Catholics and Protestantism

"Catholicism and Other Religions," the continuing series now running in the Peace Weekly, takes up Protestantism, beginning with its emphasis on the devotio moderna. A professor of the Korean Church History Research Institute feels that it's necessary to understand the part 'modern devotion' had in the life of the 14th century Catholic to understand the beginnings of Protestantism.

The movement started in Holland and was different from the old devotion of the Scholastic school, which emphasized the liturgy and the sacraments. The new devotion placed greater importance on meditating on the passion and the Beatitudes. Individuality and practice were emphasized, and contemplation was to develop the inner life and deepen our relationship with God.

This faith life was intent on uncovering a person's individuality and interiority; it was to be the Protestant model of religion. This was the spirituality of the Brethren of the Common Life (1383). Erasmus, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ignatius of Loyola were all influenced by this movement. It was the 'devotio moderna' that influenced Erasmus when he claimed that grace can be confirmed only by the Scriptures and faith; this emphasis was instrumental in putting more importance on the Scriptures than on tradition in determining the truths of the Protestant faith.  

There was within the humanistic period of the Renaissance a movement among Catholics to change the way things were being done in Catholicism. However, their efforts were not as successful as those of Luther and Calvin.

In Korea, the Presbyterian missioners from Canada and the United States did the first missionary work and had the most numbers. Presbyterianism, Methodism and Pure Gospel are the three largest Protestant denominations in Korea.

The professor asks what can we learn from Protestantism? Catholics can use them as a negative model, he says, as a mirror to see ourselves. Reflection on the quick growth of Protestantism is now no longer only a Protestant issue. The unregulated spread of churches, the excessive number of seminarians being sent out, lack of content in the teaching of theology, the extreme form of exclusivity--all are concerns Catholics should ponder. Especially necessary, says the professor, is changing from a dictatorial clericalism to another form of leadership within the Church. 

Some Protestants see their many denominations as harming their public image. Some also believe there is a shirking of public service, a dualistic view that separates the Church from the world, too much emphasis on material growth, and hostility toward other religions. 

On the other hand, what can be imitated is the devotion to the study of theology and the study of how to acculturate religion into the Korean culture. The professor lists many Protestant theologians who have added a great deal to the study of comparative religions and their cultural significance within society.

Apostates and Martyrs

"Priests call me tepid because my faith life has become cold," the author of the new novel Black Mountain says, laughing. "Tepid is a word without mercy; I would rather have them say you will some day return to the faith." 
 
The novelist, whose baptismal name is Augustine, has been away from the Church for 40 years. On his mother's side, they have been Catholics for three generations and he was brought up Catholic, an altar boy until high school.
 
On Oct. 30th he went to Mass for the first time in 40 years. It was right after he had published his new novel, and he did so feeling peaceful and happy, he says. He had planned to write a novel about the martyrs and those who apostatized for some time. Over the years he gathered all the information he could on the persecution and this year lived as a hermit for 5 months at a martyr's shrine. The background of the novel is the beginning of the 19th century, and deals with apostates, martyrs, betrayers, and those who have been exiled. There are no heroes or heroines.
 
The story brings in two characters to set the plot going: Chong Yak-jong, an apostate, and Hwang Sa-yong, a martyr, who was married to Chong Yak-jong's niece. These two men were illustrious leaders in the history of the early Church. Chong Yak-jong, a member of an intellectually elite family, apostatized after baptism and was sent to Black Mountain Island. Hwang Sa-yong was the martyr who is famous for the 'silk letter' that was intended for a bishop in China, asking for help during the persecution. The story is filled with lower grade public officials, stable men, servants, widows,  seafood merchants, and the like, wih the plot revolving around those who died witnessing to the faith, and those who apostatized to save their lives, though not always successfully.
  
The apostates intrigued the author more than the martyrs. "I wanted to help the reader understand," the author said, "those who apostatized, who longed to return to their wives and children. But to understand those who suffered cruel flogging and were willing to die? The martyrs. That is scary."
 
He feels sympathy for those who apostatized and asks us to pray for them. He prays that all will be called to God's bosom. In the Peace Weekly interview, he said the tepids, in particular, will appreciate his novel.                    

Matthew Effect

Writing in his weekly column in the Catholic Times, on faith and finances, the bishop of Suwon explores the meaning of the Matthew Effect. A concept introduced some 40 years ago by a professor at Columbia, it is taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew: "For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not,even what he has will be taken away."(Matt. 13:12).

The Matthew Effect can be found in many areas of life. In school those who have difficulty in reading will fall behind their classmates. Those who can read will read to learn while the others will be learning how to read. This will mean that they will fall behind as the others advance, and is obviously seen in many other areas of life. In the world of finance, we say the poor get poorer and the rich richer. Sadly we are hearing of this happening in China.

