Old Age Is Not A Disease

Continued from the previous post.

There are efforts to define aging as a ‘disease’ and turn it into a treatment area. 

It is important to discern what is medically necessary in health care for the elderly. Aging is not a disease but a stage in life but again possible and necessary health concerns for the elderly are also a part of growing old and aging well. 

However, if aging is viewed as a disease, it becomes a process that can be treated. The most recent commercialization of aging medical services is in the area of ​​dementia. Too many places claim that dementia should be tested and treated. At this time there are no cures for Alzheimer's and other related dementias. However, some treatments can help manage symptoms.

Even dementia insurance was introduced. In fact, most senile dementias, excluding idiopathic dementia, are the result of aging, and of course, there is no fundamental treatment. Anti-aging treatment is a temporary illusion. Of course, there are various tests and neurological imaging that can determine the level of dementia.

‘Dementia’, which is listed as a diagnosis, is also subject to private insurance. Pharmaceutical companies that market dementia drugs have been creating and strengthening these standards for decades in major developed countries. Cognitive disorders with treatable causes are presented as the main example, and a wide range of senile dementias have also become targets of drug treatment. Once the drug became available, medical providers began using similar research evidence and claims to make money. Related tests poured out and everything was commercialized. Drugs, functional foods, called cognitive drugs, were also developed and marketed. 

Recently, age-related muscle weakness, loss of balance, age-related farsightedness, etc. are all dismissed as diseases. Considering the premise of aging well, measures are necessary to prevent falls and enable reading. However, the process of turning aging into a ‘disease’ by making it a commodity is seen by many to be no real help to the elderly, and has ended up as a process of surrounding the difficulties of the elderly to drugs and medical knowledge.

If we truly want the elderly to avoid falling into muscle and cognitive decline, what is important is maintaining adequate income, social relationships, and assigning community duties. For adequate income, public pensions such as the national pension must be increased to an amount that allows for a minimum living, and maintaining social relationships requires a community with minimal residential facilities and social care. Additionally, there must be sustainable jobs that utilize the expertise and experience of the elderly, rather than focusing on production. The public foundation of these communities must come before silver towns, pills, and doctor's diagnoses.

However, the reality is that ‘free public transportation for the elderly’ is criticized and the pain and forgetfulness of the elderly are approached only as illnesses. They only claim economic efficiency and are pushing out the elderly in collecting waste paper. 

In Korean capitalism, the church now seems to be the only source of comfort for the elderly. Consequently, the columnist sometimes recommends that elderly patients who have difficulty walking and who don't have a job go to church. This is because the local community has almost collapsed. Aging is not a disease. We all become old.

Make A Good Appearance— ‘Lookism’.

In Now/Here Catholic Website a member of the Bishops' Justice and Peace Committee and a specialist in rehabilitation medicine gives us some important issues we need to face in present-day society. This blog will be in two parts: (1)Making A Good Appearance  and (2) Old Age is Not A Disease

The desire to become younger is one of humanity's long-standing hopes. The first emperor of China is said to have sent his confidants across the sea to the east of China to obtain the ‘herb of immortality’. In Taoism, 'eternal youth and longevity' can be achieved through practices of seclusion and training, and they revere Taoist hermits who have lived long lives."

In Korea, treatments for ‘young-looking skin’ are common. Not only women but also men are busy taking care of their skin to look young; removing wrinkles is basic, and injections and creating skin elasticity and shine follow. Hiding one's age with hair dye and tattoos is common, and treatment for geriatric hair loss is also widespread. It has become common sense to overcome male baldness due to aging with medication or treatment. 

This social atmosphere began with a commercialization trend that being young was not only good but could be created. And the healthcare industry quickly joined.  Korea is a mecca for cosmetics and beauty. Seoul is flooded with customers from all over the world who come for cosmetic surgery, and major plastic surgery chains are expanding overseas and showing off their power. The Korean cosmetics industry is receiving global attention and developing in line with the anti-aging trend.

The public's desire to look younger and have better skin is not the fundamental problem. The reason Korea has become a paradise for plastic surgery and skincare is because of the culture—make a good appearance— ‘lookism’. The real problem is that this social atmosphere encourages hatred toward aging. Even though we are all aging, many do not see it as a natural process.

Getting older is not all negative. Experience is accumulated, various skills are achieved, and this can be passed on to the next generation. In addition, unlike when you were young when your reproductive function was active and your physical strength was good, age allows you to take a leisurely look at the world, life, and society. Aging, sadly can be a time of cunning and shamelessness.

