Ecumenicism Doing Well In Korea

Toward the end of May, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, visited Korea for meetings with Buddhist, Confucian and Protestant communities, and representatives of other religious groups. He was accompanied by Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, the secretary of the Pontifical Council. They were invited by the Episcopal Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue.

Korea gets high marks in efforts to be ecumenical  and having  respect for the different religious groups within the country. A brief conversation with the Cardinal was written up in the Peace Weekly.The archbishop responsible for ecumenicism and inter-religious dialogue for the bishops of Korea  was with the Cardinal during the 5-day visit.

The Cardinal noted that the world today is faced with  discord and factional strife among religions. There is no  reason, he said, to reject others because we are different. As a people, we have a great diversity in how we approach and see life, and religious people should acknowledge this difference and be able to work with it.

"Religious people," the Cardinal said, "should open their hearts and go in search of the common good, and work for the happiness of humankind. Dialogue means discovering  our differences and our  common points and fine tuning the differences so that we can come to some sort of agreement. The aim of religious dialogue  is to find a common understanding that will help bring happiness to humankind."

This dialogue is not only for religious leaders but for all religious people. All should be concerned with the problems we are facing and with our efforts to arrive at a common viewpoint which will help make a more just society. The Cardinal believes that the religions in Korea  already have a common understanding of family and the value of life.

He was impressed with the open mindedness of the Korean people to other religions. At the same time he was happy to see the pride they had in their Catholicism and hopes they will want to spread it to other parts of Asia. He also hopes that we will be able to form our communities so they will be attractive to those who come in contact with them.

The Church in Korea takes seriously this  dialogue among religions; the bishops realize this is an important issue in preparing for peace. A journalist who commented on the visit of the Cardinal said Koreans often say there is a similarity in feelings and an area of rapport between Buddhists and Catholics and with the Confucians; except for the ancestral tablets, the Church has no difficulty with the celebration of the rites. There is much in Korean Catholicism, he said, that should help bring us to a shared understanding among the different religions.

Where Is True Happiness To Be Found?

A professor at the Seoul University school of Education, who served in the past government as the minister of education, has some thoughts on happiness he wants to share. Writing in a Catholic magazine, he says that we all live with happiness and unhappiness, and the standard used to judge is different for each person. In most cases, the parents pass their standard of happiness on to the children. 

Nowadays, parents think that children will be happy if they have nice clothes, do well in their studies, and have  exceptional capabilities. More troubling is that some parents want their children to play only with the rich and not associate with the poor, also suggesting they stay away from problem families. It is reported, he said, that some grammar school children use as their standard for making friends how fine an apartment and car other children have.  

Material standards can only be temporary. Some parents see nothing wrong in cheating if you benefit from it. There  is a happiness that follows, but it is the selfish kind. If  by chance, after all the trouble in comparing yourself with others, you lose in the competition, you are left with frustration.

The writer mentions that as a child he spent most of his time at the church. This is where he studied and played; it was the meeting place in town and the only place where you could have fun. They gathered in groups of two and threes to play, and now, looking back, he sees it as his first experience of happiness that gave meaning to his life.

Happiness he tells us can be divided into three different categories. The first comes when when you have enough to eat, a place to sleep, and clothes to wear--satisfying  our natural instincts.  The second is the happiness that comes with the accumulation of money, honors, and success--the satisfaction of achieving material goals. The third is the happiness that comes when serving others--the satisfaction that brings joy and fulfillment in life. There are many who are examples of this way of life.

The professor feels that  society has been overly taken up with the first two: the pleasure and satisfaction of achieving personal and material goals in life. These are all good, he admits. To eat tasty food, have an abundance of financial security, and achieve your personal goals of self-fulfillment do bring happiness. They may give temporary bodily pleasure and emotional delight, but  do not satisfy the search for meaning in life--the craving of the inner life. With temporary satisfaction. we are always tempted to look for different ways to be satisfied, leading us into a vicious circle of failed attempts. 

When we are moved by an altruistic desire to help others, however, this is a value that does not disappear with time, as happens with most of our personal goals. The impressions of a mother raising her children , he reminds us, do not disappear with time but actually grow stronger. The professor ends his article by urging parents to teach their children where true happiness is to be found.
                                                                                        

                                 

"My Withered Spirit was Fired Up"

On May 1st I translated the first installment of an article in two parts and did not notice it was going to be continued. This continues the story of the priest who went to Lourdes on a pilgrimage.("Before Asking for a Miracle, First 'Believe'")

That night the priest returned to the shrine where he spent a great deal of time in prayer and meditation, after which he returned to his lodging. Next morning he got up early, said Mass with the sisters, and after breakfast hobbled over to the shrine. Saying the rosary, he waited for the submerging ceremony.  

After undressing and putting on a gown, he was led to the stone tub to be submerged. All he  could think of was how cold the  water was. That was his only thought.

