Exhibition of Paintings of Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Seoul, Korea, July 2009

An exhibition of the paintings of

Pierre-Auguste Renoir,

“The artist who never painted tragedies.”

Rosy cheeks, chubby limbs, flowered frocks:

“A picture has to be

Pleasant, delightful.” The man himself declared.

No potato-eating farmers, no soldiers,

No arrow-pierced Sebastians,

No gaunt Saint John in camels’ hair.

His nudes are milkmaids, sweet girls,

Not images of Venus or Diana, or St. Agnes,

Or Catherine martyred on her wheel.

A small group of us went to see his works.

We were a bit distracted, trying to remember

What the building looked like the last time we were in it

Thirty years ago and some,

Before the place was gutted and the old Supreme Court building

Morphed into a museum of art.

The stone façade, forbidding then,

Is draped in banners, now,

Of golden-haired French children

And jeune filles in their flowered gowns.

Through that once awesome entrance,

Our little group went one April morning

To attend a solemn hearing:

Death sentences passed upon eight men

At a very questionable military trial six months before

Were to be reviewed that day;

Revoked, perhaps, reduced

Or possibly confirmed.

The courtroom filled with family members.

In due time we stood, the judges,

Thirteen of them, paraded in

Sat in their high backed plush red chairs.

A short statement, read aloud,

Confirmed eight sentences of death.

Later in the day, the state-controlled

Communications, press, radio and television,

Told the world the news.

One T.V. station, D.B.S., Renoir-like

Sanitized the situation thus:

With a thirty-second voiceover,

The camera scanned women weeping silently,

As they had before the judges entered.

It ended with the close-up of a priest,

Smiling.

Renoir, who never painted tragedies,

Would have approved the editing.

Truth was that pandemonium erupted;

The eight women and the priest

Along with many others stood up and shouted

Their disapproval of the verdict.

A goon squad of plainclothesmen rushed in.

They cleared the room,

Forcing all down four flights of stairs.

Thirty four years later

There isn’t any dark back staircase anymore,

Large glass wall panels welcome in the sun,

The walls are bright and high,

Fit for hanging paintings.

Eight men were hanged at dawn,

Just eighteen hours after the reading of the verdict.

Wide hallways now, and well-lit landings,

A spacious, incandescent place for art.

But about the visitors today,

The widows and the priest,

There hangs an aura of discomfort,

Disorientation, as they view the works

“Pleasant and delightful”

As Renoir had wanted life to seem.

The Distancing of Two Korean Priests

The Pastoral Newsletter for priests had an interesting take on whom we become because of environment. It was about the breaking down of a friendship between two priests, after one of the men was assigned to a poor parish and the other to a wealthy parish. Since the author of the article was close to one of the priests he was told that the break down of the friendship was the difference in the environment in which they worked. It had nothing to do with hurting each other in any way. One of the priests was relating with the wealthy the other with the poor. One was reading a newspaper that sympathized with the poor the other with the rich. With this different input the meetings of the two men lessened until they ceased altogether.

He mentioned how a politician in the old days walking the dirt roads had no sympathy for the automobiles that would occasionally pass. This was at a time when there were few cars on the road. However, one day a car passed that stopped whose driver recognized the politician. He was pleased with the ride and his thinking changed. In time when he had his own car he was often upset by those who did not quickly move to the side as he passed.

His conclusion was that it is not concepts and thinking that determines a person's actions but the environment. Change does not come easy but because of our environment we are changed. Reading a good book and thinking is important, but more so, would be those with whom we relate and what we do. We must pray and have empathy for those who are alienated but we must also see those with difficulties, the blind walking, to have compassion for their plight. We must look at those who are marginated- the alienated, who are surrounded by all kinds of obstacles and then we will be searching for ways to bring about justice and truth.

It is difficult to be objective and the above is a good example of what happens to all of us when we are sympathetic to a certain group. We may not be seeing things as they are but the Catholic Church's emphasis in recent history is clear. We should have a preference for the poor and even if this is not being objective it is what Jesus showed us by His life.

The Church in Asia

Here is another reflection from Fr. John Cioppa's In His Own Words that was written in 2000.

The greatest challenge to the Catholic Church today is to become inculurated in Asia. The future of the 21st Century is in Asia. Asia is home to over 60% of the world's people with more than 40% under the age of 15. The five countries with the largest populations are : China, India Indonesia, Japan and Bangladesh. Both China and India have over a billion people.

