Korean Catholics in Mission Overseas

The Catholic Church in Korea is young and ready to begin in earnest going out to others. Many young people in the future will give themselves to the mission effort of the Church. We mentioned in yesterday's blog the words of the archbishop of the Orthodox Church in the way he looked at evangelization. He mentioned a number of times that you can't force the faith on anyone. The Orthodox Church does not have the history that we have in this area. That is probably one of the reasons they are so adamant in not wanting the Catholic Church to proselytise in Russia. We say that we are not but that is not the way it appears to the Orthodox. We did follow the guns and swords of the conquistadors in South America and the results are there for anyone to see.

In Korea the faith came without that baggage but with the blood of the martyrs. It suffered which
made it a strong Church. The future of the Church in Asia will depend a great deal on the Korean Church.

The Catholic Korean Mission Society was established in 1975 and now has 56 priests and 34 seminarians. Two Maryknollers are helping them in their formation program. They have missioners in Cambodia, China, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan , Russia, and Mozambique.

Besides the men who are sent out by the Mission Society we have many other men and woman sent by the diocese , religious groups and societies of apostolic life. The Colomban Fathers have a lay missionary program working in the formation and sending of lay missioners overseas.

In this present issue of the Catholic Peace paper there is a brief sketch of Fr. Han Yeong-wan (John) who as a seminarian in 1985 for a diocese here in Korea offered his services to the diocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador. He was accepted and the following year left for Ecuador. He was ordained in 1988 worked for 5 years in a jungle area, two years on the Amazon River working among 5 native tribes and in 1995 became the first pastor of the Sacred Heart parish in which he worked for 15 years. It is about half the size of Chejudo Island with 40,000 Catholics and 60 mission stations. He returned to Korea this May for a heart operation and to recuperate and will return next year to Ecuador.


The work is very hard and despite 500 years of Christianity they are far from the status of Korea with a much shorter history. They all have their children baptized within a year but it is to ward off the punishment of God. It is like a charm against evil that the Koreans are familiar with. "Let alone knowing about prayer and sacramental life, not a small number even know how to make the sign of the cross," he says. They need the help of missionaries to educate them to what they have received. There are 120 Korean priests, religious and lay people working in Central and South America at present.

This sending of Korean Missioners is just beginning. The Protestants have many times the number of the Catholics but there is a noticeable difference in the approach of the Catholics and their efforts to follow our Lord's mandate to evangelize. A foreign missioner seeing this ferment in the Korean Church adds great joy to his last chapter of life.

Eastern and Western Ways of Evangelization in Korea

Today is Mission Sunday in Korea and a time to reflect on the last words of Jesus to the Church. We will be hearing many different talks during the Masses on Sunday but let us look at the mind of the Eastern Orthodox Archbishop in Korea. His words were the head piece of the Catholic Times this week.

The Orthodox Church with its Russian presence is the closest to Korea but it was the Western Catholic Church that came to Korea. The Easter Orthodox have never been strong in the kind of evangelization that the Western Catholic Church is known for and listening to the words of the archbishop one easily sees why. They were in walking distance to China but it was the Western Church's books on Catholicism that the Koreans brought back.

The archbishop in his words to the interviewer defined evangelization as a life of humility, a life of witness and of light. In asking the missioner and cleric what is the meaning of evangelization he answered, "Giving a good example, we can't force faith on anyone. Jesus said to his disciples follow me only if you want,that is all."

The Orthodox have been in Korea for over a hundred years and have 14 parishes with 3,000 Christians. Their way of looking at evangelization is certainly not the same as the our Western approach. However there is some very attractive elements in this passive attitude. One of the sermons for this Sunday a priest mentioned the martyr Hwang Il Kwang's words: "I was born in the lowest segment of society and up to now have never received the respect given a human being. In becoming a Catholic it was not any teaching or human wisdom but the Catholics' way of life that taught me the truth of Catholicism. For me there are two heavens. One of these I have yet to reach... the other is this present life. The yangbans (higher class of society) treated me, who was considered no better than an animal, as a brother, a member of their family, when we recited the rosary to God our Father and the Blessed Mother, we did it together and we suffered together. If I die now I have no regrets"

There probably should be a lot more of the eastern approach to Evangelization in our western methods. Jesus certainly wanted us to speak and to go out to others when the occasion warrants but it would be affecting change in a deeper way if evangelization began with ourselves and was the motivating focus of our communities.

Korea Against Sexual Abuse of Minors

The Catholic Press is mostly concerned with internal Catholic matters be they local or worldwide. They leave for the most part the concerns of our larger society to its press. In recent weeks in cyperspace a great uproar, crying out to heaven for redress: sexual crimes against our young people. The Catholic Times has an article with the heading: "Our embarrassing self portrait 'our insensitivity to sexual violence against minors'."

Last December there was a horrible incident in which a 57 year old drunk, recidivist, raped an 8 year old girl in such a way that the girl will be an invalid for life. When the Court sentenced him to 12 years in prison and the electronic anklet for 7 years and this became public, the uproar was great.

This incident circulating in cyberspace and the petitions, have been making the rounds asking for a harsher punishment. In one day on one of the portals, there were more than 200,000 who signed.

