In the recent assignments in the Seoul Diocese, 129 received new posts of that number 30 priests entered various kinds of training programs and sabbaticals. New pastors came from priests ordained in 2002. Which means assistants have a long wait before they receive a parish. So begins the Peace column in the Catholic Times.
Strange as it may sound the growth of priests in the diocese is serious. This is true also in the special works in the diocese. Currently, there are 232 parishes in the diocese and 430 priests are involved in parish work. Except for the 232 pastors, the rest are assistants. Beyond the parish apostolate, 270 priests are involved with special works.
In the diocese considering the regional characteristics of Seoul, beginning new parishes is no easy task and adding to the special works will be difficult. However, we can't say the number of priests in the diocese is sufficient. As of 2017, the average number of priests for each believer in the country is 1093 while Seoul has 1,720 believers for each priest. The number of priests available for the believers is much less than the rest of the country.
Looking at the situation from another angle and even bringing this topic up he does with great caution, but the Catholic Church in Korea is strongly clergy oriented. Objectively, the dependence of believers on clergy is great. This can be confirmed by the fact that the priests who are devoted to their work have conspicuous results in their pastoral work. This would also be the case with the religious. Looking at the situation negatively, we have a clergy centered church culture, authoritarianism, but it shows clearly that Korean believers respect priests and religious people despite this reality.
With this situation in the diocese are there ways in which priests can find works of responsibility to devote themselves to the needs of the laity?
In the diocese alternative pastoral approaches: joint pastors and team ministry have been suggested and sometimes implemented, but in the Seoul Diocese, they have proven ineffective. But there can be other ways.
One of them is to get involved in the reality of life in the here in now. (Would he be suggesting something like the worker-priest movement in France? The movement lasted for many years with different results. At times reluctantly accepted by the Church and later efforts to stop the movement but much was learned and good results were seen.)
At presently dedicated priests are sent to large hospitals to work in the hospital ministry in the same fashion sending priests to work in other workplaces, presently with the police and in markets. He would like to see this extended to many other areas of life.
This pastoral work should not be only saying Masses and giving the Sacraments at fixed times. Just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep, it is necessary to find believers, understand their anxieties, pain, and attempt to foster healing and return people to a renewal of life— the role of the 'field hospital' emphasized in the Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis is the aim.
In order to enter this way of pastoral work will require the overcoming of many problems and difficulties. The pastoral workers will have to become of one mind and wisely look forward to a common purpose. The passion for mission is necessary. He concludes the article with the example of the Protestant Ministers in the way they go about planting a new community where none existed. With this kind of motivation and passion, one will not fail.
Jealousy and inferiority feelings seem to go together which is not surprising. What is surprising is that humility is not considering oneself inferior. Humility is a virtue and the inferiority complex is not. Humility is centered on a relationship with God while the other is centered on oneself—big difference.
The head of a counseling service writes in the Catholic Times about how jealousy makes life difficult. She uses the data of two professors of psychology who showed how jealousy produces blindness. Those who are jealous are confused with their unpleasant emotions and unable to perform their tasks properly. The human brain gives priority to the emotional stimuli that appear. Jealousy is a comprehensive and complicated state of anxiety, anger, and humiliation.
Jealousy affects all of us, it brings great harm to relationships. A neighbor who threatens a good marriage relationship, a new friend shaking a deep friendship. Jealousy occurs between two people: "I want to have what you have." The problem is that you think you have to have what others have, which comes from our egotistical understanding of what we need.
Usually, jealousy is a painful emotional experience, but among psychologists, jealousy is a kind of signal that warns us to be awake. It is a kind of warning that reminds one that a precious relationship is in danger. When jealousy is triggered, it should be a chance to check once again the affection towards the family, the loved one, the friend and develop it into a better relationship. In this respect, jealousy may be a necessary emotion because it helps to maintain a healthy relationship that may not be seen without jealousy.
In some cases, jealousy may cause the most serious problems in life. In the movie 'Black Swan' directed by Darren Aronofsky, Nina was jealous of another actress Lily and was mentally disturbed enough to think that she had stabbed her rival for the role but instead stabbed herself. Jealousy often brings about the death of oneself both literally and figuratively.
Dostoevsky said emotions are strong and jealousy is the strongest. Once it arises it just doesn't disappear by itself. But when a person is the object of jealousy for a long period of time they can live happily without ever knowing that someone is jealous of them. So, for our own sake, we don't want jealousy to take hold in our lives.
To do that, I first need to find out my inner desires. It is not 'I have to be number one' but 'I want to be number one'; not 'I should be prettier' but 'I want to be pretty too'. We should not compare with others nor hide what we feel from ourselves. We work to achieve what we want. No matter what the end results of the effort, I choose not to be unhappy because of the happiness of others.