Different from the West, Asia is a mosaic of different cultures, ethnic groups, social, economic and political systems and the homeland of three great world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. 85% of the world's non-Christians are in Asia.

There are around one hundred million Catholics in Asia or about 2.9% of the population. If we exclude the Philippines, the percentage drops to less than 1% . However, the Church is growing continuously. In 10 years the number of Catholics increased by 25% with a growing number of priests and Sisters.There are presently 32,291 priest in Asia and more than twice that number of Sisters. Asia has 617 Bishops out of 4,400 bishops in the world.

If one were to shrink the world population into a village of 100 people, 57 would be Asians, 21 from Europe, 14 from the Americas and 8 from Africa.There would be 70 people of colour and 30 would be white. 67 would be non-Christian and 33 would be Christians, Out of 100 people 70 would not be able to read; 50 would suffer from malnutrition and only one would have a university education.

One of the greatest challenges facing the Church in this Century is to evangelize the people of Asia and have Christianity become truly an Asian religion. Missionaries and all Asian Christians have to be creative, innovative, able to dialogue with different religions and be open to different approaches to Gospel proclamation. As the Bishops told us at the Asian Synod-we will learn a new way of being the Church in Asia. Our greatest reason for hope is Jesus Christ Himself, who said, "Take heart it is I: have no fear... I have overcome the world." And we shouldn't forget that Jesus Himself was born in Asia.

Below is the statistical report for the Catholic Church published by the Catholic Bishops of Korea.

According to the Statistics, as of December 31, 2008, the number of Catholics in Korea amounted to 5,004,115 or 9.9% of the total population (50,394,374). It indicates an increase of 130,000 (2.7%) from the previous year.

With regard to dioceses, the Archdiocese of Seoul had the most number of the faithful as 1,384,238, followed by the Diocese of Suwon (718,638), the Archdiocese of Daegu (442,794), the Diocese of Incheon (427,960) and the Diocese of Pusan (409,587).

The rate of Evangelization comparing with the population came to over 10 % in the dioceses of Incheon, Suwon, Cheongju and Cheju, along with the Archdiocese of Seoul, which hit the highest rate of 13.6%.

The Statistics indicated that the number of the newly baptized was 32,124 in the Archdiocese of Seoul, 18,411 in the Diocese of Suwon, and 10,275 in the Diocese of Incheon. The Military Ordinariate recorded 28,213 newly baptized, who were mostly young soldiers.

By age group, the male faithful in their 20s had the highest number at 18.9%, followed by those in their 40s at 17%, those in their 30s at 15,6% and those in their 50s at 15,2%, while the largest group of the female faithful were those in their 40s and 50s. The Statistics also categorized the faithful by sex (male 41.6% and female 58.4%).

The Statistics also indicated that the number of clergy in Korea amounted to 4,204, including foreign missionary priests. Among them, 3,477 were diocesan priests and 726 were religious and missionary priests. The total number of Korean priests were 4,026, which showed an increase of 101 from the previous year, while the total number of cardinals and bishops were 31.

By diocese, the Archdiocese of Seoul had the highest number of the clergy as 701, followed by the Archdiocese of Daegu (406), the Diocese of Suwon (371) and the Diocese of Pusan (315). The dioceses of Cheju, Andong, Chuncheon and Wonju had 35, 74, 95, 96 priests respectively.

However, the number of seminarians was 1,413 in 7 Seminaries, few change from the previous year (1,403).

The number of parishes was 1,543, an increase of 32, while the number of mission stations was 1,037, a decrease of 47 from the previous year. The number of the faithful per priest was 1,190. The parishes were only 50 in 1908, but they have continuously increased, so that they amounted to 500 in 1976, 1,017 in 1995 and 1,511 in 2007.

With regard to men and women religious, there were 1,445 men religious, including novices, religious in temporary and final vows as well as foreign religious, which showed a decrease of 19, while 10,401 women religious were counted in 2008, an increase of 186 from the previous year.

The number of the celebrations of the Sacrament of Matrimony amounted to 26,182 in 2008, of which 15,324 were marriages between a baptized and non-baptized, which accounted for 58.6%.

With regard to devotional associations, the number of Legion of Mary members was the highest with 261,610, followed by Cursillo members (8,898) and the members of the Marriage Encounter (7,488).

