Will Korea Ever Have a 'Slow City'?

Market days, every five days, were an important part of old Korea. People would meet in the center of town to talk, look over the merchandise, buy what they wanted, eat and leisurely enjoy the time away from home. It was a "slow life."

A priest writing in a Catholic magazine tells us about his trip to the International "Slow City" in Italy. Slow cities welcome and support people who prefer to live at a slower pace than the usual city dweller. Traditional ways of doing things are valued-- no cars, no chain stores, no fast food, little noise, fewer crowds, and a desire for the dolce vita.

The Italian city, surrounded with a rampart and situated on a mountain, does not allow cars in the city. Cars are left at the outskirts of the city where public transportation is made available to visitors. In place of supermarkets and fast food stores, two market days a week offer buyers fresh food from the countryside; bread baked with no preservatives, and all kinds of handicrafts. Practically everything shuts down from noon to 3:00 o'clock for resting and a leisurely lunch. In the evening, the plaza in front of city hall becomes a favorite meeting place for many.

The writer tells us that the Indians in the old days, when riding a horse, would stop occasionally to allow their spirits to catch up with them. The idea that a too busy life is without spirit, without soul, is found in the Chinese character for busy 忙 (망), meaning to ''forget your spirit." The writer admits that the busy life has given us material prosperity but usually with an accompanying loss of spirit.

Nature gives its abundance at a very slow pace. Following the rhythm from nature allows us to be more attuned to God, and will tend to open us up to a healthier spirituality. Slow city is not God's kingdom, but the effort to slow our generally hectic daily routines is a prequisite.

The Koreans see that one's personal life has not kept pace with the economic development of the country, making it the world's 13th most powerful country. Although they will continue to argue over the relative merits of development and spirituality, I do not think we will be seeing very many slow cities in Korea soon.

A New Way of Living an Ecological Life

The Eucharist is the center of a Catholic's Liturgical life. Jesus wanted to be in the bread and wine of the Mass. For this to happen the earth, sun, water and human cooperation preceded God's action, making Jesus present on our altars-- the cosmos became present in the Eucharist with Jesus.

Ecological Spirituality sees the world with these lenses. This new way of seeing our environment will be discussed during the year in the Catholic Kyeong Hyang Magazine. Thinking of creation as independent and separate from ourselves and placing humanity at the center of Creation have led to the ecological crisis we face today. We have misunderstood "to subdue, to tend and take care of " to mean do as we please.

The Magazine begins the discussion in the current issue by making the sin of pride the culprit, and ends the article by showing how the steps used for confession may help us to achieve a correct ecological spirituality.

The five steps used in Confession:

1) Examination of Concience: To see where sin has caused the destruction of ecosystems and the crisis we face-- as we replaced God with humans at the center of creation, as we mistake capitalistic industrialization as the basic structure of society, and as we constantly search for more comfort.

2) Contrition: To be sorry for our failings in this area. Sorry for what we have done to God and his Creation--perfect contrition. Sorry out of fear for the harm that we have done to ourselves and creation--imperfect contrition.

3) Resolve: Firm resolution not to again be a cause of ecological destruction, to see with a new heart the ecological problems we have created.

4) Confession: Honestly and accurately confess the sins we have discovered, such as being conscious only of human development, with no interest in nature, resulting in the polluting of air, water and earth. The overuse of disposables, abuse of resources, supporting growth at any price, and the contempt for life. .

5) Penance: Living an ecologically friendly life. Work for the green revolution and against reckless development. Be a good Samaritan to nature and accept willingly some uncomfortableness. Use more public transportation and consider ecology when buying. And perhaps most important of all, cutting down on our needs and not indulging in luxuries.

A Young Girl's Conversion to Adulthood

It has been two months since I have arrived at the home for unwed mothers. When I realized I was pregnant it was extremely painful, I wanted to run away. I was 18, with a big obstacle in my life. When I told my parents my only thought was to get rid of it, circumstances would not allow it, since I was 7 months pregnant.

My mother told me they have homes for unwed mothers, and if I went there I'd find peace. No matter how good the place was my ears weren't listening, I knew I'd find it hard to relate with the people I met there, so I hated to go. But the state of things was such that I couldn't but do what my parents wanted.

The day I arrived at the home, driving in the car, all kinds of thoughts came to mind, and I started to cry as we entered the road to the home. I never imagined I would ever be in such a place.... Looking at my parents from behind as they were leaving, they seemed so sad; I gave them another burden to carry. I was determined to become stronger; to accept the baby in my womb.

