Let's Share Our Bread With Others

 

In the Eyes of the Believer column of the Catholic Times, a director of a Theological Institute gives us her opinion on concern for the young people of our society.

Not long ago, a woman in her 20s murdered a woman of her age whom she had not even met because she "wanted to kill" was reported shocking many.  
 
Analyzing her psychology it was revealed she was a 'loner' who had been unemployed for 5 years after graduating from high school and was cut off from society to the extent that there was no trace of contact with others on her cell phone. She lived in a state of complete isolation from the world, searched for 'Murder' on the Internet,  for crime novels and programs, and finally put her plan into action.
 
Once a month, the director's reading group meets to read and talk about classical literature and this month's topic book was the Russian novelist Dostoevsky's novel 「Crime and Punishment」. This is a novel about what happens after the main character, a young man who was a student of law, plans to murder an old pawnbroker who he judged to be unjust and wealthy.  
 
While discussing various stories about this novel, which raises moral questions about the main character's motive for the murder and depicts the psychology of anxiety and fear after the crime, one person suddenly said that the main character Raskolnikov looks like the young woman in the above case. Raskolnikov dropped out of school due to his difficult family circumstances and locked himself in a cramped room like a coffin before committing the murder he had envisioned in his head. Just as the story of the main character in the novel, was in a miserable situation, and begins with a murder case, she pondered the fact that the existence of a lonely young woman in a violent way took the life of another who was living in similar circumstances.
 
A "loner" generally refers to a person who does not engage in outside or social activities and lives in a confined space, such as a house or room, for more than three months. According to the results of a fact-finding survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government last year, about 130,000 young people in Seoul alone did not come out of their homes and were isolated or secluded.
 
This is a phenomenon that has appeared in Japan since the 1970s, and these people called 'hikikomori', increased further in the early 1990s as Japan's economic downturn began, and young hikikomori remain isolated even after reaching middle-aged and old age, becoming serious social problem.
 
The hermit-type loner phenomenon is mainly found in adolescents and young adults who are starting to enter social life, and fear of a highly competitive society and feelings of isolation at school or work are cited as the causes. The number of secluded loners will gradually increase in a competitive society that justifies discrimination in which differences are regarded as wrong rather than diverse, and bullying and isolation are prevalent.
 
Looking at this serious reality, what can we believers do? Last month, the institute's monthly Zoom seminar dealt with the topic of spirituality in old age, and during the sharing, one participant said that it would be nice if the church could lead the elderly to share their experience, wisdom, time, and money with the young people in need.  We shared the idea of setting up a youth apartment in each parish for young single-person households who are experiencing difficulties. It was not a dreamy story, but a proposal by an Anglican priest who was present that day and was preparing to do that very thing.
 
In this week of contemplation on Corpus Christi and our life with the Eucharist, she proposes that we members of the Church break the bread that we have, and share it with young people who are prone to isolation. 

Holiness And What It Means

 

In the Apostolic Exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad, Pope Francis shows us the path to holiness in today's world. Sadly holiness is a word that has little meaning in our world's culture.

The pope describes a world in 2018 in the exhortation as one filled with gloom and anxiety, a reality that today has only increased greatly: satisfaction in consumerism, individualism the lack of connection with others in the community, and strange forms of spirituality.

He does give us his remedy that has been present from the teachings of Christianity from the beginning. We live in a noisy aggressive world and he gives us five signs to judge ourselves on our progress in holiness. First is the practice of the virtues of perseverance, patience, and meekness when we experience anxiety and distress. 

He gives us the words of St. John of the Cross: "Always prefer to be taught by all, rather than to desire to teach even the least of all...Rejoice in the good of others as if it were your own, and desire that they be given precedence over you in all things; this you should do wholeheartedly."

 

Secondly, he challenges us to live with joy and a sense of humor. The life of charity brings joy to our lives. We know we are infinitely loved.

Thirdly boldness and passion should be in our lives. We need to proclaim a different narrative than that which the world presents. Pope Francis wants us to exercise boldness and passion beyond our comfort zone and at the fringes of society. It is there that we will find Jesus.

The fourth sign of holiness is growth in community. When we do not live in community "we can grow too isolated, and lose our sense of reality and inner clarity and easily succumb."

Finally in constant prayer. "For each disciple, it is essential to spend time with the Master, to listen to his words, and to learn from him always. Unless we listen, all our words will be nothing but useless chatter."

 

In the path towards holiness, virtue has an important part to play. The Catechism has defined virtue as a "habitual and firm disposition to do good". The virtues help us habitually do what is good. They are the building blocks for Christian moral living— habits that are cultivated that become part of us. 

