Alternatives to Neoliberal Economics

Economic inequality and church teaching is an issue many find difficult to accept. The teaching of the Catholic Church is provoking a lot of static from many sectors of society and also from the Christians. The Church sees the free market as a new dictatorship and Economic Democracy is an answer. 

The topic was featured in a recent issue of the Catholic Times. Why is the income gap between the rich and the poor widening? One of the big reasons for the dissatisfaction in society is the economic roots being planted. The economy can be thought of as irrelevant to religion, but it is a serious matter in the life of God's people. It affects greatly the human life of 99% of the population excluding the top 1%. 

Korea entered the manufacturing-oriented industrial society during the Park Jung-hee regime. Korea, which achieved rapid economic growth, naturally changed its structure as a service-oriented post-industrial society through the 1990s. Due to the difference in productivity between the manufacturing and service industries, the latter lagged behind.

The Korean loans to industry were not economically wisely made and were not able to overcome the foreign exchange crisis. On November 21, 1997, Korea filed a bailout with the IMF. The IMF demanded a tightening economic operation (high-interest rate) and structural reforms. The economic recession intensified and more than 10,000 companies went bankrupt. At the time, the economic growth rate was -5.5%. However, Korea, which recovered through the efforts of all the people, was freed from the 'IMF system' in August 2001, repaying the bailout.

The Korean economy is a neoliberal market economy. Neoliberalism is an economic system that criticizes the state's intervention in the market and places importance on the functioning of the market and free activities of the private sector. The 'money makes money' structure guarantees the free pursuit of capital, and is criticized as the cause of inequality. 

The Catholic Church is concerned about the unequal economy caused by the neoliberal market economy. If the top 1% has the majority of wealth, and 99% of the poor continues as is, we have the causes of polarization in almost all areas: politics, society, and culture. Pope Francis also called this polarization a 'new dictatorship' in The Joy of the Gospel and warns that the deepening of the polarization goes against the common good. 

"While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few. This imbalance is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation. Consequently, they reject the right of states, charged with vigilance for the common good, to exercise any form of control. A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules" (#56). 

Regarding the neoliberal market economy, the Catholic Church suggested an alternative direction called 'economic democracy'. In the second Vatican Council document: The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 'right economic development' should not be left in the hands of a handful of people with excessive economic power, but should serve human beings. Even Pope Benedict XVI does not rule out the pursuit of profit in the Encyclical God is Love but supports ethical business activities that use the profit for greater social purposes in civil society, referred to as the 'citizen economy' or 'community economy' 

The article concludes with the example of the Mondragon Cooperative in Spain. A company that consistently creates new employment and stable growth without a single layoff. It can't be explained by the neo-liberal market economy logic and it began 64 years ago.

The Mondragon Cooperative is operated with trust and solidarity. All members, regardless of the number of their contributions, exercise their intentions on important matters, such as selecting a board of directors and appointing management by exercising one vote per person. When an important issue arises regarding the union's policy or direction, the union communicates with the members from a long-term perspective and work towards a consensus. 

It's not competition, but trust and solidarity that is the answer. It's the image of the early church community recorded in the Bible. Mondragon's example teaches us that we can hope to pursue the building of the kingdom of God together with trust and solidarity.

Solving Poverty In the New Normal Era

A social welfare critic in a recent Catholic Peace Weekly article predicted that the 'New Normal' era will be one step closer, ahead of what most countries predicted. The spread of corona19 has changed what was unusual to what is normal: social distancing. Elementary, middle, and high school students are entering this new normal. Non-face-to-face consumer life is our new everyday life—online school, telecommuting, robot cafes, and unmanned stores.

Analysis of social issues can be conducted through offline and online lectures, but it is still a cautious situation mentioning the effects of the new normal era when our society is not ready. Besides, the high unemployment rate is a big concern. The hardest hit were subcontractors, non-regular and special employment workers, and unregistered migrant workers who were forced to return to their home countries after being fired—unable to find another job. Even though the government announced plans to raise the level of subsidy for employment maintenance and lower the conditions for a subsidy, about 8.5 million people will still be overlooked.