The number of Sunday School attendants (from the age of 7 to 19) amounted to 647,159, of which only 11% was counted regular attendants. The Sunday School teachers were counted up to 17,775, and Primary and Middle & High School students attending Sunday Mass were reported respectively as 132,895 and 71,452.

The rate of participation at Sunday Mass reached 24% on average, which means that one of four faithful attends Sunday Mass. The number of faithful, who received the Sacrament of Confession as Easter duty and Christmas duty in 2008 was 1,052,729 (29.5%), and 1,116,053 (30.6%) respectively. It was figured out that the faithful received the Sacrament of Confession as duty once a year on average, while they received the Communion twenty times on average in 2008.

A Maryknoller's First Visit to Korea

Bishop James A. Walsh one of the two founders of Maryknoll wrote a book on his travels to the Orient: Observations in the Orient. I have taken some of the passages that have to do with Korea. It was a trip taken in 1917 to Japan, Korea, Manchuria, China, Indochina and the Philippines.

I picked up a Korean today but did not recognize his nationality until a good -natured Chinaman enlightened me. The Korean hailed from Honolulu and told me his life-story...I like this Korean, and I have an idea from all that I hear of Koreans in general that their country, watered with the blood of martyrs (in whom Maryknoll has been interested from the beginning) , must be an inviting field.

Oct.24, 1917 arrived in Pusan. It was my first glimpse of what has been known as the "Hermit Kingdom," and as I looked beyond the great detached rocks that rise above the water at the entrance to the harbor and saw its barren hills, I thought of the martyrs-Just de Bretenieres and Henri Dorie, whose homes I visited in France and whose relatives I had met...
It was strange to see the white -dressed Korean men, but the contrast with the black made it easier for me to discover two bearded priests on the wharf. One, in a gray helmet, turned out to be Father Ferrand who, while a missioner in Japan
had visited the United States. The other, Father Peschel, was a young missioner who had come into town on his bicycle from a neighboring village...

Korea had an Emperor and he is yet alive, as also is his son; but, unfortunately for both, the good people of Korea seem destined to be governed, at least occasionally, by some outsider, and Japan is now the ruling power with a good chance of making herself at home for many a long year.

The Japanese people have been flocking to this country and among them are Catholics. It is for this reason that Father Ferrand came from Japan.

( Bishop Walsh spent some time visiting the Seminary in Taegu and the Cathedral and than went to Seoul.)

At Home in Seoul.
I had been in correspondence with Bishop Mutel for a dozen years and was familiar with his photograph, so it was not difficult to recognize him as he stood on the station platform at Seoul... the rickshaw men dumped us out at the Cathedral gate, Father Larribeau, an agile little Procurator, was there to receive us. The residence is a large brick building, with a balcony at one end overlooking the city. The Cathedral itself towers on a height in the rear.

The house within is physically cheerless, with its floors of wide boards filled with the dust of years, its bare walls, its poor oil lamps, and the general lack of small comforts; but the spirit that pervades it, I soon learned, is so warm, so pure, so unconsciously spiritual , that I realized more fully than ever how small an influence material comforts exert in the life of a Catholic missioner...

I slept that night as if I had reached the Nirvana stage, and as I stepped out on the balcony before going over to the Cathedral the sun was lighting the surrounding hills and falling on the roofs, quaint and modern by turns, of this considerable city.

The priests were all out, saying Mass, when I left the house, but I found my way to the Cathedral on the height above, and entered. It was at the Canon of the Mass, and around the altar the supreme hush had fallen, but from the centre of the church came the hum of many voices- the buzz of prayer from some three score of Koreans, men and woman, who were seated on the floor. All were dressed in white and the men, as a rule, wore their head-pieces. The women looked like a flock of white nuns veiled for their devotions.

I lingered that morning after the thanksgiving prayers and sauntered down through the church. Its gray brick, uncovered with plaster, revealed its strength, and mounted into high and graceful vaults. No fresco "artist' had stenciled these walls, and with the exception of a few benches for Europeans, the pulpit (a model of wood-carving), and a baptismal font, there were no church furnishings.

(The bishop also made a trip to Chemulpo which would have been the present Cathedral of Inchon but at that time a part of Seoul. Many years later this was to be home for Maryknollers )

( Bishop Walsh took his departure from Seoul regretfully.) Bishop Mutel with four of his priests- one a Korean-came to the station, and the Bishop accompanied me for a few miles on the train. I asked him when he would come to America, and with a characteristic expression he shook his head and answered that he did not expect to make another long journey until the last one- and he pointed in the direction of the cemetery. (Bishop Walsh from Korea went up north through Manchuria to Tientsin and the rest of his trip.)

