Catholic Lay Theologians

In the Catholic Times' Eyes of the Believer column, a retired journalist gives the readers some thoughts on the place of lay theologians and missionaries in the church.

The Archdiocese of Seoul’s Social Correction and Pastoral Committee works with detention centers, prisons, and juvenile prisoners. After receiving ten volunteer training sessions and meeting with the priest in charge, you are given your assignment. The columnist is working as a catechist at the Southern Detention Center. Volunteers mainly help with the Mass liturgy and distribute snacks. Women volunteers have direct contact with the women in the detention centers.  

After volunteering for about a year, the columnist thinks: 'I’ve come to the right place'. Last November 9th, in the classroom of the second-year graduating class of the Catholic Seminary there were briefing sessions for help in six organizations, and for help on the missions.

Efforts are needed to create an era where theology can prepare a person for a career in that field. This was the title of the front page headline of the November 12th edition of the Catholic Newspaper. 

There are not enough places to study theology within the church, and there are no suitable career paths to live as a theologian. He hopes that theology will spread beyond being the exclusive domain of clergy and religious and into something that all believers can do.  

He greatly sympathized with the article that dealt with ‘lay theologians’ as part of a layman’s Sunday project. Overlapping with the current status of missionaries and catechists who graduated from the seminary, thoughts on the present and tomorrow of the church came one after another. 

Currently, the church advocates a synodal church and is seeking the independent participation of clergy, religious, and laity. Priests must first put aside clericalism, which is constantly under attack both inside and outside the church, and help laymen carry out their duties as non-ministerial priests. Therefore, there is ample reason for laypeople to study theology. Moreover, lay theologians and missionaries are valuable assets that must be raised and utilized for the church.

The author is already nearing the end of two years of seminary life. Since he spent most of his time buried in classes and theological books, he developed the habit of summarizing the key contents of the books. Isn't it best to share good things? Every morning, he posts three or four short sentences in a group chat room. The response from his classmates and some acquaintances was good. Reading and studying to extract those few lines became his daily routine 'doing theology as a layperson'.

However, not only are there a very small number of lay theologians, but there is also a severe lack of pulpits and research institutes where they can utilize the studies they majored in at home and abroad. Just looking at the seminary alone, there are only 4 lay theologians out of 26 students taking courses this semester. Even in parish lectures, it is extremely rare for a layperson to take the microphone. Although their reason for existence is clear, there is no position or carrot to stake their future on, and interest and support from the church are minimal. 

There is only one lay missionary and catechist training institution in the Archdiocese of Seoul. Recently, next year's admissions guide was sent to several places. Students even visited the parish priest and delivered the message directly. More than 1,000 envelopes were sent to parishes in Seoul and four dioceses in the metropolitan area and to correspondence course students. If the parishes took an interest in recruitment you would eliminate worries about unopened or closed departments. A change in thinking and will is an urgent priority in dioceses and parishes.

"Great changes are occurring throughout society in the digital environment. In it, laypeople are taking the lead in promoting the church and proclaiming the gospel." I was also drawn to the "Comprehensive Report" of the first session of the 16th General Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, which concluded on the 29th of last month. A statement about the layperson's mission summons a passage from Scripture. "I have fought well, I have run the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Let us first make a pledge that God’s people, the laity, will have a sense of ownership and fulfill their calling. 

Here and Now

In the Bible Life magazine, a priest liturgist writes a meditation on living in the here and now.

"Lord may I celebrate this Holy Mass as if it were my first, my last, my only Mass."

The above words keep on returning to the priest in prayer. He remembers seeing the words in a sacristy where he was invited to say Mass not long after ordination. The words left a lasting impression on him. 

However, at this time in life, he thinks it is not only the Mass that needs this kind of attention but everything that is given to us to do as members of the mystical body of Christ. Each day that we are given in life should be lived with this attitude.