However, unlike the agricultural society of the past, the role of ‘elders’ is no longer important. Such skill and wisdom have already been replaced by data and artificial intelligence, and sustainability and community-based expertise are seen as obstacles to industrialization to increase profits. Also, when they are young, they are respected by companies and society as a productive population due to their high productivity, but when they get older and retire, they are regarded as a burden. As a result, hatred of elderly people spreads. 

Although there is some blatant hatred such as ‘no entry for the elderly’, major politicians in Korea have now taken advantage of ‘free riding for the elderly’ on public transportation as a source of generational conflict. If we reduce welfare benefits for the elderly, we will also hurt ourselves as we all become older.

The reason why it is so easy to distinguish between the elderly and the young and treat the elderly as if they are members of a different society is the logic of economics. The underlying view is that the elderly are merely a consumer population, not a productive population.  However, as mentioned before, everyone becomes an old person. However, do the wealthy who are encouraging these generational conflicts and young people's distrust of social insurance such as national pensions and health insurance want to be excluded from the elderly receiving benefits?

The distrust of the older generation and hatred of the elderly are not only based on disregard for aging. The surprising thing about capitalism is that even amid such hatred and generational conflict, it creates a way to make money on the elderly. 

"We did not come to die"

In the View from the Ark column of the Catholic Times, a parish priest gives the readers some thoughts on accidents in the workplace.

On June 24, when the church was celebrating the birth of Saint John the Baptist, a tragic event occurred at a factory in Korea.  A serious fire disaster occurred at a primary lithium battery company, killing 23 people, including 18 migrant workers. 

The workers did not receive proper safety training because they were not full-time employees but belonged to a labor dispatch company. It is a factory that handles dangerous hazardous substances, and although a fire broke out a few days before this disaster, no safety measures were implemented. In the end, 17 Chinese, 5 Koreans, and 1 Laotian lost their lives in the fire.

At 7 p.m. on July 2, ten days after the accident, a memorial service was held in front of the Seoul Employment and Labor Office to honor the victims. The columnist decided to participate in the event along with immigrant and refugee activists from the parish. When he arrived at the location, he first noticed the words on the banner. “We did not come to die! Migrant workers want to work safely!”

The words ‘We did not come to die’ stuck in his mind. The workers came to this unfamiliar place to better the conditions of the families they left at home. However, they can no longer be with their family due to negligence, carelessness, and complacency. Yet, the investigation into the cause of the accident and the assignment of responsibility is progressing slowly, making it difficult to calm the columnist's mind.

If proper safety measures had been taken during the fire that occurred before the disaster, or if only workers had been properly educated on the location of emergency exits and how to escape, the tragedy in which more than 20 precious lives were lost would not have filled him with regret.

This is not the first tragedy of this kind. Tragedies occur repeatedly every few years such as the fatal accident of an employee of a screen door maintenance company,  the fatal accident at a Thermal Power Plant, and the fatal accident at Pyeongtaek Port. Because of one of the deaths, an atmosphere of reflection on our society, where people do not receive proper education or protection due to excessive subcontracting, was created, and a discussion about 'outsourcing of death' began, which eventually resulted in the 'Serious Accident Punishment Act'.  

However, as the first ruling applying the law resulted in a suspended sentence, controversy over its effectiveness arose, and the current administration expressed its intention to revise the law because it harms corporate morale. There is still a long way to go. 

Of the 17 victims of Chinese nationality, the majority were Chinese female workers, commonly referred to as ethnic Koreans. Strictly speaking, they cannot be called immigrants because they are overseas Koreans, but the fact that they are from a country other than Korea and are working as outsourced workers in industries that Korean nationals avoid makes it clear that their situation is no different from that of immigrants of other nationalities.  Because there is no language barrier, they are treated as so-called 'cost-effective migrant workers'.

According to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the total number of deaths from industrial accidents in Korea last year was 812, of which 85 were migrant workers or 10.4%. As of the first quarter of this year, the rate of industrial accident deaths among migrant workers was 11.2% (24 out of 213), already exceeding last year's rate. 

Considering the National Statistical Office's announcement that the total number of migrant workers last year was 923,000, exceeding 3.2% of the total number of employed people (28,416,000), an all-time high, the number of immigrants who will be sacrificed if this type of disaster is repeated is expected to increase.  This is why we must listen to their cry— "We did not come to die!"

Making Catholicism More Chinese

The Catholic Times had an article by a university professor, Chairman of the Asian Catholic History Research Association, on recent efforts of the Chinese government to strengthen the Chinese national identity with efforts in nationalism and making Catholicism more Chinese — 'Sinicize Catholicism'.