At the end of the ceremony he remembered he did not thank God for the expected cure. With all kinds of thoughts running through his head, he decided to leave everything in the hands of the Blessed Mother and returned to his lodging.

After eating lunch at the convent and still hobbling, he was taken by the sisters to the railroad station in Lourdes. On the train, his knee hurt as before but his body and spirit were refreshed.

When he arrived in Lourdes the desire for a miracle was urgent but after one night and two days in Lourdes, he felt like an innocent child, able to pray with a purity which gave him much joy. After a tiring two days, he easily fell asleep on the train, and was just 30 minutes from Paris when he awoke.  He stretched, picked up his luggage and, as he got ready to leave, was surprised to find that he could walk without a limp.

"Why," he asked, "am I  no longer limping? My knee gave me a great deal of trouble and now the pain has disappeared" He did a little running in place and it hurt a little. When he arrived at the place of lodging, the knee no longer hurt. "Was that a miracle cure?" he wondered.

The writer, after listening to the priest's  movie-like story, told him: "You  have been blessed with a miracle!" The priest answered: "In fact, more than the healing of my knee, I was able to pray with a pure heart. My withered spirit was fired up. That is the real miracle."

Importance of Study

In the religious life of communities, study has always had an important place. We have the Benedictine tradition of work, prayer and study. We use our minds in search of wisdom, use our bodies to work and our hearts and spirit to pray and to practice the virtues. 
 
Consequently, it is not surprising  that  a word  Korean children often hear is 'study'. It may be the word they find most loathsome, according to the writer of the  Desk Column in the Catholic Times. Not only children but adults also hear the word, and it is not always welcomed for it implies  some fault is found with their behavior.

In jest, one often hears: "One more hour of study and the face of the husband changes." And "For three years you are nobody but you are changing who your husband will be." With words of this type, our high school girls are told to study not for itself but for what will likely happen if they do and if they don't; there doesn't seem to be any understanding of the value of study itself.  These two sayings are displayed on classroom walls in high schools for girls to prod them to study.  The message? The more you study, the better your chances of finding a husband that meets your standards.

The word for study comes to us from its use in Buddhism. It is the cultivation of the teachings of Buddhism, especially the earnest study of Zen meditation. For this reason study has to be done earnestly, getting rid of all distractions and, whether sitting or standing, giving yourself totally to the study at hand.
 
The word for study in Korean is made up of two Chinese characters: 工夫 (gong bu). The first character, with the two parallel lines, shows the joining  of heaven an earth, the effort to penetrate the truth of heaven and earth and humanity. The second character signifies man with his two hands outstretched and a topknot  on his head. The word contains the meaning that it is man's work. And even though the writer was somewhat embarrassed to say this, he explained that the Korean ancestors considered study as the means which enables a man to gain the ability and to fulfill the duty to feed and care for his family. It was also the way to cultivate a person who would be respected by society; in today's world, we would say "to become someone."

The writer reminds us that the parents of Jesus also told him to study. The way he related to the teachers in the temple and his disciples clearly shows that he studied. He has all the marks of a person steeped in the world of study. As in the world of Buddhism and Confucianism, study is an important part of what we do as human beings and as Christians.

In the last sentence of the second chapter of Luke there are the words: "Jesus, for his part, progressed steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men." Here we have the growth in wisdom, in the body and in grace; the  fourth, relating well with all our brothers and sisters.The lack of any one of the four leaves us less than complete. It is the sign of a whole person, and an important part of achieving this wholeness is the necessity of study.  

A Pioneer In Korean Sacred Art

One of the early Korean artists who was a pioneer in sacred art was Louis Pal Chang (1901-2001).The Catholic Times brings him to our attention in their series of articles on the Third Order of St. Francis. He became a Tertiary while in the United States, majoring in art at Columbia University.  It was at this time that he became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, following his older brother John Chang, who was the premier of the country before his civilian government was toppled by Park Chung-hee.

When Louis Chang returned to Korea from the US in 1925 he was already a leader in art education and administration. He laid the foundation for religious art in Korea, and with other artists, after the liberation, had the first sacred art exhibition in the country.  He started the art department at Seoul University and became its first president.

Many of his works, appearing in churches, convents and monasteries, were made for churches in the North, but only one has survived. In 1960, at the building of Hei Hwa Dong Church, he gathered  his students and was in charge of the plans for the church, and for selecting the sculptures.  This is the first Church built without the help of foreign missioners, and it is universally admired for its beauty.

When Korea had  no appreciation of inculturation in art, Louis Chang was depicting Jesus and Mary not only in Korean dress but with the colors and composition used in the traditional technique. He  followed  the iconography manner of painting but  developed a Korean type of icon.