Therefore how does one accept the mission that the Lord gives us as the first, the last, and the only mission in everything we do. Jesus tells us in the sending of the apostles in Matt. 10:9-10. "Provide yourself with neither gold nor silver no copper in your belts, no traveling bag, no change of shirts, no sandals no walking staff." When we are concerned with too many things what is important is often missed. "You are anxious and upset about many things one thing only is required" (Luke 10: 41-42).

There is something else that is important besides money, a traveling bag, or a change of clothes for they are necessary for the places you will be going not in the here and now of the present mission. Where I am present should be as if the first place, the last place, and the only place— the here and now of the present is where I am to give my all, and doing this you prepare for the next 'here and now'.

We as Christians are living in God's kingdom now. We honor the call that the Lord has entrusted to us as if it were the first, last, and only time, and realized by living with sincerity, considering the ‘here and now’ as the place of salvation, not 'in the past' or 'somewhere next'.  Salvation takes place 'here and now'. 

At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus opens the book of Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue and reads: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord" (Luke 4: 18-19).

After saying this he turns to the congregation and says: "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." Jesus is inviting us now in the here and now of the present to carry this out in the ways possible to us.

Each moment of our lives we are being saved, renewed, and given graces. Jesus is being raised again in our lives daily.

The Cheese Priest

In the recent Catholic Weekly, a pastor introduces the work of a missionary priest who made cheese famous in Korea. He writes about the priest in the Eyes of the Believer column.

When the district priests' meeting ended, the priest of Imsil Parish gently handed the columnist an invitation. During the ‘Imsil N Cheese Festival’, a bazaar was held at the parish. When he studied abroad in Rome, it was not easy to eat cheese with a ‘spicy smell’, but now his taste buds have become quite accustomed to the various types of cheese produced in Imsil, ‘the birthplace of Korea’s first cheese.’

To avoid the crowds at the event he visited Imsil parish with believers on the last day of the festival. What welcomed us at the entrance of the church were photographs and records showing the late Father Jeong Ji-hwan (1931-2019) when he became pastor of the Imsil Parish in 1964.

Born in Belgium, his real name was Didier t’Serstevens! After the Korean War, Korea was poor he volunteered to go to Korea, saying he wanted to help Koreans. He spent his youth in Korea and accomplished things on his own that no other Korean could do. 

The man who enriched the local development and residents' lived by making cheese with the residents in his poor and barren Imsil. He is always given the title 'Father of Imsil Cheese' and 'Father of the Disabled Families'. He was truly a shepherd who devoted himself to serving his flock. 

"The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. I have come so that they may have life and have it overflowing." ( John 10:10-11) But trials and suffering followed. "I was born naked into this world, and I will return naked. What you gave, you take back; just praise your name. If we have received something good from God, how can we reject it because it is bad?" (Job 1:21; 2:10b) ( The missioner had to deal with many health problems and died in Korea). 

After the meal, he went to the church to pray, and the photos of the town of Imsil at the time of the priest's appointment were displayed in the yard, the making of cheese, the shape of the cheese at the time, the construction of the factory, the young people working with Imsil Cheese, the place they stored the cheese, and the current Imsil Cheese. He looked closely at the theme park photos. The believers, who were at one time ashamed of his past achievements learned much that they never knew before and gave thanks to him. 

The columnist also visited the ‘Cheese Historical and Cultural Space’ in Sangseong Village, for the first time. The first cheese factory was built there and was restored last year.

The priest, who started with two goats as a gift and succeeded in making cheese in 1967 after three years of failure, went on to successfully produce camembert cheese in 1968 and cheddar cheese in 1970, supplying them to Chosun Hotel and Shilla Hotel. He fostered a cooperative along with raising dairy cows and began full-scale production through a cheese factory, distributing the profits evenly to the residents. In 1981, as the cheese business grew, he allowed the residents to run the factory themselves and operated the business for 17 years and left with only one bag. 

