What Peace Do We Proclaim?

A parish priest in the recent Catholic Times gives the readers some thoughts on one of the important issues of our day--Peace.

There is a small gallery beside one of the churches in his diocese called the 'Peace Gallery'. Words that mean "peace" are written in many languages on the exterior wall of the building. The largest ones are in Hebrew and Greek, the languages of the Bible. In addition, words that mean peace in Latin, English, and Chinese are shaped in the form of the cross. The wall itself is an artwork proclaiming the peace of Christ, who saved the world through the sacrifice of the cross.

"Peace be with you!" These were the words the resurrected Jesus greeted his disciples with after his death and resurrection. It would not have been strange for Jesus to greet them with cold eyes and words of resentment after being abandoned, but Jesus wishes them peace.

On the other hand, the disciples are restless. The Gospel writers say they were afraid because they thought he was a ghost. They were sorry for having abandoned their teacher, but he was dead, and they thought it was all right to preserve their life, so they locked the doors tightly and hid. But that teacher who they thought was dead appeared in front of them. The guilt they felt must have shaken their whole being, but their teacher greeted them with a gentle expression: "Peace be with you!"

Even among us living in faith, the strange tension between the teacher and the disciples revealed in the story of the manifestation of the resurrected Jesus is often found. This is a tension felt as a conflict between spirit, and flesh. It occurs when the faith is not fully established and not mature.

First of all, a Christian follows Christ, but in our minds, the values and standards of the world are often more firmly established than the values and standards of the gospel. We know better than anyone else that Jesus' teachings are valuable, but feelings of uncertainty are often present. Thus, the seeds of the faith sown often fail to sprout and dry up, and we often choose to be silent rather than to think, speak, and act as Christians.

On the other hand, we often love Christ in our hearts but have difficulty following Jesus' teachings because many calculations overwhelm our minds. The love for Christ in our hearts is nothing more than an emotion, or worse, a kind of lip service called: "I love you too Jesus". As a result, we are not disobeying the teachings of Christ, but neither are we obeying them fully.

The last is when you place something else in the place of Christ, both in your head and in your heart. What holds Christ's place varies from time to time, but it is mainly power, honor, and material wealth. However, in today's society, material wealth seems to dominate everything. It is said that if you have money, you will naturally gain power and honor. This is the situation and there is no room for the seeds of any faith or the teachings of Christ. You don't need Christ, you just need the name 'Christian'.

Knowing that he would be ostracized by the mainstream forces of the time and suffer a miserable death, Jesus spent his time making present the kingdom of heaven on this earth, firmly refuting what was not his father's teaching and will. "The peace I give is not the same as the peace the world gives" (John 14, 27). The peace declared by the resurrected Lord to his disciples was not a feeling of peace as an absence of violence. As Christians, we need to see what kind of peace we are proclaiming.

We Are All One

In The View from the Ark, a professor at a Catholic University gives the readers of the Catholic Times some background on the spirituality some Korean scholars see the world. 

Pope Francis released "Laudato si'" in 2015 and the new Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum "Praised be to God" in 2023, calling for a new way of life in the age of the climate crisis. One notable Catholic believer in this context is Chang Il-soon (John the Baptist). He was born in Wonju in 1928 and passed away in May 1994. This year marks 30 years since he became a citizen of heaven.

Pope Francis, through his 2015 encyclical "Laudato si" invited an ecological conversion to care for our common home, the Earth--- an integrated ecology, encompassing humanity and the environment, economy, culture, and society. His 2023 document "Praise be to God" examines the causes of climate change based on scientific evidence, a survival issue for our generation. The document urges effective action before greater tragedy does occur. 

Chang Il-soon was baptized in 1940, a scholar who was opened to the religious traditions of Asia. He was so well-versed in Donghak and referred to as 'the walking Donghak' [A movement in Korean Neo-Confucianism that was a reaction to Western learning and called for a return to the Way of Heaven].