Attention to a universal basic income as a policy facing the Corona 19 pandemic is debated. Thomas More and John Stuart Mill suggested this as a solution to poverty many years ago. The point here is that the state regularly pays individuals so that all citizens enjoy a minimal human life.

Basic income builds empathy in that it can eliminate blind spots and reduce welfare management costs as a solution to poverty due to reduced jobs and increased inequality that the upcoming science and technology revolution will bring. On the other hand, by reducing the willingness to work, it can cause social boredom and debauchery, and increasing taxes to secure financial resources has faced overwhelming opposition in many quarters.

Pope Francis regards unemployment as a global tragedy and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of jobs. To give dignity to humans labor is more important than money— better to work steadily through a job. Labor is not only concerned with the ability to take responsibility for oneself and others, but it also has great spiritual significance and values ​​that must be respected. The Pope believes that for true human development to take place, labor must be guaranteed, and the common good, stable employment ensured by the logic of solidarity, true growth of the community is achieved.

This issue will be with us for some time and debate on the pros and cons will be part of the New Normal era. The writer believes that this is the only viable alternative since this cannot be done only by strengthening the existing welfare system.

Rather than politics and ideological debate on welfare policy, we need to prepare a practical plan for change by facing reality and identifying it accurately. The state cannot solve everything. A response to the New Normal era that came without notice is to focus on the human dignity of the person and labor.

Migrant Workers In Korea

Korea during the latter part of the Joseon dynasty was called the hermit kingdom. You often hear the term used even today to describe pre-modern Korea even by Koreans. The Joseon Dynasty was known for its isolation policy for fear of foreign invasions. 

The fear of foreigners was not completely unjustified for they were invaded from Japan and Manchuria. This fear of foreigners has changed greatly in modern times; the influx of foreigners after the Korea War was a big change.

A diocesan priest working with migrant workers gives the readers of the Weekly Bulletin some of his thoughts on the virus and the foreign workers in Korea. Working with foreign workers during the coronavirus pandemic he experienced the difficulties of foreigners in Korea in a way that surprised him.

 He has received many calls from Christians concerned about his health but in the end, they inevitably mention the fear they have for him working among the foreigners and request that he be careful with his health.

The Coronavirus is a worldwide pandemic and the possibility of coming in from the outside is always a possibility especially now that the country seems to have contained the virus.[Today all the cases reported numbered 6 and they all have been imported from outside the country]. Where does the fear come from? The foreign workers are living in Korea and yet the fear is that they may be spreading the virus, in the minds of some. This is the question he doesn't like to face. Why would they consider the foreigners living in Korea a problem?

 During the corona pandemic and working with the foreign workers he realized how difficult it was for a foreigner to live in Korea. When the number of confirmed coronavirus cases where increasing foreigners were able to contact Call Center in their language but this was no easy task. The information was of little help to foreigners. They felt lost on where to go for masks or tests, consequently, his pastoral workers were extremely busy.

 It was during this time that he as a Korean was proud of seeing the way the citizens were helping each other and showing concern for their neighbors and seeking to help when they had the opportunity. Koreans showed a strong understanding of solidarity with one another which the writer found commendable but it didn't include the foreigner. They are our neighbors, living in Korea, contributing to our society but the objects of suspicion and prejudice and placed outside the help of the welfare system. This is not fair or just. He wants us to reflect on this.

Nowadays our society is coming out of the tunnel in which we found ourselves. We have returned to attending Mass. The foreigners are also wanting to return to Mass, however, because of the expression on the faces of the Christians and their prejudice and doubts they are being asked to continue the psychological distancing.

He finishes the article with the story of the Canaanite woman who only wanted the crumbs from the table that fell to the floor. The migrant workers are thankful for the work they have in the country and would be thankful for any kindness shown them during this difficult time.

Catholic Church Statistics (2019)

The Catholic Times featured an article on the recent Catholic statistics published for the year 2019. The number of believers was 5,914,669. The number of church members increased slightly from the previous year but the growth rate relative to the total population was the same as last year. The ratio of believers to the total population is 11.1% but the growth rate slowed.

Fortunately, the number of members who are attending Mass and participation in the Sacramental Life, an indication of the faith of believers, has increased slightly.

