Glass Ceiling Index of the Korean Catholic Church

What is the glass ceiling index of the Korean Catholic Church?
※ The analogy of the 'glass ceiling' refers to an invisible barrier that prevents women from entering high-ranking positions in various fields of society.

A religious sister in the Catholic Times brings this topic to the attention of the readers. A few days ago, she heard through a media outlet that at the end of May, a laywoman was appointed deputy vice-president in the German-speaking district of Freiburg, Switzerland. Besides, she heard the news that a lay female theologian applied for the position of Archbishop, which is also vacant in the Diocese of Lyon, France. In May 2019, the 'Maria 2.0 Movement,' led by a women's organization in the Diocese of Muenster, came to mind. This movement is declaring a strike against the church by women believers who discontinued volunteer work for the church.

They did not do volunteer work in the church between May 11th and 18th, but held a liturgy in front of the cathedral, and promoted: "Women in the church, half of the children of God, are treated unjustly" and "women are called equally as men to proclaim the Gospel, they are powerful and influential in the church." The goal was to be able to contribute. The demands of those who lead these movements are women who want to announce their vocation."

Seeing the situation in Europe and the response of the women the writer, as a member of the church, a female religious, looked back on the reality of the Korean church. Korean society, for the last 7 years has the 'thickest glass ceiling of gender discrimination among OECD countries and this is present within the Catholic Church. How is this news received within the country but especially female believers?

Regarding the decision to recognize St. Mary Magdalene's role as the first witness of Christ's resurrection and as a "true and authentic evangelizer" Pope Francis raised the July 22 memorial to a Feast Day in the liturgical calendar. The result was to reflect on the dignity of women, new evangelization, and the greatness of God's mercy.

Woman martyrs, virgins, abbots, missionaries, and medieval prophetic mystics from the time of Magdalena and other female disciples of the Apostolic Era are missing parts of history. However, looking at the hidden history of those who have been unearthed through the efforts of feminist theologians since the 1960s we have a clearer picture of the church.

Also, the beginning of Korean Catholicism, on the peninsula the Catholic understanding of the 'Equality of All People,' was introduced by laypeople, that broke the class system, and formed an equal view of women, making women aware of their own identity and role. The women who showed leadership at the time were widows, virgins, and many female congregations, including Kang Wan-suk Columba. They fulfilled their vocation as witnesses of missionary activities and actively engaged in missionary and educational activities.

However, as the church system in Korea was established and institutionalized around the clergy, female leaders disappeared behind the scenes. The 'Equality of All People' was the ideological basis for the leadership of both men and women in the church, but in reality, the position of the leader was limited to the male clergy, so that most of the female believers and religious believers were positioned only in cooperative roles.

Fortunately, among the responsible clergy of European churches, these recent movements of women believers are seen positively. It will be effective in igniting a debate about the position of women in the church and rethinking the consensus of the church. 

These discourses arose in the 1990s as well in the Korean church, and despite the efforts of female theologians and activists to improve the system and to educate for change through synods in each parish, they struggle with two obstacles: 'Institutional and patriarchal clericalism' and limits of women's consciousness in the church. To overcome this structural contradiction and limitation that revolves like a Mobius strip, all members of the church must strive to form a whole church as the equal people of God.

In conclusion, she believes the  Korean church needs more than ever to take action to bring responsible leaders, men, and women together to hold open discussions for institutional improvement.  She asks herself where and how she can reflect and put into practice what she has 
outlined.

Working for Peace on the Korean Peninsula

 The Catholic Times gave a report on a Symposium on "The Memory of War and Call for Reconciliation" of the Bishops' Committee for Reconciliation of the Korean People. Instead of a dichotomous confrontation, an attitude of inclusion toward the common good is required.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, the Korean church prepared ways to create reconciliation and peace beyond the Cold War and hostility. The National Reconciliation Committee held the symposium on the day of Prayer for National Reconciliation and Unity' in the Uijeongbu Diocese. By the government's quarantine guidelines, the event was limited to 50 participants and was held while wearing a mask.

The ordinary of the diocese whose hometown is Pyongyang gave the keynote address in which he shared his memories of the war and recalled the terrible and sad situation at the time. He appealed, "Now let's break the'shackles." The bishop emphasized three things the church should do for peace on the Korean Peninsula. First of all, he prays to forget the divisions, and conflicts he has in his heart. 