In Korean the word translated virtue can also mean a gift from another a blessing, consequently the possibility of confusion as a disposition that one needs to cultivate with effort and not only a blessing that comes from the exterior.

"All of us can attain Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be"— St Francis de Sales.

 

Need for Education in Communication

 

In the Catholic Times' Eyes of the Readers' column, a parish priest gives the readers some points on why not only priests but all of us need education in the field of communication.

He recently received an official letter from the Diocesan Youth Bureau. It was asking for cooperation in having the elementary Sunday school teachers attend "self-discovery and communication education programs" to help them communicate smoothly, and sympathize with community members. Looking at the content, he saw that communication was recognized as an important factor in operating a Sunday school. Then, he wondered how much the priests in charge of Sunday schools knew about communication. Shouldn't priests also receive helps in communication so that they can communicate properly with teachers and students?

These problems are not limited to Sunday schools but to all our relationships. Since church activities themselves consist of communication, it can be said that "church is all about communication". Liturgy, sermons, Sacraments, evangelization, education, group gatherings, events, etc. all fall under the category of 'communication'. 

 

Furthermore, social media: YouTube, Kakao Talk, Facebook, and Instagram are common in churches, and in particular, pastoral matters and evangelization through YouTube are very active. In addition, with the opening of the artificial intelligence era, it is difficult for one to live without communication. Such huge media changes have a strong influence not only on our lives but also on the church, but media education and communication education for priests are presently insufficient.

He thinks the Pope's statements, on 'Communication Sunday' every year should be of great help to us. It is a good place to go for education on communication.

  

The discourses have been consistent for the last three years. In 2021, under the theme of "Come and See" (John 1,46), direct face-to-face communication was emphasized and introduced as the most effective and objective communication and missionary method. In 2022, he mentioned the importance of listening under the theme of "Listening with the Ears of the Heart." This year, as an extension of last year's theme, "Speaking with your heart" was presented as the theme. In this world, "which is often biased toward indifference and anger based on false information that manipulates and exploits the truth," it says that truth can be declared when communicating with true hearts, and minds, "even if it is sometimes uncomfortable." He believes he knows what "speak with your heart" means. The Pope urges us, who live in a "devastated society" to "seek and speak the truth with courage and freedom, and reject the temptation of sensational and aggressive expression."

 

True communication, begins with understanding the other's situation. No matter how fast and convenient digital media such as SNS, smartphones, and AI make communication, unilateral communication without considering the other person's mind only treats the other person as "it" rather than a person, and eventually brings hurt and pain.

So, the precondition for true communication is to understand the mind of others, and for that, you need to listen, you must have an 'open mind'. As you and I become ‘open hearts’ and heart speaks to heart, true dialogue and sharing will take place and true peace will bloom. These are the reasons he believes communication education is necessary for the priesthood training process and for all of us.

One Layperson's Critique of Korean Catholicism

In a bulletin for priests, a member of the Justice and Peace of a diocese writes about finding lost lifestyles and activities.

According to a survey on the 'favorable impression and religious efficacy of major religions' released by Korea Research last November, unlike the decrease in other religions, the preference for Catholicism decreased considerably. Because the favorable impression for other religions also decreased, one can think that the overall popularity of religion has decreased in society and secularized rapidly with the development of science and technology

 

However, it seems difficult to say that religion is losing its power due to secularization  seeing as tens of thousands of people flock to emerging pseudo-religions in present day Korea. 

 

In the survey, more than 70% of the respondents said they gain positive effects in their lives through religion. In our secularized society, at least 7 out of 10 people affirm the role of religious teaching. On the other hand, Catholics since 2018, the population that believes in Catholicism has remained unchanged at 11% of the total population of Korea. The Catholic population has not changed much, but the affinity for Catholicism is decreasing and the number of those leaving the community has increased greatly.

 

The number of people who are showing a vocation to the religious life or priesthood has decreased significantly. Can we understand this phenomenon simply as a result of the secularization of our society, or as one of the naturally changing processes like the European churches? On the other hand, it is too irresponsible to regard it as a natural change like the European church. 

 

One religious priest said: "If people feel that way, it will be the result of our wrong lives." The writer thinks this is an accurate understanding of the situation. As a layperson, if you ask about the cause of this phenomenon, the answer that usually comes back is 'anti-church laity.' 

 

The church was indifferent to the daily life of the members of the church community. While focusing only on the quantitative growth of the church, the church community did not realize the 'mode of life and activity' (modus vivendi et operandi) of faith that the church community should clearly reveal as Christians.  