On April 27, the Episcopal Conference released Korean Catholic Church Statistics 2019, a total survey of 16 dioceses of the country. According to the statistics, the growth rate of believers and the rate of evangelization is stagnant. In particular, the increased rate of believers compared to the previous year gradually declined to under 1% per year, except for 2.2% in 2014, when Pope Francis visited Korea, the lowest level at 0.8% was recorded in 2019.

The weekly Mass attendance rate was 18.3%, which was the same as in 2018. The rate of participation in the Easter Confessions and Communion was also 31.4%, up 0.1% from the previous year. Compared with the 2018 statistics, Confirmations decreased by 2.7%, but it is encouraging that the number of believers who received the Sacrament of the Sick (4.4%), First Communion (4.2%), and Easter Confession (0.4%), increased. In the 2018 statistics, all the sacraments except for the sick decreased from the previous year.

There are a total of 5,480 priests working in Korea, including two cardinals, 42 bishops, 5,333 Korean priests, and 147 foreign priests. This is an increase of 92 from the previous year. The number of parishes was 1,756, an increase of 9 from the previous year. There are 709 mission stations a decrease of 20 from the previous year.
 
The ratio of male and female believers was 42.8% for men and 57.2% for women which was similar to the 2018 statistics.

The number of priests has increased, but the number of seminary students continues to decline. The number of seminary students (priest aspirants) was 1,209, down 64 from the previous year. In 2019, the number of new students was 145 (123 diocesans and 22 for the religious orders and missionary societies). A decrease of 19 from the previous year.

The average number of believers per parish priest was 1,303, down 14 from the previous year.

The total number of marriages was 13,878 (5,160 sacramental marriages, 8,718 dispensation marriages), a decrease of 289 compared to the previous year. The ratio of the sacramental marriage to dispensation marriage is 37.2% to 62.8%.  The number of marriages in the church is decreasing every year.

The total number of Korean missioners sent to overseas missions was 79, down two from the previous year.  By continent, 1,112 missionaries are dispatched to Asia, (21) Africa, (19) South America (17 countries), and Europe (15 countries).

Environmentally Friendly Elections

Elections are an important exercise of a citizen's rights that determine the future of a country. However, is the current election method efficient in terms of information delivery, voter acceptance, and environmentally friendly? In the Peace Weekly, Peace Column a member of the Bishops' Committee on the environment gives the readers her opinion on elections and the environment.

According to the Central Election Commission data, during the 2018 local elections, there were 104,000 posters, 640 million copies of election bulletins, and 13,192 banners. In the 20th general election, we had some increase in these figures.

One media reported looking at the 2020 election demand for paper such as ballots and promotional printouts and looking ahead to the 21st general election: 8,500 tons would be generated. Already 20 years ago, the issue was raised and alternatives were proposed, but nothing has changed.

It is common to print banners before elections, on polyester materials, which are difficult to recycle because of the ink. Even if some of them are recycled, they cannot be put to good use. Eventually, most of them are incinerated emitting dioxin, a hazardous substance. The vast amount of paper used for pre-promotional materials, ballots, posters, etc., requires the cutting down of trees that help the Earth to breathe.
 
The world has changed, but the way the elections are conducted are still not environmentally friendly or effective. The method of distributing paper publications in the mail also needs to change. Paper publications are familiar to our generation, but those who follow are not used to it and they now have started voting. Most people have a smartphone, so they are familiar with the Internet environment. It is necessary to replace the existing paper mail with a text message link for those who want it and enable the voter to search for candidates and their positions on the website of the Central Election Commission as a basic rule.

Even now, many candidates have not submitted their pledges to the website of the Central Election Commission. Since Korea is an internet powerhouse, it would make it easy to search for the necessary candidates and their positions and review them when we want to, like searching for news articles on the Internet. This would save resources, protect the environment, and increase the efficiency of public relations and give voters more time to reflect.

In particular, the huge cost of elections comes from the tax of the people. Going to an eco-friendly election will also help with financial health. However, since it is important to provide fair information in the election, fundamental changes to the election promotion system are premised.