He emphasized the importance of education as well as prayer for peace. The church should teach the values ​​of forgiveness, reconciliation, solidarity, and sharing necessary for peace on the Peninsula. He insisted that the church should be united for a peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula. The most important thing is that a peace agreement on the Korean peninsula is achieved with the declaration of an end to the war. The signing will be a turning point in the journey of peace  and new international relations formed.

At this symposium, the presenters centered on the memory surrounding the Korean War. One presenter pointed out the political use of memories of the war by the South and North Korean regimes. Each regime was actively involved in cultivating memories advantageous to their side and forming their citizens along with these suppositions.

He then revealed that both the South and the North have forced themselves to accept dichotomous thinking about the war for political gain and suppressed the memories that deviate from it. The professor explained that this dichotomous and confrontational way of thinking and the lack of communication and negotiation capabilities are characteristic of the culture of war. He pointed out that this culture of war has been internalized giving rise to anxiety, fear, tension, and conflict.

He added, for a long time, only those who supported the official memory of each side have gained legitimacy. Memories that do not correspond have been suppressed and controlled as dangerous memories.

Another presenter, from North Korea, pointed out that citizens who lived in the divided country were not free from dichotomous thinking. In Korean society, we are constantly asked: "Which side are you on?" 

The presenter also referred to the case of a North Korean family who had been discriminated against by being called 'red' and stressed that we need to change the memory of the war. Instead of using the memory of war as a basis for healing wounds and working to create peace, we nurture the pain and amplify the hostility and crisis, turning everyday life into a battlefield.

Subsequently, the presenters recollected that it is important to change the memory of war to peace on the Korean Peninsula. In particular, he noted that various and specific memories can contribute to enriching the past and developing imagination for the future. 

In conclusion, a priest quoted Pope Francis' counsel in "The Joy of the Gospel" and stressed the church's responsibility for peace. "We must go toward the common good on the premise of taking responsibility for the suffering that others have suffered. The church must not avoid conflict, must not be buried in conflict, and go toward unity for peace."

Also, he emphasized the need for all of us to embrace the preciousness of all living beings based on the common good. In the Pope's Encyclical "Laudato si" he refers to go beyond the common good, to universal solidarity. "We need to expand the content of dignity and embrace the enemy."

Intervew: Koreans are a people "for whom nothing is impossible"

Korean New Deal

A featured article in the Catholic Times on the Korean government's New Deal can be compared to what President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented between 1933 to 1939, prompted by the stock market crash and the Great Depression in the States. The article considers the limits and alternatives to the Korean Version of the New Deal from the Church's Perspective.
 
The policy considers three areas: Digital New Deal, Green New Deal, and Human New Deal: strengthening the employment and the social safety nets with a vast investment of money and the hope of creating millions of new jobs by 2025.

Korea has passed a period of national development centered on economic growth. In contemporary history, Korea achieved rapid economic growth, but behind the scenes, the socially underprivileged: women, youth, and non-regular workers have been discriminated against. It is no longer difficult to solve tasks such as qualitative leaps forward, creative development, and improvement of the quality of life for some. However, the overall potential growth rate is falling, people feel uneasy. Korea must overcome the problem of the low birth rate and raise the happiness level of the citizens.
      
Korea's version of the New Deal is promoted with the intent of opening a way for all the people to join hands and overcome these difficulties. From the perspective of the Catholic Church, this Korean version of the New Deal policy is positively evaluated in that it strengthens the social safety net for the socially underprivileged while pursuing harmony, coexistence, cooperation, and solidarity. However, the lack of awareness of the climate crisis and the great many labor problems is worrisome.

The Digital New Deal is a plan to transform digitally the foundations of the nation and industry. The Green New Deal plans to build infrastructure for new and renewable energy: wind and solar, and expand support for the supply of electric and hydrogen vehicles. The Human New Deal is a plan to raise investment and education in people to the highest level and to have a solid social safety net throughout life, and the more vulnerable groups to receive government subsidies.

In the Green New Deal, however, there is no specific goal related to the reduction of greenhouse gases, which is the core of the Green New Deal and there is no way to find a way to reduce the 'gray industry' centered on coal energy. It looks like it has stopped listing existing eco-friendly businesses.
 