Who am I?

This reflection is taken from In His Own Words by Fr. John Cioppa, Maryknoller from Hong Kong. Fr. John just recently celebrated his 5oth anniversary as a priest and during that time has had many positions of leadership in the Society and at present is the superior of the Maryknollers in Hong Kong.

" Fr. John joined the Holy Spirit Study Centre in 1988, and since then has become the indispensable administrator, who helps us to run the often-complex daily operations of the Centre. He has done this with tireless devotion, with charm and respect, gaining from the members of the Centre our most sincere affection and gratitude. Fr. John is not only a straightforward and efficient administrator, but also a man who loves beauty and grace. He was behind the renovation of the facilities and offices of the Centre, giving us a nice, well-lit and pleasant place to work everyday. Father John has also been the capable convener of past Church in China conferences. He really deserves our gratitude. "

There are two questions which you and I never cease to ask. Questions that remain buried deep in the heart of every person. One is "Who AM I?"and the other is, "What AM I doing Here?" We may never ask these questions directly of anyone, but in one way or another we are constantly seeking for answers and the answers are what gives meaning to my life.These are living questions; puzzles that are never solved, mysteries that are never dispelled.

The first answer we often come up with is "I am what I do". And this is very real. When I do things and have a little success, I feel good about myself. When I fail or get older and can do little, I feel low or depressed and useless. Young people who have still to begin their careers also feel they have done nothing and likewise get low or depressed. So often our identity depends on what I can do.

We might also say, "I am what other people say about me. "For some people this is most important. When people speak well of me. I can walk around happily and freely. When people start saying negative things about me I begin to feel sad. If I do something well and 10 people congratulate me , but one scorns me, I remember the latter because I have been hurt. If someone says something hurtful in the morning, it can stay with me the whole day and ruin my mood for the day. What people say about me has an enormous affect on who I think I am.

Some might say, "I am what I have." For example, I can say I am Chinese, with kind parents, a university education, good job and healthy. I feel happy and satisfied with myself, but as soon as I lose any part of what I have: my health or job, for instance, I begin to slip into darkness. This happens often with people who have great material possessions: wealth, property, and money. Many people committed suicide in 1929 when the Stock Market crashed.

Quite often a lot of our energy goes into " I am what I do," "I am what others say about me," "I am what I have." When people live that way our lives are repetition of ups and downs. When people speak well of me, when I am successful, when I have a lot, I am excited and happy. But when I fail, and people talk about me behind my back or I lose my friends I slip into depression and am in low spirits.

When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil tried to get Jesus to do great things so that people would be convinced of "Who He was." But Jesus already knew who He was. At His baptism by John He already heard His heavenly Father assure Him, "You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." That was Jesus' true identity. He didn't have to depend on what He could do , or what people would say or what He possessed. Jesus knew very well that He was the beloved son of the Father.

And that is our true identity also. What we say about Jesus can be said of us. We too are the beloved children of God. He loves us just as much as He loved Jesus. That's what it means to have faith; not to know a lot, but to be truly convinced that God really does love me as His son or daughter with an unconditional, unlimited forgiving love. So when I fail, or am ill, or am bankrupt, or am out of a job, or grow old, or am rejected or hurt, I am not overcome, because I know "Who I Am"- a beloved child of God.

What Fr. John has seen over the years working in Hong Kong is something we also see in Korea. We at times think that we are here only to work and to possess. If this does become the end and be all of our existence, disappointments and frustrations will not be far away. Life is a gift of God and it is to be enjoyed but often we use God and do not enjoy Him and what He has given. Koreans do love to play, to enjoy one another, and be close to nature but with "progress" time becomes money and the simple things of life no longer are important. We are too busy to enjoy just "being", our existence, a situation which is a colossal tragedy.