Korea was a late comer to the world where animals became pets and compainions but has progressed rapididly, no doubt due to the economic changes in the life of the citizens. In the past royality and the wealthy had animal pets but the ordinary citizens would be busy with other concerns.
The dog was the first to be domesticated and that goes back to the stone age, for dog bones were found in the graves with their owners. Cats followed many years later. The dog and and cat were first domesticated for their ability to help owners with problems that came along in life. Dogs helped to defend the family from the wild animals and help in the hunt and cats would be helpful in taking care of rats and other predators stealing from the storehouses.
According to a survey by a Financial Goup, it is estimated that 30.9 % of the total households are raising pets. The money expended in the pet market will increase from 950 billion won in 2012 to 5.81 trillion won in 2020.
In an article of the Catholic Peace Weekly by a social critic, shows how Korea has gone from calling animals house pets to companions. Animals have become members of the family. In the above mentioned survey, 68.3% of the respondents agree that companion animals are members of the family.
The World Animal Day, was established in 1931, on October 4, the anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi. The saint was proclaimed the patron saint of ecology by St. John Paul II in 1980. On this day, in many churches all over the world we have ceremonies with the blessing of animals. In
Korea, the blessing of animals have been held in many churches from the beginning of 2010, and continues to increase.
We have funerals for animals and the writer mentions one of the prayers that is used at the death of a companion animal. 'O Lord, God, the pet that brought so much joy in life, is dead , and I am thankful for all the good times and happiness that he has given me caring for me, so that the memory of him will lead me to love and care for the people around me. May I also praise you by respecting the life of all creation. Amen.'
On the other hand, there is the reality of animal abuse. There
are 57 revisions to the Animal Protection Act promulgated in the first
half of the 20th Congress, but there is a pressing need to change the
perception of society as a whole. What is the church's position on animals in this reality?
'Responsibility and Practice for the
Restoration of the Order of Creation' (2010) compiled by the Korean Catholic Bishops'
Conference is a guide to our care for the environment, section 30: God loves not only man but all creation of the world. It is natural that one cares for animals because God created, cares, and protects them. St. Francis of Assisi and Philip Neri who treated animals with love, set an example for us in this regard.
A religious sister in a Catholic Peace column recalls an incident while studying spirituality overseas. She was living in an international community where she met Paul a very impressive individual. She was introduced to Paul in this manner: "Very responsible, faithful bright and thrifty." But nobody wanted to spend time with him.
At meals, the places next to him were always for the latecomers. When we went out as a group, the car that Paul drove would be the last filled. Why was everybody avoiding Paul who was doing his best? She soon found out.
One day, engaged in small talk with a group of friends, where English was not the mother tongue; yet the conversation was lively, heart to heart and wonderfully sympathetic. Paul suddenly entered the conversation and looking at each one of them pointed out were the pronunciation, grammar or context was not correct. The atmosphere of the group turned cold and the expressions on their faces hardened. From that time on, the writer also avoided Paul.
She was nervous when she sat down and Paul was present. When she spoke, she was more concerned about how she was speaking than what she wanted to communicate. He only knew sentences that were correctly formed. She had no hate in her heart for Paul but it was uncomfortable communicating with him.
She reflected watching Paul: "Does Paul know the uncomfortable feelings he is arousing in his listeners?" Paul did not care about the reaction and feelings of others. She found this a mystery.
Was Paul a free man who doesn't worry about what people think? Paul, she says, was trapped in his own world. Rather than being free from other people's feelings and reactions he had stopped them from entering his thoughts.
A truly free person feels the gaze and feelings of others but doesn't react to them. Freedom is not just what I like, but also concerned about what others do not like. Above all, a free person is not afraid to reveal their own mind. I know where my mind is and want to communicate it with my heart. Communication between persons is transmitted not only by words but by the heart.
Paul seemed to ignore his feelings. Someone told him: "I am talking to you now, and you lecture me?" He was given a stinging rebuke but you would never guess this by the expression on his face. Paul hearing the complaint and the person making the complaint seemed to be separated like water and oil. Paul was not able to communicate with those he was living. They praised Paul's sincere and honest behavior but something was seriously missing.
St. Don Bosco said: one of the greatest goods is to achieve a meeting of hearts between people. Only one's heart is able to speak to another person's heart. Sadly, in our world, we have many who are 'tone deaf'— insensitive to the feelings of others, not concerned to change, or feel a need to change.
The French Revolution is a chapter of European History, difficult to understand and appreciate the ramifications both for society and the church. Gallicanism was understood by many long before the revolution that the power of kings was independent of the power of popes, the opposite was Ultramontanism.
The American Revolution (1775-1783) and the United States Declaration of Independence (1776) greatly influenced the French Revolution (1789-1794). France allied with the United States provided military assistance during the war with the United Kingdom. The military exchanges between the two countries created an ideological exchange of liberalism and republicanism. But after the revolution, the Catholic churches in both countries had a totally different result. So begins a college professor of spirituality, explaining the French Revolution to the Catholic Peace Weekly readers.