Another term similar in meaning to the Matthew Effect is 'cumulative advantage', meaning that those who have a head start because of education, money or place in society will advance quicker. This helps to understand the polarization we see in society today. Inventions and discovering new techniques and ways of doing things will entitle the person to get out in front with this vested interest, and gain superiority in the field. Apple's iPhone is one example out of many. Apple very quickly was listed number 8th in the world, superior in their field. They were superior to their competitors and working in partnership with others enabled these other companies to grow.
 
However, there are few of these types in big business. Most will try to monopolize the market and do all that is necessary to press their advantage, often putting smaller competitors out of business. This we saw recently in Korea when a big company entered the fried chicken business; with the advantage of money, personnel and cheaper prices, they were putting the small-business people out of work. This was going against business morality: an example of the Matthew Effect.
 
It is necessary for us in our globalized world of escalating economic development to see what is happening with eyes sharpened by our Christian values. We need to analyze the signs of the times and discern wisely about the fiercely competitive  world of commerce we live in.

College Entrance in Korea

The exams for college entrance have been taken, and everything should return to normal, but it hasn't.  There are many articles that tell us about the after-effects of the exams.
 
The Catholic Times' editorial applauds the parents of the students for their concern and effort to take care of the material and spiritual needs of the students during this stressful time. But whether they did well or not there is a feeling of emptiness now that the study and exams are over. Many students, the editorial notes, develop headaches, insomnia, irritability, indigestion, which of course also worries the parents.

Though the stress for the exams disappears, lethargy tends to set in; the routine has given way to another rhythm, with which they are not familiar. There is a void and a temporary depression. When the student worries about the results of the exam, the problems tend to multiply. 

This is the big story each year at this time. The Korean college entrance exams are the biggest moment in the life of students. In the thinking of most students, it will determine their life. Depending on the scores they receive, the exams will decide which school they will attend. The prestigious schools are Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. All are familiar with the acronym SKY. To graduate from one of these schools means the student will have a good-paying job and be part of the elite in society. Many of the most successful people in society are graduates of these schools.
 
The exams have changed over the years for the better. There is less emphasis, in the English exam, on the grammar and the finer points, more on comprehension, less on memorization. Thanks to the Confucian cultural background, study is important, and the exam system continues to be used in selecting qualified persons at all levels of the business world, but there is  a  negative side.  

Preparing for exams means that ones normal daily routine has to change. Everything is devoted to doing well in the exams. A necessity understood by all, which makes it more stressful than it has to be. All of society takes note of the day; even the airlines make adjustments, rerouting flights to reduce noise. 

The editorial recommends that parents, and students take a few days off to make a retreat. There are all kinds of retreats that will fit the expectations of all, even family retreats.
 
The stress and fatigue experienced, though, will tempt many to  rest, but it is not the wise thing to do, says the editorial. Often, the end of the exams is also the end of the faith life for students. Part of the reason is the emphasis on the intellectual and neglecting our spiritual and emotional makeup. This obviously will cause harm to growth in maturity. How many will take the advice to make a retreat is unknown, but efforts to inform students that life has much more to offer than what exam scores show is worth the concentrated effort of all sectors of society.

Marriages made in Heaven

"Do you want to have a holy family? Then make this retreat" was the headline of a Peace Weekly article discussing retreats intended specifically for those contemplating marriages in the future. These retreats are the creation of a retired priest for those who would like to have a spouse with the same religious faith.

The number of parents in Korea who would like to have their children marry someone of the same faith is not small. However, the chance of this happening is small. Last year over 60 percent of Catholic marriages were not with Catholics. In our society it is not easy for Catholics to meet other Catholics of marriageable age.
 
 For over thirty years the retired priest, who heads the happy marriage movement in his diocese, has thought of bringing Catholic young people of marriageable age together. He feels this will reduce the number of mixed marriages, tepids, and divorces. The first retreat was at the end of last month.

"Marriages Made In Heaven" is the title of the retreats. The first day is intended to deepen the faith life of the retreatants and remind them of the happiness of the life of faith and to experience its grace; the retreatants do not meet each other on this first day.
 
In the morning of the second day, they meet as a group. A period of recreation allows the retreatants to become familiar with each other without pressure and in a pleasant, comfortable atmosphere. In the afternoon, they meet each other individually for a period of 30 minutes; depending on how the communication goes it may be longer or shorter.
 
15 young men and 15 women make the retreat, and each will have the opportunity to talk with each other concerning possible marriage;  this continues to late evening. On the last day, there is the parting Eucharist for the participants. At the end of the Mass an address book of all the participants is given to each. There is no pairing off during the retreat, but they are encouraged to do so after the retreat ends.
 
