Among the 34 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), South Korea ranked 27th, unchanged in its perception of corruption. A college professor writing in a diocesan bulletin gives the readers an example of a country with a higher corruption index and what the private sector is doing to help overcome the problem.
Low levels of happiness and satisfaction invites corruption.Transparency International is an organization that tracks the victims and witnesses of corruption and makes their results known to the world. They work to stop the abuse of power, bribery and business irregularities. They want a world free from corruption. This organization compares a country with the rest of the world and not only with the 34 members as does the OECD. In this ranking Mexico ranks 123 out of 176 countries. Korea is 52 out of 176.
Each country in its own way attempts to overcome the corruption within the country with a variety of results. Our professor gives us an example of a private entrepreneur who has tried a rather novel way of conscientizing the citizens.
There are many sightseeing tours but Mexico has a corruption tour and for the present, according to the professor it may be unique. Usually, tours go to beautiful spots or historical landmarks where the sightseers admire with open mouth amazement what is before them. However, in Mexico, these tours are to 10 places of irregularities and corruption. During the trip, they discuss and make plans to bring about change.
One of the favorite spots is the gorgeous house of the president which is said to be built with the bribes received. When something is done repeatedly over time it becomes the ordinary way of acting. Mexicans are not surprised at the corruption and don't get angry. They have become accustomed to the evil.
Obviously, this is not going to change what has been done and is being done but it's an effort on the part of citizens to bring change. It is a beginning to change the way corruption is seen.
Korea is somewhat better than Mexico in the perception of corruption and the professor hopes the election results will see a change in the way government is done.
Ora et Labora is the motto of the Benedictine Order. To pray is the first work of the order, Opus Dei--God's work. Nothing is more important in the Rule of St. Benedict.
Why is prayer called work? A Benedictine priest in his article in the Kyeongyang magazine tells the readers when you are called seven times during the day to pray, you can call it work. Sometimes you go without emotion as you go to the workplace, often in a trance.
Life of a monk according to the rule of St. Benedict is prayer, work, and study. Those who enter the monastery at times find work difficult and find ways to avoid it. When they are not the subject of the work they do it as slaves and without joy. The Benedictine Monastery to which the writer belongs has a large tract of land set aside as a pear orchard and the work is difficult.
Work always gives way to prayer. When the work is difficult and takes too much time prayer is given the place of honor even if it means less income, the expenditures are decreased. In #48 of the rule: "Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading" (1). "When they live by the labor of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did, then they are really monks" (8).
"If anyone is so remiss and indolent that he is unwilling or unable to study or to read, he is to be given some work in order that he may not be idle" (23). Brothers who are sick or weak should be given a type of work or craft that will keep them busy without overwhelming them or drive them away" (24). All this is to help in the search for God, (Quaerere Deum).
Prayer and work are a cause of grumbling at times. Too little is as bad as too much. The monks last year attended the demonstrations in Seoul, monks who only knew prayer and work. The monastery life did suffer but they were all united in wanting the president impeached. Why are the monks joining the demonstration? Isn't that going a little bit too far? The writer does see the reason for the surprise but thinks it was a good thing to have the monks leave the monastery for the occasion.
Since the monks have only been concerned with the prophetic calling in a conceptual way they have now experienced it on the front lines. The results were that the bond to the community became stronger, work and prayer also improved. They have also attended a festival where they were involved in fishing which was thoroughly enjoyed. They cooked and ate the raw fish with a glass of Korean vodka. The era of prayer and work has passed and we have prayer and play.
When the monks joined the demonstrations there were those who saw them as followers of the North, leftist and now the writer says those in the future will come and say monks are to work and pray why are they playing? We are a family who in God do not know the world and enjoy play and living happily as a family.
Korea in education is seen as a leader in comparison studies with other countries. The educational program in the Korean system is intense. They have high achievement goals, are leaders in the educational results achieved, students, however, do not have the time to live as children.
In the Catholic Times, an article and editorial addressed the need for education in personality traits of sociability and cooperation. A meeting of the presidents of Catholic-affiliated universities has agreed to work together to implement this in their course of studies.
Looking over the situation in society today the movement of the college presidents to expend effort in making the human qualities a part of the program of educating the whole person is deeply felt by many in society.
Korean students in their mastering of the textbook have few peers. The participation of parents in the educational role is high. Parents even before elementary school prepare the children in private educational programs in English, math and other subjects. The time and money spent on private education are enormous and the results are easily seen, what is forgotten is the price the children pay.
Student's goal of a good academic record during their pre-college years continues in the college years. The interest in character building will not be easy, faced with unemployment and the search for specifications in finding a job. Personal achievements and individual concerns will be difficult to dislodge.
The editorial gave examples of students from the best universities verbally harassing fellow female students in SNS chatting rooms and medical students accused of sexual abuse. These are signs that something beyond the intellect has to be brought into focus.
These are signs that something is missing in our programs of education. Once a person makes the universities all is permissible is a result of concern
only for grades.
Teachers and students in Catholic universities will work together in a coordinated effort to incorporate character along with the search for knowledge. The editorial hopes these efforts bear fruit and be a leaven spreading to other universities.
Easter is the beginning of a new creation. Both East and West have the same names for the days of the week. In the Christian tradition, the first day of the week was the first day of creation with the separation of light and darkness. The last day of creation was the sixth and the seventh was the day of rest-- Saturday the sabbath. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week the beginning of the new second creation.