Before the French Revolution, Modern France was an absolute monarchical kingdom, as in the Middle Ages. In many countries of Europe, including France, there were three social classes. The first was the priests and monks who accounted for 0.5% of the total population, the second was the nobles (1.5% of the total), and the third the remaining 98%, the citizens. The king was beyond any of the classes. The common people paid the taxes. In France, there was a council composed of representatives of the three divisions of society which existed from the beginning of the 14th century, but not convened until 1614.
Louis XVI, reigning 1774-1792, convened the assembly in June 1789, to resolve the financial problems of the kingdom through taxation adjustments, as the finances of the kingdom worsened. When the priests and nobles, heard they would be taxed they rebelled. Here, too, the commoners complained and rebelled against the methods of the assembly and separated from the main group. They met in a building with a tennis court, where they pledged they would not disperse until they had a constitution. This happened On July 9, 1789, the National Assembly was renamed the National Constituent Assembly and prepared for a constitution. The French Revolution occurred when the citizens of Paris attacked the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789.
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy decided to abolish the tithing in August 1789 and in November of that year to nationalize the property belonging to the Catholic Church. In July 1790, they established the Catholic Church as dependent on the French government. Parish boundaries and national administrative boundaries were to be the same, citizens elect clergy, and the state appoints bishops. Pius Pius VI (1775-1799), told the priests to refuse to take the oath of allegiance.
The Vendée was the largest counter-revolutionary uprising of the French Revolution. Provincial residents weren't interested in the Paris-based revolution or its ideas and took up arms against the National Convention. Eventually, the forces supporting the French Catholic Church in and around Vendee in western France opposed the basic laws of the clergy and about 30,000 to 400,000 people died during the rebellion (1793-1801).
Napoleon Bonaparte appears on the stage (1769-1821), the first president of the First Republic of France made a concordat with Pope Pius VII (1800-1823). The French government guarantees that the liturgy of the Catholic Church can be freely and publicly held, while the president appoints bishops and priests who are not opposed to government policies and demanded a pledge of loyalty from the clergy. Also, after the revolution, the property confiscated by the government was not to be resisted. Pope Pius VII approved on July 1801 the Convention for the spiritual benefit of the Church, although many objected to the Convention because of the disadvantages to the Church. Later, Napoleon lost the support of the Catholic Church by occupying the Papal States in 1809. The Catholic Church regained the Papal States in the Wiener Kongress (1814-1815).
Gallicanism advocating the supremacy of the French king was strong. In the 18th century, French Catholic priests who were politically inclined tried to stay close to the French royal family, not only because of the aftermath of Gallicanism but also because of the economic advantages of tax exemption. The French Revolution, which showed displeasure to the French royal family and nobles, was equally disdainful of the Catholic Church, which had close ties with the French royal family.
An aristocratic politician, Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), became the prime minister of Louis XIII (1610-1643). In The Three Musketeers, a historical adventure novel, written in 1844 by Alexandre Dumas, the Cardinal was portrayed as a member of the villains which shows the antipathy the commoners felt for the Catholic Church after the Revolution.
In 1816 the higher clergy pledged unconditional obedience to Pope Pius VII and the writer Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821) wrote in 1819 in the book "Du Pape" (On the Pope) in which Ultramontanism was the theme. Fortunately, the French Catholic Church began rebuilding its church and Catholic faith in France from the 1820s.
Externally the French Revolution was the reason for material and spiritual damage to the French Catholic Church— forfeiture of church property and banning liturgy. But internally, the French Revolution brought to the attention of the French Catholic clergy the hard lives of ordinary people and because of their privileges and attachment to earthly power were blind to what was happening in society. Thus, the French Revolution was paradoxically an opportunity to restore spiritual vitality to the French Catholic Church. A deep study of what happened has many lessons for the Church today.
Plastic goods are everywhere and the most commonly found debris in our oceans. Plastic waste comes in all shapes and sizes, the ones under 5 millimeters in length are called microplastics. A member of the bishops' committee on the environment writes about the issue in the Catholic Peace Weekly.
She begins her article with the news that in the belly of a dead whale they discovered a lot of plastic trash. Her menu that day was grilled fish and she frowned and wondered about the amount of plastic in the fish the family would be eating that evening. She washed the fish again thinking it would be wise hoping to detect any microplastic that would be visible.
The world is at war with plastic as it takes hundreds of years to disintegrate. Recently in the United Kingdom, a paper was published in a science magazine giving figures on how many millions of tons have been poured into the oceans. This waste is broken down by the waves, ultraviolet rays and the like.This breaks the plastic down into small pieces which continues to contaminate the oceans with the microplastics.