He was also knowledgeable about Buddhist traditions, Confucianism, and Taoist philosophy. He deeply internalized the Catholic faith to the extent that he could call himself a 'Jesus' freak'. He lived a life that helped deepen the Korean Catholic's integrated ecological way of life together with the late Bishop Ji Hak-soon (Daniel), the first bishop of the Wonju Diocese.

Pope Francis says: "God has written a precious book, whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe." (Laudato si', 85) God allows us to look into his infinite beauty and goodness through this book. Therefore, the world should be contemplated with gratitude and praise as a joyful mystery. (12)

Chang Il-soon expresses this as follows: "In a single blade of grass, the Heavenly Father exists." (一草之中聖父在矣)  Here, Chang Il-soon refers to God as the 'Heavenly Father.' Recognizing God as 'Father,' which is natural for him, faithful to the prayer taught by Jesus (Πάτερ: starting with 'Father'). Saint Francis, based on the 'common origin' (un’origine comune) of all created beings, called grass and insects 'brothers' and 'sisters.' (11) The Pope continues this tradition, calling for us to live as a 'universal family' (89) and 'universal fraternity' (228). All beings created by God, created in the image of God as 'part of the universe' (89), living with the breath of God, are revelations of God, temples housing God, and God's family.

All beings that come from one God (common origin, 11) and have God as a common point of arrival (83) are connected as one through this 'commonality.' The Pope expresses this as "all creatures created by the one Heavenly Father are connected by invisible bonds." (89)  In a calligraphy he wrote in the spring of 1984, he sang of this 'connectedness' as follows: "I did not realize that you were me, that the moon is my age and the sun is my age, surely you are me."

The statue of the Virgin Mary in a church of Wonju holds the earth in her left hand. We live as beings connected on one earth within the Trinity and the Virgin Mary, which means 'you are connected to me,' and 'I am connected to you.' Chang Il-soon presented this integrated ecological truth to the church and society more than 30 years ago, beautifully, warmly, and powerfully. In this age of climate crisis, I hope that his 'one grass' spirituality and 'you are me' spirituality can be more deeply internalized ecologically in our church and society.

The Younger Generation

 

The friends of Building Bridges column of the Catholic Times, who are in their 60s, say that today's youth are full of  pride with no proper work ethic, lacking courage and adventure, uncommitted, and too calculating. 

Regardless of time and place, generational differences have always existed. There are countless records of the older generation criticizing the youth, dating back to Sumerian clay tablets from 1800 BC.

Unlike the agricultural society where the accumulated experience and knowledge of the elderly were important, in today's highly developed scientific and technological society, the elderly are often marginalized. Although the aging population is rapidly increasing, there are fewer places for them. Many people struggle to operate digital  devices in government offices and restaurants.

The older generation finds it difficult to communicate with the MZ generation. This generation, also known as 'digital natives,' grew up in an environment where personal computers, the internet, mobile phones, and MP3s were the norm and are fluent in digital language and devices like native speakers of a specific language. Some even refer to them as a 'new species' rather than a new generation. Their use of incomprehensible abbreviations is so prevalent that some say they "speak our language like foreigners," indicating how difficult communication can be.

But do those who say "young people these days have no manners" know that the same was said thousands of years ago? The moment an older person starts a sentence with "Back in my day...," they are likely to be treated as old-fashioned. To the youth, the older generation seems inflexible, authoritarian, and unable to listen properly.

In the Building Bridges column  the columnist gives the readers advice on our young people of this generation.

It's natural for different generations to have emotional and value differences. However, more opportunities for natural interaction between generations are needed to prevent these differences from leading to conflict.

In an era of population decline, intergenerational communication becomes increasingly important. For this, the elderly should not try to teach the young but should listen more and ask the youth about things they don't know. This can lead to actual learning and better relationships. There's a reason why it's said that "the older you get, the more you should listen and the less you should speak."

Older people should not assume that today's youth are repeating the same experiences they had at their age. Today's universities and Korean society are vastly different from 30-40 years ago. We should not judge the youth based on our own experiences.

