be better educated on the proper use of medicine in restoring and maintaining health.
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