In this recent election because of Coronavirus, along with the ballot, we had the thermometer, hand sanitizer, disposable plastic gloves, and masks. The disposable plastic gloves distributed in the general election would pile up to the hight of one of the tallest buildings many times over. It was calculated the amount of greenhouse gas emissions because of the plastic gloves used in the election, would be the same as the greenhouse gas emissions generated during the life of 15 big cars. How much greenhouse gas is generated, with all the other needs of an election?

Eco Life also applies to elections. She hopes that Korea, the first country in the world to have an election during the Corona 19 era will create a new model of green elections for future generations.

The New Normal We will Live With

In the Scriptures, we know how Jesus broke taboos, which the Pharisees and lawyers considered God-given mandates. They were continually in search of reasons to condemn him in the court of law.

A retired journalist and now a college lecturer gives the readers some of his personal thoughts on Jesus' way of acting in the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times.

Jesus appeared to ignore the existing values, customs, and disciplines as they were seen. Wasn't this shaking the existing system? The authorities had all they needed to condemn him for blasphemy and as punishment— the way of the cross and death but the new normal became the light to human society for 2,000 years.

The world is transformed by the great events that have happened in its history. After these events, there is no way to completely return to a pre-event situation: the Crusades, the plague of the 14th century, the First and Second World Wars, and so on. They all brought great change to society. In this vast and immutable universe, we are always changing, nothing stays the same in every way.
 
"Even though heaven and earth will pass away, my words will never pass away" (Luke 21,33).

Therefore, it would be reasonable to accept change in this world except for his truth. People often misunderstand and cling to what they think is the truth even if it is not: customs, habits, rules, protocols, and procedures. And when the change comes many long for what was.
 
Some who are sometimes perceived as devoted believers have difficulty tolerating changes. They think the whole system collapses when only accidental changes are made. Like the Pharisees of Jesus' day who regarded the changes that Jesus was making concerning the Sabbath as a systematic change when rather, he was showing us what the Sabbath really meant.

Amid Corona19, our church also experienced things that we had never experienced before. Now the corona situation will gradually settle down, and many things in the church will normalize. However, as in all fields, you will not be able to return to the way it was. He thinks many ways of life accepted as temporary emergency measures will remain in our daily lives.

The world is facing a new paradigm. It is natural for the church to sort out the reforming tasks that were left behind. When it comes to works to be done, many were raised at the Synod of the Great Jubilee in 2000, but they have never seen the light of day.

Why? No one is ready to give an answer to his question. Perhaps it is because of unfounded worries that the existing system of the church will not be able to accept the changes. He considers this a useless worry.

First of all, he would like to take a look at the Korean church. Pope Francis has pointed out the evils of clericalism often in his talks. It is the spirit of some that consider the clergy to be superior and different from the people— an evil of the church. Clericalism violates head on the teaching that we are 'the people of God' a community of the whole People of God,  a concept which is often heard in the pope's continual blasting of clericalism. 


Secondly, he considers that within the church we still have to deal with the inferiority of women compared to men. This is an element of the culture that has entered the church. Women need to share pastoral responsibilities with priests, helping to guide people, families, and groups and offering new contributions to theological reflection.  We need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church.

We must also reconsider the growing secularism and church bureaucracy. In conclusion, we need to come together to discuss in-depth these issues that affect the whole church.
 

What Must the Church Do Post Corona 19?

Fortunately, the recent "coronavirus infection-19" in Korea has been slowing down. [Masses resumed on April 23] However, it's still too early to make any predictions for the future. We know what is happening in the West. So begins a feature article in Catholic Times by a pastor with a doctorate who taught in the seminary and now is a pastor in Inchon. He looks over the past history of Europe with Asian eyes.

The article is titled "Civilization and Disease and the Path of Humanity and the Church" and uses the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the role the Church must play to overcome post-Corona 19 problems.

The Plague (Black Death) ended the Middle Ages and gave birth to modernity. The enormous contagion caused the loss of much of the European population, which in turn accelerated the fall of the manorial economy and serfdom. Besides, the religious authority that had ruled the Middle Ages collapsed when high-ranking priests fled the Black Death. Until the Black Death, Europe was controlled by the Catholic Church and the feudal aristocracy. They not only dominated the territory and possessed wealth but even controlled all information and knowledge. The weakness and confusion of the ruling and clerical classes gave way to a longing for a new era. This chaos in the church was the trigger for the Renaissance to bloom.
 