We are contemporaries, each with different experiences, living together today. It's important to acknowledge that we are colleagues and act accordingly, especially in responding responsibly to the challenges of climate disaster and low birth rates and aging population. Perhaps that is truly what it means to act one's age.

Korea's First Catholic Priest's Statue In the Vatican

The Sunday Chat column this Week was written by Jinseop Han Joseph the Korean sculptor whose work was selected by the Vatican to be enshrined in the niche outside St. Peter's Basilica in a space that was vacant for 600 years. 2023 was an important year for the sculptor for that was the year the statue was installed.

This is the first time that a statue of an Asian saint has been enshrined in the Vatican, and the niche outside St. Peter's Basilica where the saint statue was installed was an important space that had been vacant for 600 years.

 "The work began with Cardinal Lazarus You  expressing his intention to dedicate a statue of Father Kim Dae-geon to Pope Francis in 2021." The 'Jubilee Year of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon' (November 29, 2020 - November 27, 2021) concluded with Cardinal Yu's declaration of his intention to dedicate a statue to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Saint Andrew Kim. 

While searching for an artist, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, then chief priest of St. Peter's Basilica, insisted on selecting a famous Italian artist who would go well with the works of Michelangelo and Bernini in the cathedral.

However, Cardinal Yu, who was watching this process, strongly expressed the opinion that it was natural for a Korean sculptor to be the one who made the statue of the first Korean saint of Korea. The Vatican began looking for a Korean artist and wanted a Catholic stone carving expert who could work in Italy. Mr. Han thinks the decision was made to find a sculptor with experience studying in Italy. When he thinks about it now, he believes that his career in stone carving for 45 years and studying abroad in Carrara, Italy was not a coincidence but was prepared by God.

In December 2021, he received a call from the Vatican. Since the Vatican is trying to produce a statue of Father Kim Dae-geon, the request was to send the materials needed.

Not long ago, he had made a statue of Saint Kim Andrew for the Daejeon Diocese, so he sent the four models he had made and a photo of the completed work. Soon after, he received a call from the Vatican asking him to come for review. The first screening, held on July 18, 2022, was attended by Vatican Artistic Director Pietro Sander, art officials, Vatican architects, and Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik. 

Specific questions followed, including a description of the work, its size, production method, what the work means, and how to install the work. He did his best to answer. After the first screening, he returned to Pietrasanta, where the studio was located, and made a model of the background to determine the exact size and shape of the work. Soon after, he heard that he had been selected as the artist to produce the statue. A joy came over him that was difficult to express in words or writing. It was the reward of working hard with stone carving for 50 years without giving up.

The process of determining the specific appearance of the icon remained. Among the several models, he kept in mind the posture of holding a cross in the right hand, but considering that the installation location was outside, there was the risk of color and change of shape due to exposure to snow, rain, wind, and sunlight, so he extended the arms of the Saint to embrace the world. The final selection was made and he began the meaningful work of erecting a statue of St. Andrew Kim in the Vatican.

The Prophets for Our Time

In the Building Bridges column of the Catholic Times, the Taizé brother looks at a problem facing Korea and world politics in different degrees.

A few weeks have passed since the election, the flower of democracy.  Although the public's desire for change was clearly revealed in the general election results, will real politics respond to this? Can the ruling party and the large opposition party, who have been hostile to each other, come together to solve the problems?

Many people lament Korea's political culture, which has no dialogue or compromise, only one-sided communication and confrontation. As the hostile symbiosis between the two major parties continues, the space for diverse voices to enter the National Assembly and politics gradually decreases. It is unfortunate for our entire society that the factional conflict between the parties continues.

Some people even say that hostility and hatred are deeply ingrained in the DNA of not only politics but also our society. Hostility is rampant throughout Korean society. Now even religious people take it for granted. Unfortunately, the general election process failed to filter out or sublimate the hatred and hostility that has become routine.