In recent times, sinicization has been China's policy toward minorities, particularly toward religious minorities within China. Policies include the attempt to blend religious traditions with traditions perceived as Chinese and the promotion of "ethnic unity".

The article's writer recently visited China at the invitation of a Chinese Catholic organization. He leaves us with his impressions of the visit to China.

He visited China from July 1 to 5. He visited the  Catholic Institute of New Philosophy in Beijing, the Foreign Language Institute in Anyang, Henan Province, Anyang Cathedral, and historical and cultural sites. He was accompanied by a professor from Anyang Normal College and director of the Henan Province Catholic Sinicization Research Center. 

Another important purpose of this visit was to examine the efforts currently underway in China for Catholic Sinicization. The professor had great doubt about how much of the reality of 'Catholic Sinicization' he would get to know. 

The Catholic New Philosophy Academy of China is a cradle of education for Chinese religious and clergy and is an educational institution equivalent to a major seminary in Korea. Anyang was called 'Yin Ruins' during the Shang Dynasty in China and is a historical city where royal tombs were located. The discovery of the 'oracle bone script' became a turning point for China’s transition from prehistoric times to historical times. Let’s examine how the Sinicization of Catholicism is unfolding through these special places and historical regions.

The China Catholic New Philosophy Academy has the Annunciation Cathedral in the center, modeled after the Temple of Heaven (Qiniandian) (祈年殿) in Beijing’s Tiantan Park, and four buildings (St. John’s Lecture Hall, St. James’s Training Hall, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and St. Joseph’s Library) surrounding it.

The Annunciation Cathedral, located in the center of the New Philosophy Academy, was a scaled-down version of the Qiniandian. The fact that it was built as a cathedral can be said to symbolize considerable meaning.  It was a place where the emperor offered sacrifices to heaven every year, and the construction of such a symbolic building as a cathedral can be the result of the efforts to sinicize Catholicism. Similar to the missioner Matteo Ricci in the late Ming Dynasty who took off his clerical robe and changed into the robe of a nobleman for missionary work.

The next thing that caught his eye was the painting of the Last Supper. A  painting of the Last Supper, with Jesus and the twelve disciples in Chinese clothing sitting around a table. On the left and right of the painting were signs that read “孝親尊師 (Be filial to your parents and respect your teachers)” and “知恩報恩 (Know kindness and repay kindness).” This could also be seen as a cross-section of Catholic Sinicization to express intimacy.

He would prefer to use ‘non-foreign religious painting’ instead of Sinicization. 

On the second day of his visit, he visited the Henan Province Catholic Sinicization Research Center. He learned a lot about the Sinicization content through the guidebook there. It is worth noting that the logo of the Henan Province Catholic Sinicization Research Center has the oracle bone script ‘天’ (天) in the middle. This is because ‘天’ has both the meaning of establishing Anyang as the capital 3,000 years ago and the meaning of ‘lord of all things.’ At the same time, the word ‘Cheonju’ (Lord of the Heavens) itself, borrowed by Matteo Ricci, already has the meaning of the sinicization of Catholicism, as mentioned in the guidebook.

The head of the research center gave him the ‘Chronological Table of Chinese Catholic Dioceses’  as a gift as a research result of the sinicization of Catholicism. It was a table that was created so that the current dioceses and parish priests of China could be seen at a glance. This data is not yet known in Korea and will be very useful for researchers studying Chinese Catholicism and Korean church history in Korea.

On the third day of his visit to China, he visited the  Catholic Church in Anyang City. This cathedral, which honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus as its patron saint, is the cathedral of the Anyang Diocese, where Bishop Zhang Yinlin (Joseph), who is recognized by both the Chinese government and the Pope, resides. Anyang Diocese was formerly called Weihui Diocese (衛辉教區) but is now called Anyang Diocese (安陽). The front of Anyang Diocese still remains as a concrete wall. This is because a priest who studied in Rome is currently working on creating a stone mosaic mural of the Bible in the form of an oracle bone script, but it is not yet finished. On one wall of the cathedral, a mural depicts a Bible verse using the oracle bone script characters ‘安’  and ‘家’. It is artistically unique. In some ways, he thought that this might be the most typical form of Catholic Chinese painting. He hopes the next time he visits Anyang Cathedral, a beautiful stone mosaic mural explaining the Bible in oracle bone script will greet him at the front of the cathedral.