The United States has been enlightened to the price these young people and their families have to pay when these crimes are committed. It is not a one act and all is over incident, in the lives of these victims. The Catholic Church unwittingly and unwillingly was center stage in the unfolding of this part of our recent State-side history. Hopefully the clerical abuse was so upsetting that it gave all a new awareness of what sexual abuse entails.

Korean Society is beginning to realize this is an area that has not been allowed to see the light of day. Most of the society does not know what is involved in these crimes or how frequent they are committed. The number of such crimes against children has also increased over the years. Men seem to be more callous. The articles mentioned that many men do not commit sexual crimes against minors but when they buy sex are committing a sexual crime. This is tolerated in Korean Society although illegal.

The gist of the article is that there has to be a change of thinking before any thing will happen. The clamor that we have been hearing will subside and every thing go back to normal unless an effort is made for change. One has to know what is involved in sex crimes and change our thinking on what is to be done. There is no safe area or safe person when it comes to these crimes. The Koreans are a very understanding people when it comes to sexual offenses and this is often a plus but not in this area of minors.

This is an area that has to be probed . Children are taught to be obedient to their elders, part of the culture, but as the article stated when persons start to touch the bodies of the children they should be taught to say stop I don't want you to touch me. This will take time and a long period of reeducation and change.

At present many of the crimes are settled with the mutual consent of the parties with parole, or fine, only about 27% go to jail. This will undoubtedly change but the area of sex in our society has to be examined beginning in the home, church and society and grasp what is happening in this important area of life.

The Humble Will be Exalted

The words of Matt. 23: 12-13-"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted," we hear often and many are the ways we explain it. Here is a Korean's understanding of what is meant and not meant.

1) A life of unconditional declining.

2) No matter where one goes to take the last place.

3) Always refuse to be praised.

4) To walk with heads down, backs bent and eyes to the ground.

5) None of the above.

The author of the above says it is surprising how many would subscribe to the 4 above.
He goes on to explain that we have to see another dimension to what is being said. To use spiritual language it is not to inflate ourselves. It is not to lie or see ourselves as more than we are.

How does one know he is inflating himself ? He then lists some of the characteristics one would be showing . He uses the persons opposed to Jesus in the Gospel as the foil to explain what is meant.

One who has an authoritarian attitude. and does not allow for disagreement.


Those who are fastidious about their dress.

Those who try to raise themselves at the expense of others. Those who see the world ending any day now with God ready to punish. They are passing themselves off as the the just ones, the exalted.


This is a different way of looking at the words of Jesus but with good reasons for their understanding.

Lectio Divina by the Bishop of Incheon

A few days ago I received in the mail the third book of meditations written by our bishop Choi Ki-San of Incheon. The meditations are of Old Testament readings that the bishop selects and after reflection writes his thoughts down for publication. The first book was, "Words that call out for Happiness", the second, "Words that call out for Victory" and the last one, "Words that call out for Hope". I have translated these in my way, hopefully, they will not be far from the intention of the bishop.


The diocese of Incheon has about 420 thousand Catholics and 111 parishes. It is a big diocese with much to do but the bishop has taken quality time to immerse himself in Lectio Divina which has benefited not only himself but others.


Pope Benedict XVI stated: "I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart (cf. Dei Verbum, n. 25). If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime."

The five steps of Lectio Divina.

Lectio: reading the scriptural passage many times.


Meditatio: reflection on the words of the passage or part of the passage, thinking and letting the Spirit move us to grasp what is contained in the Scripture.

Oratio: Opening our hearts to God with a prayer a dialogue with God on what we have read.


Contemplatio: A loving focus on God. A long loving look at what has transpired. A wordless contemplation of God and rest in His presence.


Operatio: Have this change the way we live-metanoia. We are in someway changed by what has transpired.


The bishop has been involved in Lectio Divina for many years; despite the busy life he makes time for this prayer, a good example to those of us in the diocese.

Korea needs Fathers and Mothers

In continuation from yesterday's blog, Korea has been fighting the low birth rate and has taken steps to bring about a change. Yesterday's Chosun Ilbo had an article with the headline: monthly birth of new born babies on average dropped 1800-from last year. The number of marriages also dropped 7% from last last year. This means this year, Korea could see a birth rate of about 1.1, France (2) Sweden (1.37). The average of the economically developed countries would be 1.73. Korea's rate is the lowest in the world.

The government is seeing things getting worse. The economic conditions of society play a part, fewer marriages of the young, the difficulty of getting a job will affect the number of marriages. A sharp increase in the percentage of unmarried women in Korea is a factor behind the country's low birth rate. The article mentioned the spread of the "swine flu" is also responsible for a decrease.

Following Korean Astrology those born next year will be under the zodiac sign of the tiger and this is a concern for some government officials. The sign of the horse and tiger in Korean astrology are not good signs for girls: Korean folklore is still influencing the society even despite the role of Christianity.

The government has taken steps but have not proven helpful.
"Our efforts will focus on raising social awareness of falling birthrate and encouraging couples to have babies,'' said a spokesperson from the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. "We will launch drives to prevent abortions, protect maternity in workplaces and encourage marriages.''

The article ends with the note that the birth rate could fall to the lowest in Korean history, with a rate of 1.o in 2011. There is sadness that our Christian families are not influenced more by their faith than things we would consider extraneous to a truly Catholic view of life.

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