Some find the roots of this hostility in the conflict between the nationalist and communist camps that began under Japanese rule a hundred years ago. “In the intensified left-right confrontation after the March 1st Movement, the belief that the enemy would also have reason and conscience gradually disappeared.” (「Progress without spirituality」 

The antagonism between these two camps led to the division of North and South, and the civilian massacres committed during the liberation period and in the early days of the Korean War completely destroyed the belief that we belong to one community. As a result, “Politics is not a process where you and I meet and search for truth, but the only realistic goal is to separate friends and enemies, win and gain power in that hostile confrontation.”

One philosopher has said the movement has been driven by anger and hatred since the 1980s. “It is faith in the whole that turns differences into constructive cooperation rather than hostile division and confrontation. However, even in the secularized progressive movement and the conservative faith, we can no longer find faith in the whole. “Everyone believes that they are good, but condemns others as evil, and is only focused on fighting and winning against others.”

“Because we are all separated from the whole we cannot achieve a higher unity amidst differences.” To heal the divisions of our time, we must tolerate differences. “This will be possible when the belief that we and others are also a part of the whole takes root in our hearts.” 

Today, formal democracy has been achieved, but hostility, hatred, disgust, and exclusion are rising. What is it that brings us together? Finding and paying attention to it is a task required of the church and believers. The role of Prophet in our time is not only about condemning lies and injustice but also bringing people together.

Catholic Church Statistics 2023

Both Catholic papers had featured articles on the Statistics from the 2023 report recently published. The comments below were taken from the Catholic Times.

The number of believers in Korean churches was 5,970,675, an increase of 20,813 compared to 2022. The proportion of believers among the total population of Korea (52,673,955 people) is 11.3%. The number of believers has increased slightly (0.3%), but the ratio of believers to population has remained stagnant for three years.

‘Korean Catholic Church Statistics 2023’ announced… Sunday Mass attendance and sacramental activity 60-80% of pre-COVID-19 levels. 25% of believers who left during the pandemic still do not attend Sunday Mass.

The low birth rate and aging phenomenon in Korean society is becoming more evident in the church. In 2023, the number of believers aged 0 to 4 was 24,860, a 50.2% decrease from 2019 (49,949 people) just before COVID-19. On the other hand, the number of believers aged 65 to 69 was 523,305, a 40.8% increase from 371,792 in 2019.

The proportion of believers over 65 is 26.1%, which is 6 percentage points higher than Korea’s rate of 18.2% over the age of 65. According to United Nations standards, a society is considered a super-aged society if more than 20% of the population is over 65 years old. The church is experiencing a super-aging society before our national society.

In an analysis report, the Korean Catholic Pastoral Research Institute said: “It is time for an overall and comprehensive renewal of the entire process, from catechesis on the importance of infant baptism, infant and toddler education, Sunday school, and youth and youth ministry. 

The number of people attending Sunday Mass was 805,361, and the Sunday Mass attendance rate compared to all believers was 13.5%. This is a 7.7% point decrease from 2013 (21.2%), 10 years ago. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the proportion of Sunday Mass attendees, which reached a low of 10.3% in 2020, is gradually increasing. 

The numbers receiving the sacraments, such as Confirmation, Confession of the Sick, and Holy Communion, is gradually increasing after the pandemic. Compared to the previous year, the Sacrament of Confirmation increased by 7.1%, the Anointing of the Sick by 22.5%, the Sacrament of Penance by 12.6%, and the Communion by 6.4%. 

The proportion of parish priests over 65 years old is 17.5%... The number of elderly priests, including senior pastors, continues to increase.

75 new priests, the lowest number since 2013... The number of seminarians is also decreasing

The number of Korean church clergy (excluding deacons) was 5,721, an increase of 18 from the previous year. Of these, 4,715 are parish priests. The aging of priests has also been a prominent feature for several years. Looking at the distribution of parish priests by age, those aged 65 or older accounted for the highest proportion at 17.5% of the total. Excluding priests over 65, those between the ages of 50 and 54 accounted for the most at 13.9%, followed by those between the ages of 40 and 44 at 13.8%, and those between the ages of 45 and 49 at 13.6%. The number of senior pastors in the diocese has also continued to increase over the past 10 years, reaching well over 500 in 2023 with 536 (11.4% of all priests), an increase of 46 from the previous year.