His visit to China this time was a valuable opportunity to see something new. The term ‘Catholicism Sinicization’ is currently used a lot in China. However, he thinks that the term ‘Catholicism de-foreignization’ is more appropriate in terms of its meaning, although it is more complicated than ‘Catholicism Sinicization.’ In the past, the term ‘indigenization’ or ‘localization’ of Catholicism was used, but since these terms also have various meanings and can be confusing, he suggests another term be used for simplicity. The words ‘Catholicism Sinicization’ can easily be misinterpreted. 

Why is it that he is happy and delighted at the changing appearance of the Chinese church, but on the other hand, when he hears that the walls of churches must be covered with the words “equality, freedom, reconciliation, civilization, democracy, and prosperity,” he feels uneasy? Is it because of his old age he feels like the controversy over rituals in China, which he thinks has not yet ended, overlaps? He cautiously hopes that the sinicization of Catholicism being promoted in China will bring peace and comfort to the Chinese people and establish itself as a religion that conveys the truth of salvation. Finally, he prays that the Lord’s abundant grace and good fortune will be with all those who helped him on this visit to China and with the entire Chinese church community.

Secular vs Sacred

The Catholic Peace Weekly's Faith Platform column had an interesting visit to Genoa Italy by a religious researcher who was visiting the ocean city while living in France with her husband, there because of his work. 

During her time in France, she visited the port city of Genoa in northern Italy several times. The city center of Genoa was connected like a maze by narrow alleys, that brought people and events to mind that had been interwoven throughout its long history. 

When one walks into these square-like spaces, more correctly large spaces, there is usually a church. The churches of Genoa were old buildings on a narrow alley and the interiors were colourful. It was probably the legacy of the Principality of Genoa, which built on its mighty naval power, which thrived in trade, and banking, with enormous wealth.

Because she spent a lot of time alone in Genoa, she found a laundry room, a good place to eat, and pray on the streets. She didn't have to hurry like a tourist. It was a new and enjoyable experience with the tension and solemnity of strange places. One of the most memorable places was the Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene.

One day as she walked along a narrow road, which was not very visible, between streets with many citizens, there were women in short dresses, as if waiting for somebody— everywhere. "Wow, I am in the wrong place," she thought and got out of the alley quickly with fear. She saw a small church at the end of the street. She hurried as if she had found a shelter,  a fresco filled the ceiling overwhelming her eyes. "Oh!" When she sat down with her eyes fixed on the ceiling, the confusion and fear she felt all disappeared. "This is  beautiful in such a remote place!" She wanted to know where she was and turned on the map app and checked the location, it was Magdalena Street, Magdalene Square.

Magdalene was a prostitute and was known for a long time as the woman who met Jesus and made atonement. The Catholic Church later rectified the misconception that Magdalene was a prostitute. It recognized her as a more faithful and courageous person than anyone who first announced the resurrection of Jesus. 

However, Magdalena would have been accepted as a symbol of atonement and forgiveness when the church was built. Later it was discovered that there was a long-standing border in the streets of Magdalena against the sailors, where a cathedral was first built in the 12th century. Then, at the end of the 16th century, the church was completely renovated, filled with golden ornaments and ceilings, and much of the money was donated by the women of the suburbs and the guests who visited them.

It's unclear how much of this is true, but it's certain that both the people living on Magdalena Street and those visiting it desperately sought redemption. Perhaps they wanted to maintain a thread of hope for atonement and forgiveness by placing the most sacred place in the most profane area. 

After walking for about 5-6 minutes from Magdalena Street, She found herself on Via Roma, lined with luxury boutiques. Seeing herself captivated by the glittering shop windows instead of frescoes, she thought— "This may be for me  the more profane and secular area of the two."

Going Beyond Faith As Habit

The recent Catholic Weekly reported on a parish community attempting to help young people deepen their faith life away from habit to understanding and participation. Below is a summary of the article.

The youth school has been open since May of last year thanks to the interest of the parish priest who felt a need for a learning center for doctrine and faith for young people. This is because young people who graduate from middle and high school Sunday school do not have many opportunities to learn about doctrine unless they collect information on their own or travel to find it.

The priest  who has been in charge of youth ministry at the parish and has listened to the voices of young people, said: "Young people these days are sensitive to justice and equality, so I am especially interested in the church’s  social doctrine." He went on to say, "I wanted to accompany young people who have limited leisure time due to work, study, and employment so that they can quench their religious thirst." 