 

The priests and religious who fought against the Korean military dictatorship are a good example of this method, but even they were trapped in the methods of the 1980s. It was a good thing to be against the dictatorship but also important to enact a serious disaster punishment law to prevent the death of workers.

 

Enactment is also important. Has the church showed an interest on those on the fringe of society  such as the urban poor, sexual minorities, migrant workers, and the like? He wonders if the church has  researched this issue  and shown the 'way of life and operation' of faith  according to the teachings of Jesus in dealing with them.

 

It is not that there are no members of the church community accompanying them. However, they are still a minority in the church community, and unfortunately, their voices are weak. So, people are greatly disappointed by the indifferent attitude of the church, and the church has been placed in the current contradictory situation.

 

As the religious priest  said earlier: I think the time has come when we need to seriously reflect on 'how we have lived wrongly' and face the problems that exist. We should think together not only about justice, but also what kind of peace we want to  create together in our daily lives.

The Washington Declaration

The Vice Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of Seoul Archdiocese in the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers his understanding of the recent meeting in Washington.

On 26, President Yoon Seok-yeol visited the United States, held a summit meeting with President Joe Biden, and announced a joint agreement. The so-called “Washington Declaration” contained three main points. Looking at the composition of the agreement, the first thing that appears is that South Korea fully trusts the US extended deterrence and abides by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
 
Many argued that South Korea should also develop nuclear weapons as a solution to North Korea's nuclear threat, but the United States put the brakes on it. Nevertheless, in reality, measures to deter North Korea from using nuclear weapons were included in the second and third points of the Washington Summit. South Korea and the U.S. guarantee more in-depth nuclear-related policy decisions in Korea through the establishment of the Vice Ministerial Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), and regularly deploy US nuclear submarines loaded with nuclear weapons, to the Korean Peninsula.
 
The latest declaration is evaluated as containing measures for extended deterrence within the framework of the ROK-US alliance while banning South Korea from introducing its own nuclear weapons at a time when North Korea's nuclear technology is improving day by day. Due to recently heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, many people have insisted on possessing nuclear weapons, and as a result, such claims have subsided with this announcement, which is fortunate. However, it is worrisome whether the extended deterrence contained in the Washington Declaration will lead to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
 
In general, peace is often divided into two concepts. A state in which there is simply no war is said to be ‘negative peace’. The Washington Declaration is a plan that can ease nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but it cannot go beyond the level of passive peace. In contrast, ‘positive peace’ refers to a state in which the causes of conflict are resolved by resolving conflicts in a peaceful way and removing structural and cultural violence. The Washington Declaration is meaningful in that it banned South Korea from developing nuclear weapons and prevented a more dangerous encounter, but it is regrettable as a positive peace concept since it deals only with extended deterrence and no attempt was made in mediating fundamental problems between North and South Korea.
 
Against such an opinion, one might object, we should only wait for the situation in which the nuclear threat increases. It is argued how well the declaration was made as it discussed the use of nuclear weapons and decided to deploy more weapons with tremendous firepower called strategic assets. Of course, he does not mean tolerating and understanding the heightened nuclear tension.
 

North Korea's nuclear threat is unacceptable under any circumstances and must be stopped. However, the peace Christians seek is simply not completed with deterrence. Trying to deter the threat of the other country with greater force may be a partly realistic policy, but the church notes that extreme distrust lies at the base. Therefore, extended deterrence alone is not sufficient for the journey of peace. Rather than working for extended deterrence, they say that words and actions to build fundamental trust require greater thought and effort.
 

When a protruding spring is pressed with force, the length of the spring is reduced, but the force of the spring is condensed that much. On the surface, it seems to have softened, but there is a greater tension there. For true peace on the Korean Peninsula, he hopes we can now think about ways to restore mutual trust as much as the merits and efforts of extended deterrence. Deterrence is not a balance of power, but a balance of fear. Christians cannot be said to be at peace with this.
 

Romance Of Mission

 

In the  National Reconciliation and Unity column of the  Catholic Peace Weekly, the principal of a Korean Language  school in England titles her article: Begin and Someone Will Help.

In the summer of 2019, there was a research presentation by young female researchers at the Catholic Northeast Asia Peace Institute, and they asked the writer to come if possible. 'Do I really have to go there?' She hesitated but went. The place was the Maryknoll Foreign Mission Society House in Seoul Korea.

