Equality Of the Sexes In The Church

The Catholic Times' opinion piece on the Bishops Sub-committee on Women Issues had some interesting things to say. Written by a Religious Sister, who is the secretary of the Sub-committee, discusses what she would like to see happening within the Church: more equality between the sexes, leading to a healthier relationship of men and women.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the sub-committee and many suggestions were made to celebrate the event: inviting a well-known woman theologian from the States to give public lectures, conduct a seminar to discuss what women have done in leadership roles in  Europe and the States,  invite women groups to meet together in a symposium talk-fest to discuss their various positions regarding women and the Church. They are dreaming, planning and imagining many other possibilities.

In the past,  they have had  informal gatherings with other women groups to discuss  what women have given to the Church and society. They have attempted to deal with topics in a moderate way. They avoided the topics of equality within the Church, the efforts to achieve equality, the use of women for works of service and not leadership roles and the alienation of women within the community and also  topics that dealt with the deepening of women spirituality, the discovery of the mothers' instinct,  and the development of the  value of life -- areas of confrontation.  They considered the uncontroversial area of what women can contribute to the Church and society with creativity and wisdom.

On one occasion the person who chaired the discussion summarized the talks and  concluded with the question, "Can it be understood that  from today, there is no need to consider equality within the Church or change of structures as a topic of discussion?" A long-time member of the sub-committee quickly responded, " We have and it has been useless. We have given up." One could see, the secretary said, many heads nodding in approval.

She ends her opinion piece by saying that the committee has tried, though feebly, within our patriarchal society to enhance the condition of women in the Church, but with little success. With all their seminars, symposiums,  events, surveys, printed materials, talks and reports over a ten-year period, she has seen little improvement in the status of women within the Church.

Society has made great advances in this area with many of the walls crumbling. However, in the Church, the patriarchal Confucianism of our society and the hierarchical  structure of the Church have prevented any meaningful change.  The Church suffers a  great loss when women's gifts and efforts are not used;  Sister wonders what God would think.

The Year of the Rabbit

At the start of this year of the rabbit, a columnist in the Catholic Times recalls the sermon he heard at Mass on New Year's day. The priest asked the parishioners what they thought of when hearing the word rabbit associated with the year 2011. Most of them thought of fecundity, simple, beautiful, cowardice, among others.

The word rabbit brings to mind all these traits but the priest selected 'growth' as possibly the most important trait. The hind legs of the rabbit are longer than the front legs, which make going up  easy but going down rather awkward. So this year, he suggested that all of us should make strides to better ourselves, to grow in some way during the year, striving for another level in our personal  growth.

The columnist points out that each of us has a different meaning for growth. After Mass, during the time for fellowship and refreshments, she asked several acquaintances in what area of life would they like to see more growth during the year. To increase the number of friends to twenty was one response. Another, to increase personal development by reading 30 or more books. No one mentioned having financial or material goals; all were more interested in internal growth. She was pleased with what she heard and surprised. She will also be working for growth in maturity during the year.

At this time of  the year, Koreans have already celebrated the solar New Year; the dress rehearsal for the real thing, the lunar New Year, will be on Feb. 3rd. What interest there is in Chinese astrology is difficult to judge. The past year was the year of the Tiger, not a good year. This year of the  rabbit is more propitious for those who believe in astrology.  North Korea is also influenced by the same beliefs; hopefully, the traits of the rabbit will be shown in the way they will treat each other this year. Since the sign of the rabbit is one of the more fortunate of the twelve signs, it might signal something worthwhile to both the North and the South. Let us pray that we do have a growth in efforts to bring peace to Korea. And finally a peace treaty.

Why Prefer Noise Instead of Music?

Fr. Cha Dong-yeop of the Future Pastoral Institute, in the recent Incheon Diocesan  Bulletin, talks about a premise that should inform all that we say.  The color gray can be found in nature but some see it as black; others see it as white. One of the failures of our society, he says, is that nobody wants to see  the  gray.

In his class in the seminary there were two groups that interacted like oil and water. One believed it important to participate in the struggle for democracy-- the group for justice. The other group emphasized the importance of prayer-- the spirit group. For unknown reasons they could not come to an understanding of each other's position.

Fr. Cha mentions that he held a middle position. When he felt that his conscience directed him to participate with the justice group, he would do so; when he felt it necessary to join the prayer group, he would. He couldn't help but ask himself on what side would Jesus be on? He would be on both sides, he decided.  "Do not the  two positions develop  from the same  root, and are they not branches of the same tree?  Why should  they be in opposition?"  The thought brings tears to his eyes.
Why do we avoid the gray areas in deputes of this kind? he wonders. "Why can't we be in the middle? Together. When we are not together," he says," we are again nailing Jesus to the cross."

The Church, says Fr. Cha,  is like an orchestra, with many different musicians playing together in harmony. The woodwinds do not wonder why the strings play the way they do. In the Church there should be an appreciation of each other's gifts, welcoming others who may be playing in a different mode but still in harmony. This should be  the main premise of the Diocesan Church Community.

We have the words of our Lord encouraging us to be One. However, the examples we use to explain this idea leave too much to the imagination. Though the idea is certainly understood, the simplification that is necessary creates more questions. When we have opposing ideas within the Church community, it is noise that we hear and not music. Talking to each other, being civil and respectful, making efforts to  understand, humbly and willingly open to seeing  another harmonic possibility is a desire of many.                         

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Preciousness of Good Memories in Old Age.