The priest offers to say the wedding Mass, and to keep in contact yearly and provide, when appropriate, a retreat for the newly weds. He feels this is quite different from the match-making enterprises that try to match a person's  education, employment and wealth as the basis for the marriage. He plans to have four retreats a year for those over 25 years old. The first retreat will be free.  
 
Hopefully, we will see some good results from this first attempt at having young people meet in a spiritually enhanced atmosphere before making a commitment to 'something made in heaven.'   

Why Me?

Why me?" A question many ask. A priest writing in the pastoral diary column of the Peace Weekly reflects on the same question when he received a new assignment recently. After studying abroad and returning home to teach in the seminary for seven years, he was surprised to learn he had been assigned to a parish that requires a new building.
 
The parish is called the 'flour parish?' for it was built in 1954 with the donations from the American military. (After the Korean War the United States sent much aid to Korea and a great deal of that was wheat flour) 

Since there is now a danger of it collapsing, he was assigned as pastor and has the job to rebuild. Because it was his first parish he had difficulty in understanding why someone with no experience as a pastor should be given the job. Looking back he has no trouble now with the assignment but at first there was a conflict between obedience and wanting to refuse. His plans now had to be put aside.  

While teaching in the seminary, he was going to a university on his own time and expense. Many had difficulty in understanding why a priest would want to study secular knowledge?  When he entered the course of studies for a doctorate in humanities, although there are treasures in the Catholic tradition, he had decided he wanted to speak to people in language they would readily understand; he felt that the language of the Church was not reaching many. They either were not interested or didn't care to listen.
 
 To deal with this situation he feels the Church has to learn a more secular language, the language of psychology, sociology, philosophy, and many others. He wants to speak about the treasures that were given to him by Jesus by expressing them in the 'language of the world,' and began by studying the language of religious psychology, having already studied contemporary spirituality in Canada. How was one to speak about spirituality to the world in the language of postmodernism? This was to be his dissertation.He finished the course for the doctorate,and passed the exam for his dissertation, the first proposal of his thesis being accepted. When he was assigned to the new parish, all this had to be given up. He was not able to do both.

So what was all this trouble worth? The formation for the priesthood is not only done by study and counseling, he says, but also by the example of other priests. This indirect influence should not be downplayed. He has shown the seminarians that study is something you do all your life, and he is happy to have given that message. He has given up his personal plans and will now devote all his attention to building the new church.

God in his designs, without any consultation, changes plans, and one is content to seek meaning in the new.

Maryknoll in North Korea

The Catholic Times introduces us to the beginning of Maryknoll's work in Korea in remembrance of Maryknoll's 100th anniversary. Fr. James Anthony Walsh, superior general of Maryknoll, came to Korea in 1916 to ask Bishop Mutel of Seoul for a place to work in Korea. They both agreed that Maryknoll would take the Province of Pyongan, where both the Paris Foreign Missionary Society and the American Protestant missionaries were working.
 

The missionary work in the North was not doing as well as in the southern three provinces. The Paris Foreign missioners had five parishes and 50 mission stations in Pyongan, with  three French and two Korean priests responsible for the work. Permission came from Rome to begin the work in 1922 and the first Maryknoll  local superior was Fr. Patrick Byrne.

In the same year two other Maryknollers came, which was the start of a new beginning for the Church in Korea. Up to that time only missioners from Europe were working in Korea, and many Koreans, knowing only the American Protestant  missioners, were surprised to learn there were also Catholics in America, thinking that Catholicism was a French religion and Protestantism an American religion.  In 1924, more priests and six Maryknoll sisters joined the original group of Maryknollers.

The group started a dispensary and clinic and a language school to teach Korean to the missioners.The number of Catholics soon rose to 5000 in the Pyongan province. In 1927 it was made a prefecture, with Fr.Byrne as the first Prefect Apostolic. When it was decided to move the headquarters from Siniju to Pyongyang,

Fr. Byrne was elected Vicar General of the Society and had to return to the United States. Fr. Morris then became the second ordinary of the prefecture. During his tenure, there were 36 missioners, 19 parishes, 134 mission stations and a total of 17,738 Catholics. At the beginning of the prefecture there had been only three seminarians. In 1932 Fr. Morris began the community of the Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the first Korean native community.

It was during this time that Maryknoll began a new way of doing mission work, believing that to advance the work it was necessary to involve lay people. They had workshops for training youth leaders and catechists. They also began publishing a magazine which, after many name changes, was finally called Catholic Chosun; its main focus was to educate its readers about Catholicism until it was forced to close by the Japanese in 1938.

Maryknoll  Korea was also making known the work of the missions to the American Catholics. The article ends by offering thanks to the Maryknoll Society, especially during the Japanese occupation, for filling the vacuum in the history of the Korean Catholic Church.