 

One presenter talked about ‘remembering’. She said that memories that are not welcomed by the world are "like a self inflicted death." She remembered the back of an elderly Maryknoll priest she saw in the hallway that day, and mentioned it during the discussion. "Memories can be  suicidal, but most are death from natural causes." The lives and experiences of the elderly disappear with their death, so she hopes that the young will be interested in oral history.

 

A few days later, the head priest called. He asked her to take the oral history of Father Hamjedo (Fr. Jerry Hammond  of Maryknoll). The proposal came back like a boomerang. She soon had to return to England. 'Should I do it?' She had doubts, but decided to do it. Two talented young researchers soon joined. Thanks to their hard work, the project ended well.

 

She believed in the ability and dedication of the people she was working with, and it was already quite enjoyable to work with them. 「A Missionary's Journey: The Story of Father Hamjedo Who Loved North and South Korea」 was created that way. It contains the love and adventure, disappointment and frustration, and overcoming remorse of an American missionary who lived in Korea for 60 years.

 

The institute hoped to publish this book in English and  asked her to translate. She thought this to be  beyond her competence nevertheless, she  decided to do it. Her husband helped. He is British and  fluent in English. 

 

On May 10, the 100th anniversary of the Maryknoll Society's missionary work in the Korean Peninsula, a translated version of 「The Romance of the Mission」 was published. Sadly, the  Maryknoll Society in Korea has moved out of the old building. Father Ham was heartbroken by the loss, and believes this book was a small consolation. It is fortunate  that his memory of life in Korea has not disappeared from the world.

 

She has constantly asked: "Why should I?" She hesitated, because she wanted others to join in the effort and people joined. They turned the hardships of work into pleasure, and we made up for each other's deficiencies. So, if you think in your heart that something is the right thing to do, but you wonder whether it's you who should do it, just start. Then surely someone will help.

 

Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) Meeting In Korea

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The Catholic Peace Weekly reports on the meeting of theologians representing the Asian church and their discussion.

The Theological Committee (OTC) of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) held a meeting at the Seoul Archdiocese on the 5th to share theological prospects with professional theological committee members from Korea and other countries under the theme of 'Prospects for the Present and Future of the Church in Asia'.
 
The meeting was followed by keynote lectures by the Archbishop of Seoul (head of the Theological Committee) and the bishop from Indonesia (head of the Theological Committee) of Indonesia, followed by Q&A and free discussion by the members of the Theological Committee.
 
The Archbishop addressed various pastoral and theological issues facing the church and society. He mentioned pastoral care and efforts toward social integration as the number of migrant workers and multicultural families continues to increase in Asia. "The church must put more effort into pastoral and spiritual care for migrants” and said: “Amid the ecological crisis, the church in Asia must pay more attention to the cries of the poor in particular.
 
Above all, he spoke more strongly about the Asian church's response to the negative trends of modern society.  “Emerging Christian groups with fundamentalist inclinations are making efforts to infiltrate the Catholic Church, atheistic science and technology are having a negative impact, and many people are puzzled and confused due to relativistic values, secularism, and obsessive attachment to things in society. They are confused, lose their faith, and turn their backs on the church.” At the same time, he raised his voice that the church needs to be more concerned about how to lead to faith in Jesus Christ and salvation through Christ.

The Archbishop said: “The first step in Asian theology is dialogue and proclamation. It is necessary to look at and interpret the work from within.”  In addition, he said, “It is necessary to discern the working of the Holy Spirit within the complex reality of the Asian continent, and the reality and mission of the church within Asia.”
 
The Bishop from Indonesia continued his lecture by introducing commentary on the Synod method in Germany and mission theology according to the situation in Asia introduced at the FABC 50th anniversary assembly held in Bangkok, Thailand last year. “We must rely on the Holy Tradition and the Holy Scriptures,” said the bishop “because these constitute primarily the sacred heritage of the Word of God.” Because the Church's holy Magisterium has the right to interpret in the Holy Spirit the heritage of the Word of God, and to discover and discern God's Presence and the Holy Spirit. “No matter how noble the mission, the egocentric method of mission to baptize people and make them members of the Church is no longer effective. Agape love, unconditional and self-sacrificing love, is needed. The paradigm of missions must be reconstructed with agape-like love that will lead us to the kingdom of God.”
 
 Meanwhile, the Asian Bishops' Conference Theological Committee held the 2023 regular meeting at the Spiritual Center of Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of the Seoul Archdiocese, from the 1st to the 6th. At this regular meeting held in Seoul, about 20 members, including bishops' committee members and expert theological committee members, participated, and theologians representing bishops' conferences in each country discussed various theological prospects and tasks.