While the number of elderly priests and senior pastors has increased, the number of new priests and seminarians continues to decrease. The number of new priests in the dioceses was 75, the lowest number since 2013. The decline continues after falling below 100 in 2020. The number of seminarians totaled 1,018, including 790 from parishes and 228 from religious orders, a 37.5% decrease from 2013 (1,264). The number of seminarians admitted to dioceses and religious orders, which remained at more than 130 until 2021, was 96 in 2023, following the previous year (88) and did not exceed 100 this year. The number of seminarians entering the diocese was 81, a 43.4% decrease from 2013 (143).

The Korean Catholic Pastoral Research Institute said, “When looking at the number of new priests and the ratio of elderly priests comprehensively, it is expected that the Korean Church will face a priest shortage within a few years as the current middle-aged priests retire from front-line ministry, so more mid- to long-term measures are needed to address this.” 

As of 2023, 11,473 people are living a religious life in 175 religious orders in the Korean Church. The number of male religious was 1,568, a decrease of 34 from the previous year, and the number of female religious was 9,905, a decrease of 69. Compared to 2013, male religious decreased by 65.3% and female religious decreased by 53.8%. Among the female religious novices  in the dioceses, only three were Korean, while the number of foreigners was 86. Considering that there were 100 Koreans and 33 foreigners in 2013, the ratio of foreign trainees has increased noticeably over the past 10 years.

Do it Yourself

The Catholic Times View from the Ark column gives the readers some thoughts on —Giving people with developmental disabilities a life of ‘self-determination’—

 “Sir, I want to do it myself.”

People who do something only with someone's help, who live a daily life following someone else's plan,  who find the road they want and what they like to be difficult and long. These are people with developmental disabilities.

When you become an adult, you have to make your own choices every moment of your daily life and live with responsibility for your choices, no matter what the consequences are. When adolescents with developmental disabilities become adults, they naturally want to live freely in making their own decisions and taking responsibility for them. However,  they face many difficulties.

Rather, parents of children with developmental disabilities have a wish to live just one day longer than their children. “One more day than your child… ” is full of earnestness and affection for children. Although there are facilities and activity assistance services for the welfare of the disabled, still parents cannot take their eyes off their children with disabilities until they close their eyes.

Moreover, since adults with disabilities do not have many places to go, parents always live with worries about what will happen to their children after they die. This issue has already been publicly discussed, but there are no clear results yet.  This is why adults with disabilities need space and programs to make choices through repetitive training so that they can make their own decisions.

Fortunately, there are a small number of welfare centers that offer programs for these people. We need more to improve the self-determination ability of youth with developmental disabilities during their transition to adulthood. 

The goal of this program is to help participants make their own choices and decisions so that they can face the world without fear and with the confidence that they can do it on their own. However,  in the beginning, it will be difficult for them to plan for themselves or even express what they want to do, and wait for someone to make a choice for them.

However, through repeated training in the process of finding what they like, they learn to enjoy what they do. Now, they can take the bus, go to the bank, order their favorite burger and drink, and make payments all by themselves. They take the subway to places they want to visit and buy delicious snacks for Mom on the way home. They also learn to give up what they like for their friends. By making plans about what to do, they get a feeling of satisfaction from what they do.

“It may seem attractive and convenient to have everything cared for, without having to choose, but if it is repeated and continues, you end up easily giving up on problems that can be solved with your own abilities, and you become a helpless person. We take a lot of time to make choices, make decisions and take responsibility for ourselves. However, if you cannot endure this time, you will end up doing the same things you have done so far.” (Words of Welfare Center Director)

Now, we hope that those involved can more easily access a space where they can independently live a life of ‘self-determination’ rather than a life chosen by someone else. Society should pay more attention and prepare so that people can live independent lives by choosing a form of life within diversity.

Therefore, we hope that both the church and the local community will serve as a space where people can increase their experience of self-determination. "I dream of a future where our parents allow us to go out for a reason, and we get together and become beautiful people."