This home for unwed mothers was run by the Catholic Church. I never prayed or thought of prayer. From the time, I entered the home I began to pray. The teachers are always praying that those unwed mothers do not abort their babies. One wonders, whether those teachers were praying for me. Pictures of abortions are on display at the home, the babies are to be pitied. It is our mistake that made the baby, and I blamed the baby; I am embarrassed.


Before I came to the home, I was a juvenile delinquent. I ran away from home, missed school, drank, smoked...got angry and had no self-control; I only thought of myself. Coming to the home, I still get angry but with the praying I am more temperate and disciplined. I am not only thinking of myself but others, it is like a miracle.

In 2nd year middle school, I began to lose my way. My mother died in my 1st year middle school. Every time I entered the house, I couldn't believe my mother was dead. I blamed myself for her death. I couldn't get rid of the anger. I decided that I would be a vagabond until I'd gain peace of mind. My father introduced me to the woman who would be my mother. At the beginning, I did not warm up to her, but after a time we began to laugh together, she showed concern and helped me, and I started to follow her and loved her.

Since coming to the home, I have learned a great deal. First of all, the value of life, I have learned the means to love myself and others. But most of all by prayer I have learned to have peace in my heart and thank God for sending me my new mother. In the future I will continue to thank God. "Thank you God, I love you."

This is the story of a young unwed mother. Her story was printed in a news letter sent out by the home. There are many of these homes in Korea and are doing a great deal of good, helping the girls to find their way and give them hope for the future.

Need to Empty our 'Mental Inboxes'

The Catholic newspaper had an article recently with many provocative thoughts. Some years ago the writer, as a newbie to the computer world, was having a problem using the internet. He was preparing to send an important e-mail, and after working all night sent it out, as promised, but it was returned. He sent it out a number of times without success and finally went to another religious who knew computers. There might not be a problem with the computer, he was told. It could be a problem with the receiver’s inbox; it could be filled and not accepting any more emails. He was surprised to hear of such an easy resolution to his problem.

He called the addressee of the e-mail to tell him very confidently that his filled inbox was the reason he was not receiving the email. The person had no problem accepting what he had to say, and an hour later called to say the inbox was empty.

He again sent the e-mail and this time the computer told him his e-mail went to its destination. He laughed to see how easy the problem had been solved.

The writer thinks that is what happens to many of us in many other areas of life. We are not able to hear what is spoken because we have too many things in our own mental inbox--worries, self consciousness, pride, scars not healed. Our inbox is stacked with a lot of spam; of no use to us and taking up a lot of space.

To have someone there to help makes the problems we have solvable. Having moral support enables us to search for answers that otherwise would not seem possible for us. There are times, however, when we are not interested in hearing what others have to say; it is not to our advantage so we find ways not to hear. If one chooses this way of relating there is little that we can do--it is their choice.

It is not an easy task to empty what we have placed in our minds and hearts over the years. If there is garbage there, we need to get rid of it and allow the mind and heart to fill with the goodness of life. Nature hates a vacuum and so does our mental and spiritual faculties; just getting rid of the garbage does not solve the problem. We have to fill it with the good, once we get rid of what doesn't belong, or else the second stage may be worse than the first (Luke 11:26).

Treating Others as Scapegoats

"Parents," we often hear, "are made to worry about their children." And it matters little how old the children are, or if they have left home to start their own families. And now, in addition to the usual parental worries, those studying overseas are increasingly facing harassment and even worse difficulties.

Writing in the Catholic Times, a mother recently wrote very enthusiastically about her daughter who had just graduated from college here in Korea. In her next column, she mentioned having second thoughts on how she had expressed herself in her previous column, after reading with great sadness of another parent whose article was in the following week's newspaper. They had lost a son in Russia, who was there as an exchange student. He was killed by a gang of young Russian nationalists simply for being a foreigner.

This was not the first time. Since 2005, six Koreans have been attacked. It may not be against the Koreans as Koreans but against non-whites. With robbery not a motive, the killings have been described as hate crimes. Very likely it may be hostility against the Chinese, who in great numbers are in Russia for work that is more lucrative than in China but also the kind of work most Russians are not interested in--dirty, dangerous and difficult work.

The writer mentions traveling to Russia and staying in a private home where a friend of the family showed the guests a loaded gun that was given to his brother by a famous Russian gang member. He was told to leave by the mother of the house who explained to the guests that resorting to violence is a typical reaction of many Russian youths who are looking for jobs.