A time to sing a new song. On May 9th Korea will choose a new president after the impeachment of the former president over a corruption scandal. The hope is to have a new beginning but presently the threat of nuclear war is very much in the thinking of the Korean people because of the actions of the North and the way it has been played up in the mass media.
A medical school professor sings, in the View from the Ark in the Catholic Times, an ode to the Easter Season and the new life. We are all invited to a new beginning and new life with Jesus in a new creation, who accepted death to bring us new life.
God's love allows us to see all the disharmony, pain, conflict and death itself in the light of the Resurrection. How do we live this Resurrection Life? We are freed from sin, abandon skepticism and the feeling of loss and frustration. With love, we overcome hate, conflict, and disharmony in the manner of the prodigal son.
The Empty tomb suggests to us that we have a job to do in building up Christ's kingdom. All our relationships take on new meaning and life itself takes on a different value. Not possessing but sharing, not ruling but serving, not imposing but listening. Heading for the lower place and remaining in a place of poverty. Christians enjoy the freedom that comes thru the Resurrection. No matter the difficulty or crisis, we have the strength to live the new life.
Our society is now waiting for the resurrected life, the extended hand of trust to overcome the lack of trust and the crevices that exist because of disharmony. The moratorium we experience needs to be filled with a responsible leader. We are praying for a wise choice of a new leader.
It doesn't all rest on our human efforts. With God, in humility and wisdom, we will be led on the right path. It will be a journey to the light together. We will be healing one another and returning to better times for we are all part of the tree of life, filled with new growth.
Looking for a messiah who will solve our problems and lead us into the land of milk and honey is a long-held desire of many. We see it in politics, science, literature, and religion where the true Messiah is not seen as a sufficient.
Humanity has and will continue to have false prophets and messiahs. Even when the trust that was placed on these so-called prophets is proved misplaced many find it difficult to give up the hope they once had.
A Catholic Peace Weekly article gives us the example of the impeachment of the Korean president and her group of followers who lament the decision: "Our poor President" and "Even if we have to die our President must live" and similar laments to the point of exhaustion for many were taken to hospitals.
More than 10 years ago a professor of veterinary medicine wrote a dissertation on research on human stem cell cloning that was a fraud. After it was known to be false there were many who continued to be his followers and even a movement to make him president. Bizarre was the way his followers tried to show support even after it was determined that it was a lie.
Religion becomes a part of our political reality our literary world, people are looking for a savior. We search for those to worship. Followers are willing to sacrifice for their hero. They see their savior suffering and oppressed, and the faith of the followers becomes more intense. They compare the suffering of their hero at the hands of the ignorant mob to the suffering of Jesus.
They are hoping for a messiah here and now. Facing reality is always painful, truth is not important, what is wanted is something to kill the pain. They grasp for any hope they can find, salvation here and now.
When Moses went to the mountain and didn't return for some time, the people were restless and weren't relieved until they made the golden calf and worshiped their new idol.
Korea is preparing for the presidential elections and looking for a new leader. One who will lead us into the new land flowing with milk and honey. Will the one chosen be that leader? We need to be slow with our 'Hosannas' for our earthly leaders and be wise in our efforts in selecting them in our democracy.
All of us have three persons that we can consider our fathers: our
birth father, those who have helped us in our mental development and God
our heavenly father. The Catholic Times Weekly columnist in his column
on unification of the country gives his readers what he has learned from
an Irish priest on the unification of Korea.
He knew
the priest from an early age and learned many difficult teachings from
him."Ireland was a country that suffered like Korea, went through
division and civil war. Live to reconcile and unify the country with the
one life that you have been given. See all of life with conservative
and progressive eyes. Looking at the past with a conservative heart and
the future with a progressive heart. You will be living with a better
future with these wings of wisdom."
At the time he
heard these words they made little impression on him. Only later did he
began to understand. The priest broke it down to a few steps. Work
hard for its realization, pay all your taxes, but live poorly. These
are the words of the medieval St. Francis of Assisi. In this way we will
have reconciliation and peace. When we have many who live in opposition
to this we will have enmity and conflict. Few are those who will walk
this path.
The Irish have a proverb: the 'apple tree
grows even during the winter months. We have to undergo trials to find
freedom. We need to overcome defeatism if we are to bring about a
different history. This is the Catholic spirituality of Ireland. Some
see the difficulties on the road and avoid it while the Irish see the
problem and make light of it and go ahead and dream and work to
actualize the dream.
For a thousand years they were
under England's oppression and contempt. With the break from Catholicism
at the time of Henry VIII and the beginning of Anglicanism the Irish
had another hardship to deal with which deepened their faith. After civil
war and the attaining of freedom Eamon de Valera as president ,
according to our columnist, devoted his efforts not primarily to
unreasonable economic development but to traditional Catholic and human
values unifying the country.
If he worked
primarily for economic development instead there would have been
divisions and conflict. Religion and art helped to unify the country. If
Korea had taken this path we would not have the class and regional
divisions we experience but rather a country unified and living in harmony.
Ireland
grew slowly economically and is one of the healthiest and
harmonious countries in the world. Korea grew economically too quickly,
and suffers from the aftereffects of this growth. Before we work for
the unification of the North and South we need to work for the unification of the South. We need to remember the advice of St.Francis, peace does not come automatically but with efforts, personal sacrifice
and slowly.