Efforts to grow only the economy of human society while exploiting the global economy have ultimately resulted in destroying the global ecosystem. If we continue to do this, humanity and the creatures on the planet will suffer even more. "We must remember the warnings from scholars that in the worst case, we will be on the path to extinction."

On July 20th, labor-related civil society organizations held a press conference and raised their voices of criticism about the Korean version of the New Deal as "a labor-free work policy." It is pointed out that there were few countermeasures for the numerous problems in the domestic labor market, such as the dual structure of the labor market and the problem of non-regular workers, social conflicts resulting from this, the recent rapid increase of temporary jobs and the reality that nearly 1,000 people die from industrial accidents per year. 

Another criticism mentioned: "The Korean version of the New Deal does not contain measures for overall social structural reform such as easing inequality." The mid- to long-term policies necessary for decent jobs were not presented. To improve the quality of jobs, it is necessary to strengthen the bargaining power of trade unions as well as corporate responsibilities. This should be supported by the government's responsible labor supervision and policy implementation.

It is also pointed out that the Korean version of the New Deal is lacking in explaining how to solve the fiscal burden and how it will relate to the existing government policy of 'increasing income' and 'innovative growth'.

However, the Korean version of the New Deal is just beginning. The government and the public must constantly communicate and supplement policies on how to respond to the desperate situation of the times.

We must continue to sympathize with the policy direction and contents so that the government can come up with the right path and all work to achieve it.

New Vision For Parish Ministry

The Vatican's Congregation for Clergy on July 20, issued an instruction on pastoral care in the church's mission of evangelization and offers guidance in parish reforms and restructuring. A pastor in the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic times gives the readers  his understanding of the document.

The key point is rediscovering the missionary calling of all believers, and at the same time to renovate the parish structure, and seeing that the parish is not limited to the boundaries. He thinks this decree in the current situation with the corona pandemic is significant in that it provides a direction for the parish community to go forward.
 
Cardinal Stella, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, emphasized: "The parish should not only think about self-preservation but must know how to look beyond the boundaries to proclaim the Gospel." 

The writer wonders whether parishes are not focused more on self-preservation than on evangelization. Cardinal Stella continues: "Maybe, until now, the parish has felt like a castle or palace to secure and protect… You have to remove the key, open the door, ventilate the interior air, and go outside." That's what the Pope has said many times, 'outward dynamism'. 
The world we live in is changing too fast. 

The renowned sociologist Zygmunt Bauman said:  all fields have become globalized and digitized, a society once based on a solid foundation becomes a liquid modern society, and everything becomes fluid. As mobility increases due to the development of communication and transportation, the existing small community meetings are weakened due to frequent movements based on work, travel, hobbies, etc., rather than forming community and staying in one place for a long time.  With the rapid increase of migrants around the world due to refugees, workers, and international marriages, we have new pastoring among these groups.

While feeling dizzy in the fast-changing world, he thinks the church is being tested to change to a more expansive vision of the parish mission in this coronavirus era. In particular, the new order announced by the Vatican document is very timely in that it provides an active opportunity to transform the parish.

Pope Francis once said that the church is like a field hospital. Now we should not stay inside the parish, but go outside the boundaries and testify to God's love. In other words, the parish minister must be 'missionary'.  The dichotomy between pastoring and mission activity has to be overcome; stereotypes of pastor and missionary has to be overcome.

In the mission-oriented Missionary Society of St. Columban, they are conducting activities for national reconciliation and unity called 'pastoral peace activities'. Mission agencies are now carrying out activities that were considered pastoral very naturally... This should also be the same as pastors becoming missioners.  The concept of pastoralism needs to be expanded, and become compatible with mission.
 
In anxiety and fear, during the Corona19 era, each parish has a variety of difficulties. The Mass has been reopened in all parishes, but there are many places where group activities have not returned. What would happen to the parish community if only Mass was allowed and all suspension of parish activity lasted for months? Only a few pastors would remain, and the rest would be pastors only in name.  

Perhaps the Corona19 era is urging the future fate of the church, or in short, the parish. You have to decide whether pastoral ministry is just for those who remain in the parish community, or at this opportunity to go beyond the parish boundary and become a 'missionary community' that heals, shares and cares for the poor and suffering.