These pieces, the plankton can mistakenly eat as food. And we have the sea creatures eating the plankton and the microplastics accumulate more and more in the bodies of the fish.
The Korea Marine Science and Technology Agency said that microplastics were detected in 97% of 139 different kinds of oysters, mussels, crabs, and earthworms from the fish farms and nearby waters in Gyeongnam. A considerable amount of these micro pieces of plastic come from washing machines and cosmetics.
In 2011, an Irish ecologist Mark Browne surveyed 18 areas of the world and found that there were a lot of small pieces of fiber coming from water ways— synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon in streams and beach sediments in all areas. Examing wastewater from domestic washing machines, Browne estimated
that around 1,900 individual fibers can be rinsed off a single synthetic
garment - ending up in our oceans. Skin exfoliants, cleansers and toothpaste also contain microplastics.
The May 2016 report of the United Nations Economic Programme 'Marine Plastic Waste and Microplastics' announced that nano-sized micro-plastics could penetrate into any organ, including the placenta and brain. Invisible micro-plastics accumulated in drinking water, seafood, shellfish, seaweed, may cause illness in humans who ingest them.
I want to make my family go to bed in the evening at peace. Consequently, careful of detergents, fabric softeners, plastic bottled water, and disposable plastic untensils which can in time penetrate into the food chain and enter the mouth of our family. It's a way to keep my family and the earth healthy while living simply. Eco-life may be a little inconvenient but is it not the way to care for the family and our earth?
"Ding Dong~Ding Dong~"
The
bell of the Urakami Cathedral rang at 6 pm on Christmas Eve 1945. A
college professor writes about Takashi Nagai (1908-1951) in the Catholic
Times. Nagai and his colleagues found the bell in the ruins of the
cathedral and hung the bell on wooden hangers, announcing the time for
Christmas Eve prayer. This layman, who led the small but strong
Catholic Church community, became well known the world over.
Takashi
Nagai was a Catholic layman, a physician who practiced radiology and
love for humanity He was not only a victim of the atomic bomb in
Nagasaki but wrote a great deal about his Christian faith and gospel
spirit up until his death.
Dr.
Nagai was originally an atheist, but married Midori, the daughter of the owner of the house in which he lodged. Chokada was a seventh
generation descendent of the Hidden Christians of Nagasaki. The doctor
became interested in Christianity while lodging in the house of this lay
leader (Chokada), and was baptized.
The
young Nagai, had been diagnosed with leukemia, and was given only two
or three years to live. He told his wife painfully of the diagnose.
Midori, after kneeling and praying for a while, said: "You
have devoted all of your life to important things, and your efforts
were for the glory of God." Upon hearing Midori's tearful sincerity,
Nagai confessed that he was delighted to have obtained a "new life."
Dr.
Nagai lost his wife in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and as he slowly
continued to die, he reflects that his young son and daughter are soon
to be raised without parents. And writes: "When your sorrows overcome you, weep with all your heart. But let your heart be turned toward God. He
will give you true comfort and wipe away your tears." In the heart of
this dying parent, it's no wonder he found comfort in the
Beatitudes and hope facing death. The writer was deeply moved in reading about the last days of Dr. Nagai.
Do we live like a Dr. Nagai with a profound confession of faith? Many
of the young Catholics in Korea nowadays say they do not baptize
their children so that they can "choose their own religion" when they
grow up. Why
does the normal child live a life-long battle to live up to the
parents' wishes and expectations, even though they did not choose their
parents? Do they respect freedom for religion only? Our faith is not the object of choice! The
problem is we have not tasted how wonderful and great the blessings to live and know Him who gave us life from the beginning and leads us to
true happiness.
In a way, it is our fault in the way we have expressed the teachings of Jesus. Instead of sharing God's great love and compassion first, we talk about missing Mass on Sundays, and what is forbidden and emphasize only the external sacramental life! In our church pastoral practices, we need an awakening and fundamental improvement in what has been projected, so that love, grace and truthfulness can be shared before the accidentals.
This year, the church is celebrating the year of the laity. Our Korean Catholic history has many stories like those associated with Dr. Nagai. They shared a leadership in honoring and witnessing to the Lord with their lives even in the absence of priests. However,
it is necessary to reflect on whether or not the role of the laity, who act
in the church today, are recognized only as servants of the priests. Pope Francis emphasizes that we are all called to holiness.
Priests should respect the 'call of the laity', struggling in the middle of
the world and living the gospel—a holy and beautiful journey before
God.
I do not know how many tears I shed during the pilgrimage to Japan last summer. The book about the life of Takashi Nagai: A Song for Nagasaki, the
story of Takashi was introduced to the writer by a woman during the
trip, who shared with him the joy of conversion. Listening to what some
of the laity have done have invited him to a greater desire for
holiness.