On the spirituality page of the Catholic Times, the columnist tells us how a couple, after raising their children, are spending their declining years.

They live  together in a small house, take care of their plants and a garden, and  stay close to the Church. Life is quiet and orderly; they are now preparing to meet God. The columnist, with a smile, asks,  "Fighting makes the life of most couples interesting. Both of you live a simple life. It must have been boring!"

"We fought when younger, but  we are weak now and don't have the energy; words are not necessary to have a life full of joy."

"What do you mean you can be happy without talking?"

"Of course you can. We talk very little but we have great joy in life. From a very young age, we have taken out a wonderful  insurance. We are now benefiting from the policy."

"Insurance!  What  kind do you have? Are you getting insurance returns every month?" 
 
"Getting a return every month on your insurance is not the only kind. We as a couple from early on have considered memories a very important part of our insurance. We are a simple and ordinary family, but we traveled a lot as a family. We  climbed mountains, looked up at the heavens and saw the beauty of the ocean. Together as a family, we faced and solved our problems. Even now our children, with the grandchildren, come to visit us here in the country. It seems they are also interested in this kind of insurance."     
     
"Do those memories come back to you now?"

"Yes, with the years not all remains but one thing that is strong and vivid is that it was done with my spouse. And with the passing of the years, we have, without needing words, these wonderful memories which brought us much happiness."

The reminiscences we have of our life are the best insurance for old age. This should be the expectations of all of us.

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One Person's Reason For Failure in Life

A columnist in the opinion page of the Catholic Times gives us a very helpful lesson in how not to be a failure in life. As the head of a psychological  counseling service, she has helped many, and believes that those who need the most help are the ones who usually refuse it and  bring unhappiness into the lives of  others. They can be considered, she says, 'blind' in their relationships: Seeing what is in their own world, hearing what they want to hear, understanding  what they want to understand. 

Their  problems, they insist, come mostly from unlucky circumstances or are caused by others. When they hurt another by word or action, they defend themselves by saying it was not their intention or--a common retort--they don't remember saying or doing anything hurtful. No matter how much sympathy and empathy we have for those who are caught in these destructive behaviors, it  is difficult, she admits, to continue counseling such persons.

Often in Korea when things don't go the way we want, we use the word nang pae (낭 패) to describe this difficult situation. When we look at the origin of the word, however, we come up with a different understanding of its meaning. Nang and Pae were two imaginary animals.  Nang had no hind legs, and Pae had no front legs. (It is thought that they were similar to wolves.) Nang was courageous but had no cleverness; Pae was very clever but was a coward. When they went walking or hunting, they needed each other. When they were separated, they could do nothing.

A similar relationship usually exists even in the smallest of human groups. When two or more persons are planning to do something, each gives of his strong points, and the weak points are complemented  by the other's strengths. Understanding, concern, communication and tolerance are the elements that allow for harmonious personal interactions and an efficient running of society, but there are many who are blind to this relationship, which brings about this nang pae, 
 
The columnist ends by asking us if we have this relationship with others. Do we strive always for understanding and magnanimity?

Accidents and the Culture of Life

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.

Pope Wants More Secularity In Society

At the beginning of the New Year, each bishop presents his expectations for the coming year to the Catholics of his diocese. The Catholic Times' editorial spells out some of the concerns of the bishops. The problems  are not unfamiliar to Catholics in other parts of the world. The bishops want a new evangelization for a new era. An era that has seen a drop in attendance at Sunday Mass, an increase in the number of tepid Catholics, and a lack of interest in religion among the young. In a word, secularization, as in other parts of the world, is now affecting the Church of  Korea.

The depth of spirituality of our Christians, however, is not the type that will be of much help in evangelization. The Church has shown an exterior growth in numbers, but those who know the problems feel that the growth in spirituality of Catholics and the renovation of the Church have not kept up with its outer growth.

The Catholic Times sponsored a round-table discussion on this topic recently. The participants agreed that efforts have to be made to help our Catholics experience God in the many varied ways this is possible.  Many Catholics lack a  basic  understanding of Jesus, and consequently lack the enthusiasm necessary to train the will to work for change in society. Without the experience of God, Catholics will have little to fall back on in dealing with the postmodern culture we live in.  If  Christians are not themselves evangelized and are only superficially following Jesus, then there can be no evangelization. Those without belief are motivated to make changes in their lives  by what they see Christians doing.

The Pope recalls, again, the problem of secularism in his Peace Day message and states that he sees little difference between fundamentalism and secularism; they both deny the pluralistic society. For the Pope, secularism is different from secularity, which is a positive goal for society. Secularism does not have a place for religion, and that is a position that has become popular in recent years.

Increasingly, we are seeing the effects of this position on our youth. They are seeing their religious beliefs attacked in their schooling, in the books they read, and in much of the mass media. They hear, repeatedly about the crusades, the inquisition and Galileo. Without understanding the secularizing process responsible for these attacks, our youth cannot be faulted entirely for wanting to distance themselves from a world-view our secularist culture considers antiquated and of no use in today's world.

Secularism is the unwillingness to give religion a place in society. This way of thinking goes against the principle of a  sound secularity which respects the opinions of others and treats those opinions with civility. Those who bring up the Galileo issue to show the conflict between science and religion refuse to acknowledge that the contemporaries of Galileo,the Jesuits, introduced the first telescope to China and became the astronomers in the Chinese court. The secularist often fails to see the whole picture, preferring to focus on something that can make the opposition look ridiculous. What is needed is more secularity and less secularism. More openness to others in a pluralistic society.