A New Vision For Parish Ministry

The Vatican's Congregation for Clergy on July 20, issued an instruction on pastoral care in the church's mission of evangelization and offers guidance in parish reforms and restructuring. A pastor in the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic times gives the readers his understanding of the document.

 The key point is rediscovering the missionary calling of all believers, and at the same time to renovate the parish structure, and seeing that the parish is not limited to the boundaries. He thinks this decree in the current situation with the corona pandemic is significant in that it provides a direction for the parish community to go forward.

Cardinal Stella, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, emphasized: "The parish should not only think about self-preservation but must know how to look beyond the boundaries to proclaim the Gospel."

The writer wonders whether parishes are not focused more on self-preservation than on evangelization. Cardinal Stella continues: “Maybe, until now, the parish has felt like a castle or palace to secure and protect… You have to remove the key, open the door, ventilate the interior air, and go outside. That's what the Pope has said many times, "outward dynamism".

The world we live in is changing too fast. The renowned sociologist Zygmunt Bauman said: all fields have become globalized and digitized, a society once based on a solid foundation becomes a liquid modern society, and everything becomes fluid. As mobility increases due to the development of communication and transportation, the existing small community meetings are weakened due to frequent movements—work, travel, hobbies, etc., rather than forming community and staying in one place for a long time.  With the rapid increase of migrants around the world due to refugees, workers, and international marriages, we have new pastoring among these groups
 
While feeling dizzy in the fast-changing world, he thinks the church is being tested to change to a more expansive vision of the parish mission in this coronavirus era. In particular, the new order announced by the Vatican document is very timely in that it provides an active opportunity to transform the parish.
 
Pope Francis once said that the church is like a field hospital. Now we should not stay inside the parish, but go outside the boundaries and testify to God's love. In other words, the parish minister must be 'missionary'. The dichotomy between pastoring and mission activity has to be overcome; stereotypes of pastor and missionary need to disappear.

In the mission-oriented Missionary Society of St. Columban, they are conducting activities for national reconciliation and unity called 'pastoral peace activities'. Mission agencies are now carrying out very naturally activities once considered pastoral; pastors also need to become missioners. The concept of pastoring needs to be expanded, and become compatible with mission.

In anxiety and fear, during the Corona19 era, each parish has a variety of difficulties. Mass has been reopened in all parishes, but there are many places where group activities have not returned. What would happen to the parish community if only Mass was allowed and all suspension of parish activity lasted for months? Only a few pastors would remain, and the rest would be pastors only in name. 

Perhaps the Corona19 era is preparing us for a future church. You have to decide whether the pastoral ministry is just for those in the parish community, or at this opportunity to go beyond the parish boundary and become a 'missionary community' that heals, shares and cares for the poor and suffering.

Rethinking the Just War Theory

A Jesuit priest, head of a peace center gives us some thoughts on maintaining peace and the difficulties faced. This article appeared in Now/Here Catholic Web Site.

At the time of the opposition to the Jeju Naval Base, some people said to those opposed to the base: "There must be a naval base to defend the country." In other words, a naval base is needed for national security. If the Jeju Naval Base was really the base for national security, then at that time, many people at home and abroad would not have objected to the construction. People objected because they thought the Jeju Naval Base was not a defensive base.

After liberation, the government national policy decisions used national security as its excuse and it wasn't just once or twice.  Was not this the case with the construction of the Jeju Naval Base? When it comes to national security, the citizens take it for granted the government will be doing the right thing. "That's why I have to follow what the state wants." He wants to call these people 'national security idolaters'. Those who unconditionally follow the government that uses national security to push for national projects.

Behind the idea of ​​national security idolatry, the writer acknowledges there is the legitimate just war theory. The Catholic Church's Saints Ambrose and Augustine, up to St. Thomas Aquinas even Luther, the author of the Reformation, supported the theory. The legitimacy of war, which has been raging in the Catholic Church for 1700 years, still holds a place in the Catholic Church's teaching.

In the Catechism of the Church # 2309, it lists several conditions for a just war.

"1. The damage the attacker has done to the country or the international community must be continuous, serious, and certain. 2. It must be revealed that all other means of restraining it are infeasible or ineffective. 3. Conditions of success must be established. 4. No evil and harm greater than the evils to be eliminated should be caused by the use of force. Judging from this situation, the destructive power of modern weapons must be carefully considered."