The Cheese Priest said: "The brand known as the origin of Korea’s cheese was not just acquired; it was created with community spirit, sacrifice, and passion with a desire to live well together through cooperation with Imsil residents."Afterward, in Soyang, Wanju-gun, in 1984 he established ‘Rainbow House’ for the severely disabled, and served there for a while. He helped people who were unaware of the rights they should enjoy or who had given up because life was too painful. He was there to help them find their place in the world, to live together with others, and to help them pioneer their own lives! 

The columnist misses the Cheese Priest who is no longer with us after giving many people a reason to hope as we celebrate the holy month of mourning. May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Four Gracious Plants

In the mission station, one of the religious sisters has for the last 6 months had a class in ink painting for those interested and has given us some insights into an art form that has a long history in Korea. 

If one puts the word 'Korean ink painting' in a search engine, one will get an understanding of what is meant by Korean Sumuk (ink wash painting).

It was for a long time associated with calligraphy. The separation of the two art forms was made many years ago. In looking at some of the articles on the internet, even for a person with little knowledge of the art world, one can appreciate the beauty and sophistication of this art form. The surrounding countries influenced much of the traditional Korean art, but over the centuries Korea gained its own distinctive characteristics.

Ink painting dates back to China and came to Korea and flourished during the  Joseon dynasty in the 14th century. It's not only brush, ink, and techniques used but a great deal to do with the spiritual and one's understanding of reality, not only expressive of the physical world but of one's inner world.

In the small group workshops and groups as in the mission station, the beginners in the art are often introduced to the four gracious plants: plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo. They represent the four seasons. The plum symbolizes courage and spring, orchids refinement and summer, chrysanthemums summer productivity, and bamboo integrity and winter. 

There are many different explanations and the East Asian countries often have different understandings of the symbolism. They often represent the virtues of humility, purity, righteousness, and perseverance, which is why they are commonly seen within traditional Chinese art, and should be the virtues of the Confucian gentlemen.

A good example is the person called  "seonbi", (선비) which refers to a virtuous scholar who pursued a simple and graceful lifestyle during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

The term was initially used for Confucian scholars, but its meaning later expanded to include people who followed a strict code of conduct ― with or without a government post ― to lead society in the right direction. The spirit of 'seonbi' still lives on, affecting a big part of Korean culture.

'Seonbi' were scholars during the Goryeo and Joseon periods of Korean history. Usually, non-governmental servants  choose to pass on the benefits and authority of official power in order to develop and share knowledge. However, some former bureaucrats were seen as seonbi, as they moved to the countryside after retirement and adopted the seonbi lifestyle.

They do not exist today, although the term is sometimes used metaphorically.  When applied to a person, the meaning can be complimentary, highlighting a person's intelligence, morality, and composure. However, it can also be used negatively,  to highlight a person out of step with the times. Another example of how the times bring great change to a culture.

Digital Addiction

In the Catholic Weekly, a pastor brings up the issue of addiction to social media especially the recent addition of short videos. This is an area we know very little about and the columnist in the Eyes of The Believer column gives the readers his understanding of the situation and concerns.
 
Recently, a new addiction has emerged as a social issue. They are short videos of 60 seconds or less. Short-form video platforms include YouTube's shorts, Instagram's Reels, and TikTok. The problem is that as these short-form videos become more popular, people's fatigue is increasing. All you have to do is click once and move your finger up, and other related videos will continue to appear according to the algorithm, making you addicted without even realizing it.
 
An increasing number of people are complaining that it has reached a point where it is interfering with their daily lives. Even though they are short videos with no need to watch, you end up watching a lot of them without even thinking. This form of addiction has the potential to lead to various problems such as decreased interest in other daily activities, lack of motivation, and depression. It also disrupts the quality of life and has a negative impact on interpersonal relationships and interpersonal communication.
 
The rapid increase in short-form content, which is compared to 'drugs' on social media, is declaring that the era of human loneliness is over. This is because you will never feel bored or lonely as long as you are with your smartphone. It is almost impossible to imagine the future of smartphone humanity, which does not know how to feel lonely.  
 