The educational content is filled with topics that young people pay attention to because of the times. Last year, they learned a lot about moral theology, the death penalty, abortion, peace on the Korean Peninsula, and nuclear power plants. Young people recommended topics with an awareness of issues such as ‘How is human life dignified?’, ‘What kind of relationship should humans have with nature, which is also a child of God?’, and ‘How can we reconcile with North Korea, our closest neighbor?’ Accordingly, priests and religious with expertise in each field are invited to give special lectures.

Youth school was a time to revitalize and enrich the religious life that was often stale. In this year's third course, a special lecture on liturgy and sacred music received a great response. The  head of the youth school, said: "It was an opportunity to open my eyes to what I should focus on and what beautiful meaning the Mass contains which I  just thought I had to attend."

The values ​​pursued by youth schools are not just theory-centered education, but education that resonates with young people. In April, they had a field experience visiting the Korean Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. The young people said: "Thanks for visiting a neighboring church that I would never normally visit, and learning from another's religious tradition."

In this way, the existence of a learning center that informs young people of the things they are truly curious about also serves as a good guide for young new believers who have never had in-depth contact with faith. This means that young people, for whom rational understanding is important, can accept church teachings and mysteries ‘as if they were their own’, which are difficult to blindly accept.

Another participant said:  "I was able to easily understand and learn about doctrines and various questions that could have been limited to simple knowledge."   Another who started attending church in March said: "For a catechumen, many things felt unfamiliar and complex, such as the Mass liturgy where you sit and stand repeatedly, or the Angelus prayer said three times a day." He continued: "Unlike back then, I developed a mindset of being grateful and cherishing how valuable the faith I had chosen was."

Positive Look At Pain

In the View from the Ark column of the Catholic Times, a college professor gives the readers some insight into pain from his reading in Hans Gadamer, a philosopher, raised as a Protestant, born in Germany in 1900 and died in 2002.  

Gadamer inherited the artistic passion and religious solidarity of his mother Johanna, who died when he was four years old, but his father, Johannes Gadamer, a chemist and pharmacist, did not understand this thinking.

One person is recuperating for several years due to a physical condition, and another suffers from a severe toothache. A woman is recovering after having her calcified gallbladder removed, and a person is receiving treatment for a curved spine. In Korea, doctors accompanying them are experiencing a huge conflict with the government regarding the number of seats in medical schools. How do we deal with those suffering?

Just before his death from lung cancer at the age of 61, his father was concerned about his son, who had received his doctorate at the young age of 22 and was pursuing his professorship, choosing Heidegger as his teacher. He had Heidegger come to the hospital where he was admitted and asked: "What can my son possibly do after studying like this?" Heidegger answered: "Your son is  outstanding... and he has already submitted his thesis to enter the professorship program." His father, who did not think that philosophy would help  his son to live, asked Heidegger again just before he left: "Do you truly believe that philosophy has the answers to life's questions?"  

However, Gadamer, unlike his father who chose the world of natural science, became a master in the principle of interpretation in the realm of philosophy, integrating artistic sensibility and mediating the wisdom and fulfillment of life to many people. His 1960 work 'Truth and Method' is considered a seminal piece that opened the horizon of existential hermeneutics.

When he was 100 years old, he gave a presentation on ‘pain’ at the Heidelberg Medical School in front of medical professionals. He said: "Pain first appears to me as an emotion that I cannot bear. There is always something completely unresolved that we must overcome. In this sense, pain is perhaps a tremendous opportunity finally imposed on us to resolve something. The most unique dimension of life can be anticipated in the very pain that one has not overcome."

He then spoke about the panacea of the pain process, which modern medicine finds difficult to provide. "Here, I also see the most dangerous thing of the technological age. That is, technology underestimates our strength and no longer demands that we fully exert our abilities. However, on the contrary, there is the joy of having done well and overcome and the joy of eventually feeling healthy again. The joy of having overcome and stayed awake, and the joy of being immersed in that wakefulness is the finest medicine nature has given us."

This corresponds to what Pope Francis said: "God has united us to all his creatures. Nonetheless, the technocratic paradigm can isolate us from the world that surrounds us and deceive us by making us forget that the entire world is a 'contact zone'."

For Gadamer, pain is an opportunity for one to save oneself. Pain is something that makes life healthy, a sense of vitality that 'can do', and allows one to experience their unique ability to achieve again. Therefore, the doctor does not exist to remove pain, but rather, it is necessary to support and accompany the person suffering from pain to become aware of the tremendous powers within themselves and to overcome pain to achieve another goal. 

What do your readers think? This is the question the writer leaves us.