However, the writer thinks there has never been a war in the last 1700 years that has met these conditions. The wars that started from the theory of legitimate war crossed over to 'excessive defense' and became a war of aggression. In other words, legitimate war theory was used to rationalize the war of aggression.

In the 21st century, He thinks that the most representative war is the Iraq war by the United States. It is said that the United States called it a war caused by legitimate war theory. However, over time, more and more people think that the war on Iraq by the United States was not legitimate, but a war of aggression because of the interests in the Middle East. It is worth noting the phrase "the destructive power of modern weapons must be carefully considered" in the fourth condition of the just war of the Catholic Church teaching above. In the just wars of the past, there were survivors on one side or on both but in the current era of nuclear war, war will only lead to annihilation.

So, for the above reasons, the writer thinks the just war theory should be reconsidered.

In April 2016, the Vatican Justice and Peace Committee and Pax Christi International co-sponsored an international conference in Rome on the subject of "non-violence and just peace". More than 80 laymen, theologians, peace activists, priests, and researchers from around the world participated in the conference. Congratulatory remarks were given by Pope Francis, and Cardinal Peter Turkson chairman of the Justice and Peace Committee gave the keynote. Father Patrick Cunningham of the Columban Missionary Society, who attended the meeting, said  the conference adopted the final statement: "I believe there is no just war."

So now it is necessary to switch perspectives. The energy we once used for the just war theory now needs to be used to create just relationships between nations. Of course, this means we need to find the place of mercy in all of this. If we had just relationships between nations would not war be absent?  Would we not have peace?

Christianity In The New Corona Age

A seminary professor writes in Bible And Life magazine his thoughts on the new world that is being ushered in by Coronavirus —the 'new normal'. This new way of thinking is planted in our consciousness, consequently, our overall human existence and future way of life are open to many questions and introspection. How will life change? What is essential, what can change?

When we speak of holistic development what is meant? We are talking about the integral development of the person. We can't separate them but can work to differentiate and distinguish the physical, logical-intellectual, psycho-emotional, socio-economic, and spiritual.

These five dimensions are joined together intimately. When the body is dealing with sickness there is usually a negative effect on the other aspects of our being. Because of the sickness, we are uneasy, depressed which influences the whole of our lives. However, often the resulting pain and hope, life, and death and their meaning bring us to a deeper reflection on life and opens one to the spiritual dimension and a deeper sensitivity. 

This principle of unity we find in ourselves is also found in the solidarity of the human family. In the COVID-19 world, we are experiencing this dynamic in the mutual relationship within the human family. 'Corona blue' is affecting all aspects of our life even when the medical aspects seem to be controlled, the economic problems loom large. The economic depression can continue to last a long time, and in certain areas, we will continue to have the non-face-to-face lectures, video meetings, and non-face-to-face medical care, changing the way we live.

Holistic spirituality follows these same principles. A need for harmony with the other aspects of our being. A person needs to be emotionally at peace and his mental faculties able to rightly judge if he is to have a deep mature healthy spirituality. Society has to be able to nurture this in the way it is structured. When this is not the case we will have pseudo-religion and a break down of the family, superstition, and fanaticism.

Religion seen academically can be seen as beliefs, rituals, and structures. In the corona era, the rituals and social meetings have been curtailed. This will be a problem for religion in the future. Even if we find a vaccine or a cure for the coronavirus we will have other epidemics that will restrain religious activities. This will require thought and some of the spirit of our religious ancestor in the faith.

He concludes the article with a quote from St. John Paul II in The Church in Asia: "I have written elsewhere, in my contact with representatives of the non-Christian spiritual traditions, particularly those of Asia, has confirmed me in the view that the future of mission depends to a great extent on contemplation. In Asia, home to great religions where individuals and entire peoples are thirsting for the divine, the Church is called to be a praying Church, deeply spiritual even as she engages in immediate human and social concerns. All Christians need a true missionary spirituality of prayer and contemplation."

 'Doing' is very important but the future may be leading us 'to be', born again as a spiritual person. 

"Do not model yourselves on the behavior of the world around you, but let your behavior change, modeled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do" (Rm. 12:2).