The absence of solitude and silence is a sign that humans have given up on being human. This is because social media addiction which can lead to anxiety, fear, insomnia, and depression, causes harm not only to the human body and mind but also to mental and spiritual health. The way to regain and recover the lost solitude and silence is, paradoxically, to return to solitude and silence. Only that path can lead to a rich human and spiritual life
 
These days, 'digital detox' for curing digital addiction is emerging as a solution to social media addiction.  People tend to look for isolated, quiet, and tranquil places and spaces such as 'temple stay', 'book reading', or 'searching for solitude'.  The idea is to listen to yourself and discover the story within yourself. You need to take time to face yourself and regain your sense of self. That is why we need 'solitude' as voluntary isolation rather than passive 'isolation' — a time of silence to look inside oneself, reflect on relationships with others, and pursue unity with God, the absolute other.
 
Henry David Thoreau, the author of Walden, was a wise man who chose voluntary isolation at a young age by building a cabin by the lakeside and living there. People who choose solitude do not feel lonely. This is because solitude is not isolation in which relationships with the outside world are cut off. Only deep inner solitude can pursue inner richness through reflection and discovery. In particular, for believers who think they are addicted to social media or who want to prevent it, we suggest the following various 'experiences of solitude' for Catholics.
 
The first is the 'Subiaco Cave' where Saint Benedict, known as the father of the Western monastic order, was born again while living as a hermit. We need to form our hearts into a cave as a place of solitude and silence to meet ourselves and God and listen to his word. The second experience of solitude is 'Adoration of the Eucharist', a pious act of paying special respect in front of the tabernacles in our churches. The third method of experiencing solitude is 'retreat'. By following the words of Jesus, “Go to a solitary place by yourselves and get some rest” (Mark 6:31), you can truly rest in God, recover your energy for life, and be sent back to the world with a new body and mind. There are many other ways to experience voluntary solitude. In an age where solitude has been lost, the effort to restore solitude is an act of faith.
 

Chronic Diseases of Society

The Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly gives the readers some problems we face as a Society and Church and one of the solutions.

Chronic disease according to the standard Korean dictionary refers to 1) an illness that has been suffered for a long time and is difficult to cure and 2) a bad habit that is difficult to correct because it is long-standing. Chronic illness as a disease mainly applies only to individuals, but chronic illness as a bad habit applies not only to individuals but also to groups and societies. For example, if a person has a bad habit of getting drunk whenever he drinks, one can say it is a chronic problem with him.
 
The problem is that bad habits or chronic problems that occur can be passed on to other people. Children who grow up with parents who have chronic kleptomania are more likely to fall into kleptomania than children who do not. The same goes for children who grow up watching their parents tell lies and gossip about others. Of course, there are cases where this is not true, but it is clear that chronic problems are contagious to some extent.
 
The contagiousness of chronic problems seems to be related to the mind. As the saying goes: "A good person, out of the good accumulated brings out things that are good, and a bad person, brings out that which is bad" (Matthew 12:35). Jealousy does not allow others to do well; stubbornness makes one stick to their own thoughts no matter what others say; self-righteous thinking believes everything one says is right and what other people say is wrong or lacking; selfishness that never wants to lose anything that has to do with oneself, etc. People with this kind of mindset are definitely prone to chronic problems.
 
What are some of the chronic problems of our society? Regional collective egoism that can be easily confirmed in the NIMBY phenomenon— an acronym for the phrase "not in my backyard" opposed to some development that is close to them—the behavior of political parties that claim to support the people's livelihood but in reality are obsessed with party-oriented strategies, and self-interest in bullying the weak with wealth and power behind them, as shown in school violence and violations of school rights. A senseless pursuit of self-interest, a careerism that believes that all you need to do is acquire wealth, fame, or power at any cost... He believes these are the chronic ills of our society.
 