The reformation was an internal movement for church reform. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a priest of the Augustinian Order, announced the 95 articles of refutation: "Only with the Bible only with grace, only with faith." It was a movement that tried to reform the churches and institutions that were collapsing at that time. As the feudal society gradually collapsed after the Crusades, the development of commerce changed the structure of society as the agricultural economy moved to a commercial economy. With the advent of nationalism, churches in Spain and France came under the rule of the state, and the decrease of the authority of the papacy accelerated church reform. Powerful monarchs appeared in France, England, and Spain, forcing nobles to serve the entire nation. The monarchs of these countries felt the need to restrain the power of numerous feudal lords and senior clergy, who owned vast amounts of land.
 
Descartes (1596-1650), father of modern philosophy, said: "I think therefore I am" (Cogito ergo sum). 'God' who was at the center of philosophy (Deus) disappeared and "I" (Ego) appeared and the beginning of modern thought and the French Revolution (1789 ~ 1799). At the time of the French Revolution, about 2% of the total 25 million people in the country, comprised the first estate, and second estate: Catholic clergy and the nobles owned half of the entire country, and most of the important positions, exempt from taxes, and lived in luxury. On the other hand, most citizens, 98% of them, had to pay heavy taxes. Obviously, the target of the French Revolution was aimed at the feudal dynasty and the Catholic Church.

Citizens shouted "freedom," "equality," and "philanthropy" and attacked the Catholic Church, symbolizing the Ancien Régime (old system) and desiring to destroy the icon of the old system.  The revolutionary leaders, the Jacobin, closed the monasteries, confiscated church property and arrested, imprisoned, exiled and executed some 40,000 Catholic priests. After that, the Catholic Church was lost. Since 1794, France has reached out to the church, and the church has partially normalized.

In France, the power of religion declined irreversibly, the authority of the church was weakened, and the secularization of the state became self-evident. The separation of state and religion in 1905 completed the secularization. During World War II, the Church experienced utter helplessness and incompetence. The church was not united against the Nazis. People who were dissatisfied with the church that had turned away from the changes in the world left the church, and as a result, the Catholic Church in Europe was greatly weakened.

The 2nd Vatican Council opened on October 11, 1962, and closed on December 8, 1965. The main value was to change the Catholic Church in a way that would respond to modern times.
 
The church changed its attitude towards the world, born again, recognizing the mistakes and deficiencies of the past and desiring to see the world as a partner on the road to salvation. By improving the system in which all powers are concentrated on one person, to "solidarity" a community response to the work that was entrusted to the church. Salvation was possible outside the church and the council acknowledged that various religions and ideas in the world contained truth, were ideas that were developed.
 
Humanity is now facing a global crisis. Probably the biggest crisis of our generation. Corona 19 won't go away easily. Now we just have to plan the world to live with the coronavirus. The new world has already come and faced the question, "What life will we live now?" At the end of the Corona 19 pandemic, the world will not be the same as before, and Corona 19 will completely change the world's political, economic, cultural, and religious order.
 
The Catholic Church has more than half the hospital beds in the country and the best medical units with state-of-the-art medical facilities and equipment and the world's best medical staff. And the Catholic Social Welfare Society manages numerous welfare facilities and organizations nationwide. Numerous priests and religious are struggling at the medical and social welfare sites. The church needs to ask for more active solidarity from the world in this crisis. The writer would like to see the Church take a more active roll in helping those that are hurting from the situation in society because of the virus. With the empty churches without liturgy, they could be used for various works to prepare for the future.

The crisis is a risk, but it is also an opportunity. The Catholic (universal) church must play a significant role in the global response to global disease, global warming, and climate crisis, emergencies now faced by global citizenship, and work towards global solidarity. We need to promote, educate, and act to deal with the violence that is nurtured by neoliberalism's control of the world's finances. The Swedish teenage girl is moving around the world with her message. What is the Catholic Church saying as a "universal," Church with its vast and powerful organization and funds worldwide? He is sad that the church is not as active as it should be in preparing the world for the future.