The Unhealed Scars of the Korean Psyche

While in the States recently I visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I was interested in things Korean so I spent some time in the Asian area of the museum. I was upset and had an inkling of what the Koreans understand by "Han".(원한)

In the Asian area there was only one section in which I found a representation of Korean Life. I went over to the Japanese section and found many more but the placard that I found annoying was the one that said many things came into Japan from Asia. I have forgotten the exact words but it must have been difficult for those writing to mention that it came in from Korea. There is nothing in history about Japan before 57 AD and it is my understanding that it was the Koreans that transformed the Japanese stone- age culture into a agricultural and metal one. If this be the facts, it is no surprise to see that Japan is one of the reasons for the Korean "Han". Not only do Koreans have this "Han" feeling for I also found it difficult to shake. The history of Korea is older than that of Japan and much of what the Japanese have received did come in from China but by way of Korea. This is difficult for the Japanese to accept.

The dictionary definition of Han is: a grudge; resentment; a bitter feeling; spite; hatred; rancor; a mixed feeling of sorrow and regret (unique to Korean); an unsatisfied desire.

It is a scar that is never really healed. The Koreans have suffered a great deal over the centuries at the hands of others. A small country surrounded by three giants and in recent history the United States is included. Korea has been a pawn for others over the centuries to meet their individual needs. This article does give one a general understanding of "Han".

North Korea and "Han" would be a good place to understand the antics of this part of the peninsular. They have many unhealed scars. If this is true of the South we can say that this is felt in the North many times over. Especially now that they are having difficulty feeding their own people and demonized in the world press.

The Catholic Church with many years of persecution in their beginning history in Korea has also been scared and has worked to rid itself of this feeling of "Han".
The "Han" has been sublimated.

Jesus was very clear what has to be done with the "Han" feeling. "if you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar , go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "
Mt (5:23)

EATING AS PRAYER

Taken from In My Own Words by Fr. John Cioppa of Hong Kong.

Have you ever thought of eating as prayer? If prayer is communicating with God, we can pray anytime whether we are walking, reading, working or eating. St. Theresa said, "God walks amid the pots and pans." God is everywhere: in our kitchens, dining rooms, classrooms as well as in our churches. God is 100% available to us, whether we are kneeling in prayer, doing dishes or doing nothing.

In the New Testament, much of Jesus' life and ministry was associated with food. His first miracle was at a marriage feast. He multiplied bread and fish to satisfy people's hunger. He ate at Zachary, the tax collector's house in Jericho, and with lepers in Bethany. It was at a meal that Mary Magdalene poured ointment over Jesus' feet. At the Last Supper Jesus chose bread and wine as the elements under which He would remain with us after His Resurrection. After He rose from the dead He appeared several times to the Apostles at meals-on the road to Emmaus and on the seashore.

God in His great wisdom created our bodies, which normally have to be fed several times a day. If we don't eat, in a short time we die. Eating does not only nourish the body, it also provides an occasion for people to stop and rest for a few moments, and gives the opportunity for conversation and sharing of life. Apart from the body, eating nourishes the soul as well. The way we eat says a lot about the way we live. We often assess the quality of daily life by the way the family eats. What a beautiful sight it is to see a family sitting down together to eat, talk , laugh and maybe even cry! Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the entire family gathering together for Sunday dinner. There was plenty of good food, wine and conversation and lots of time to enjoy it. Sometimes the dinner lasted for three hours.

Unfortunately the custom of the entire family eating is slowly eroding away. The reasons are many. Time is limited , work schedules are varied, houses are small and cramped, fast food restaurants are many and the pressures of society are great.

... What better way to celebrate birthdays, weddings or even funerals than by having a meal together. With food we settle arguments, restore lost friendships, settle business deals or dispel hurt feelings . When we eat we commune not only with people but also with God.The feeling of well being after a good meal, the satisfaction after a cool glass of water or the joy of a glass of wine is all expressions of prayer. They are different ways that God reveals Himself. The peace and joy that I feel after a meal with a friend, the relief I share after solving a problem and make friends again, the handshake with friends after a banquet, the enjoyment of good food or drink are signs that God is with us. We don't always have to use words to pray. We just have to be aware that all of these creatures come from God had have been give to us to use, enjoy and share with others.We should thank God but even if we do not, God is glorified. God made us to enjoy food and made food for us to enjoy.

This reflection makes a great deal of sense in our own Korean Society. The Korean have a great table culture and it is one that I have admired from the first days I arrived in Korea. When we have a meal at the mission station with the community there is always a place for some one who comes late. All that is necessary is to give him eating utensils and a bowl of rice which is always available and he can sit down at the table with the many side dishes. It is a very welcoming table and quite different from the eating in the west.With the men it can develop into a drinking finale which is not part of the table culture that I find most attractive.