The serious thing is that in our society, there are quite a few people who suffer from these chronic problems but don't realize it. These aspects of chronic illness can be witnessed frequently even within the church. A typical example is authoritarian behavior that uses church status or authority to treat church staff or other people carelessly. In fact, when it comes to authoritarianism in the church, it is easy to think of clerical authoritarianism, but the problem of lay authoritarianism is just as serious as clerical authoritarianism.
 
At the root of many of these chronic diseases that our society is suffering from, is not rational reason or logic, but violence and emotion caused by power. As a result, there is no room for respect or consideration for the other person. Words turn into violent language, and conversations end with one-sided claims or coercion, resulting in non-communication rather than communication. Therefore, it is necessary to learn proper conversation methods based on respect and consideration for the other person.
 
How do we have the right conversation for communication? The Catholic Church has confirmed through the synod process over the past two years that true dialogue begins with listening. Listening is not simply hearing. Out of respect for the other person you are talking to, you should abandon any preconceptions or stereotypes about the other person and listen with all your heart, understanding the tone of voice and facial expressions of the other person. If I listen actively and wholeheartedly, the other person will also listen to me.

In this way, if listening becomes mutual listening and this also leads to true dialogue and communication, many chronic social diseases will be healed little by little by listening.
​

Characteristics of Life

 

A professor of philosophy at a Catholic University gives us a meditation on life in Diagnosis of the Times of the Catholic Peace Weekly.

A validly established life culture becomes possible when we understand its internal characteristics, not its external form. To do this, it is necessary to understand the meaning and characteristics of life. Philosophy of life attempts to do this. Discourse limited to slogans without a proper understanding of the mystery of life and its beauty is useless. Therefore, life philosophy is a prerequisite for culture and ethics.
 
Let us briefly explain the essential characteristics of life in terms of the sexual principle and self-examination. A natural scientific understanding of life is a prerequisite. This is because reflective work done without factual conditions and knowledge about them would be a delusion.
 
All living things on Earth have a common origin. Life comes from the first life that appeared on Earth at some point. All life on Earth is the same organism, originating from the same ancestor. Current life is what this living organism has developed in the flow of time by internalizing its own life and its own characteristics necessary for life. All life has the same living conditions and mechanisms.
 
At the same time, living beings are communal beings that need each other in relationships. This does not simply mean that living things need other life forms to live, but the body of the living thing itself is a place where numerous living things live together with other living things— literally symbiosis.
 
Communal life lives in interaction with other life forms. From a microscopic perspective, life is in a relationship of struggle and conflict, but from a macroscopic perspective, living things need each other. Living things have the same identity, but along with them, they also have differences that arise from historical processes. The basis for reflecting on these characteristics, namely the identity and difference, interactivity, and historicity of living things, is the meaning that can be given to life. These principles can be presented as living characteristics.
 
At the same time, life has the will to preserve its existence as a living organism. It is insufficient to simply accept this as a desire for survival. This is because living things go beyond the desire to blindly maintain their own lives and move toward achieving their own existence as living things and the will to move toward the future. These characteristics can be verbalized as the intentionality of living things. As humans, characteristics such as self-control and self-emptying (kenosis) are concepts that can only be understood and accepted when we reflect on the intentionality of living things. It is in the philosophical interpretation of life that the general intentionality of living things can appear as transcendental characteristics.
 
It is only through this process that the characteristics of self-realization by abandoning oneself and self-transcendence that can never be understood from a biological perspective are revealed. Even the most outstanding religious characteristic, spirituality, is impossible without this self-transcendence.
 
Life is contradictory in itself— Life wants to live but ends in death, living for oneself needs the help of others, and life has the same principle but cannot exist without differences trying to unify this contradiction. The reason why this contradiction can be reconciled and internalized within oneself is because of the ontological horizon of life, and it is never possible without transcendence based on the intentionality of living things. Life culture and bioethics will be properly founded only on the basis of this verbalized vitality.