Because of the difficulties experienced by his older brother and the turbulent situation in the country, he left for the  United States in 1964. While there he taught and continued painting until his death. He did return many times during his  years in the States for exhibitions and church events. He was selected in 1996 as "a great man of Seoul" and his sculptured bust can be see on campuses.

Louis Chang Pal passed away on April 8 a few days after his one-hundredth birthday. An exhibition was planed to celebrate his 100 birthday in the Korean Cultural Center gallery of New York but he died a month before the planned exhibition.

The Cathedral church in Seoul has his portrait of the twelve apostles with Paul and Barnabas, which he painted in 1926. He is one of the few who attended both the beatification ceremonies of the 79 in 1925 in Rome and of the 103 who were canonized in 1988. The painting in the Cathedral, begun after his return from Rome in 1925, is considered the first painting to be placed in a sanctuary of a Korean Catholic Church. 

Pal Chang was a deeply spiritual artist and a precursor in the sacred art of Korea, transcending in his art the distinction between East and West. He will be remembered fondly and many of his works inspiring our new sacred artists.

Headache for the Archbishop of Kwangju

We hear again about the events in  Naju Korea. The Catholic Times featured the story on the front page, including the official announcement concerning Naju by the archbishop of Kwangju.Those who are followers of this private revelation to Julia Kim are publicizing it as having the approval of the Vatican and they list the names of those who have given credibility to the events of Naju. The three ordinaries of the archdiocese have made it clear where they stand, but this has not received  credibility among the Catholics because those in Naju are saying that John Paul II  and Benedict, along with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, have looked favorably on the miracles. 

The followers of Naju are saying the beatification of John Paul II is "an implicit and certain confirmation of the Holy See's positive stance." 

In the official announcement in response to the events in Naju, the archbishop's statement makes clear there has been no change in the way the archdiocese looks upon the events. The supporters have spread their rumors throughout the country and the archbishop feels that another official statement is warranted.

The news that the Vatican is positive on the events at Naju is upsetting the Catholic faithful.The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has accepted the decision of the two previous ordinaries and the present ordinary. The present archbishop of Kwangju, on his visit to the Congregation in July of last year, was informed that nothing has changed. In conclusion, the archbishop  says that he has been in communication with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and is notifying all the Catholics of this fact.

The problem arises because of the publicity that events in Naju is getting on the internet. Many in Rome have been quoted as being favorable to Naju and this is  continually  being  emphasized.This has  made  the position of the ordinaries awkward when the promoters of Naju continue to use the words of the Popes in favor of the events.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has given permission for the official  proclamation of the archbishop of Kwangju. The Congregation said, "That what the supporters of Julia have sent to the Congregation concerning the miracles of Naju bear little resemblance to Christlike spirituality. And, concerning the miracles of Naju, the Congregation is not thinking of changing its stance, which makes their position no different than that of the archbishop's. Hopefully, this will see the end of the dispute. Check the previous blog for reasons why the problem continues to annoy the Korean Church.                                        

God Works Through Secondary Causes

An article in the Peace Weekly recounts the success story of two parishes in a Korean country diocese. Although the number of Catholics in the country has increased in the last 10 years, the number attending Masses has decreased. The article mentions two parishes that have not followed this trend.

According to the statistical report of 2009, only one of every four Catholics attends Mass. When those in pastoral work hear that some parishes are getting over 40 percent attending Sunday Mass, they are interested. The article goes on to tell us the secret of this success.

One of the parishes has 1,744 parishioners registered and 784 coming out to Mass on Sundays. The numbers on Sunday are such that they are required to put chairs in the Church to accommodate them. Even at daily Mass it's difficult to find a seat.

Explaining his pastoral policy, the pastor said, "More than having many events I try to make every one of the parishioners feel the joy and delight of the life of faith. When the Catholics at Mass feel a sense of peace the numbers increase."

He makes clear that he has not used programs to  evangelize or made efforts to get the tepid back, and yet the numbers increase.  Instead he stresses the joy of the Christian life. "The parishioners, who are often tired by the daily chores of living," he said, "when they come to our church feel respected. It's what we want them to feel."

The pastor and the assistant and the office help make sure that no one is irritated  or pressured; everyone is always greeted pleasantly and kindly. At the end of every Mass, the pastor and assistant are always outside the church greeting the people and sharing in their concerns. The telephone is always available to contact the priests, and they are always eager to help. This spirit of the parish gets communicated to others and is a reason for the return of the tepid and the automatic increase in evangelization.

Most parishes are large and intimacy is not easily achieved. The personality of the pastor and assistant is certainly a part of what  goes into the mix to bring about a welcoming atmosphere in a parish setting. We should probably all be given courses in human relations and what goes into making a good salesperson. Our trust in the grace of God  to break through  all the human frailties and lack of charisma in the pastoral teams is necessary, but neither should we forget that God  works through secondary causes.