The writer goes on to say that the hostility toward non-white visitors to Russia is the scapegoating of foreigners to relieve the frustrations of the Russian youth who feel marginalized in the workplace by the influx of foreigners.

She ends the column by lamenting that our own foreign guests who are here to work also suffer at the hands of Koreans. The Korean culture does not allow for the kind of violent treatment of foreigners seen in Russia, but foreign workers here are sometimes treated cruelly and with discrimination and often without any qualms of conscience. Are we not, she says, treating them as we are being treated in Russia--as scapegoats?

"To Have a Heart Like the Koreans"

Every year in June our Maryknoll Jubilarians are invited back to Maryknoll, New York, for the celebration of their ordination anniversary. This year we will have four celebrating 50 years of priesthood. They all arrived here in Korea in 1960, and all are still here. Three are retired but active and one is the local superior Fr. Gerard Hammond.

In an interview with the Peace Weekly, Fr. Hammond expressed his thoughts on his 50 years of life in Korea. His wish is to have a chance to return to Pyongyang Diocese some day but until then, he prays with the church of South Korea for our brothers and sisters in the North.

The Pyongyang apostolic prefecture was given to Maryknoll in 1927 where the Maryknoll priests had been working since 1923. It was up until that time a part of the Seoul Diocese, and even today there are Maryknollers desiring to return to the diocese that the older missioners were forced to leave.

Maryknoll, at one time, had 96 missioners working in South Korea; today there are only 18. Fr. Hammond feels there is still work that missioners can do in Korea, and he has found work that he can do himself that will help the North Koreans. Starting in 1996 he has been to North Korea about 30 times to help the alienated and those who are suffering from tuberculosis. He works with the Eugene Bell Foundation helping to eradicate TB from that country. In Pyongyang, they bring medicines and equipment to about 40 hospitals, and he will be returning on May 15th for 10 days if given permission. The total amount of financial help Maryknoll and retired Maryknollers and sponsors are able to give each year to the North is $200,000.

Although few in numbers, Maryknollers in Korea are all involved in contributing to the welfare of both Church and society: some are helping by hearing the confessions at the Maryknoll House of those priests and religious who visit the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea. Some are working with the elderly or with the mentally handicapped, giving spiritual direction in a seminary, filling the ongoing need for a mission station presence, retreats, leading partnership programs and working in China--among countless other concerns that develop each day in a missioner's life. And this does not exclude those who are retired; they are still, in their own way, very much involved in the work of mission.

Fr.Hammond recalled the time when he was assigned to the Cheong Ju Diocese in 1960. He was the assistant to Bishop Tji Hak Soon , who later became the bishop of Wonju Diocese, the only bishop who spent time in prison because of the totalitarian government at that time. His teaching for the young missioner, and he has never forgotten it, was that two qualities are necessary for a missioner to Korea: patience and understanding; both being prerequisites to understanding Korean customs and culture, to seeing the Korean way of doing things. Without that attempt, Fr. Hammond says, you cannot be a missioner. Everyday when he gets up, he reminds himself that "today I have to have a heart like the Koreans."

What Does the Virtue of Prudence Mean?

Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues, and it can make us cowards. Too much prudence and we do nothing, too little and we can act unwisely. We have no doubt thought it prudent not to speak out when it was necessary to speak out, and been proactive when probably working silently behind the scene would have been a wiser decision.

Korea has been a country where Christians are still not united on how to act and speak when there are injustices in society. Some feel that Christians should stay out of these matters and spend their time in prayer and doing good. Others feel it is part of our discipleship to be concerned with society and speak out against injustice. A columnist in the Korea Times this week brings the topic to our attention and makes it clear that Christianity cannot be separated from life.

From the time of the Japanese occupation, we have had religious leaders who were handmaids of the power elite, giving government solace. This also continued under the years of dictatorship in Korea when some supported and spoke for the government and used their religion to benefit themselves.

The writer stresses that when one sees injustices in society, it is the duty of the Christian to speak out and resist. If we do not, we are acting cowardly.

For Catholics, this advice to take an active role in society was made very clear from the pronouncements of Vatican II. And yet there are many Catholics who are not concerned about what is going on in society. For some, a Catholic is one who goes to Mass, prays and does good. The writer feels that one of the great weaknesses of religious people is insensitivity to what is going on in society. This is both a tragedy for society and an embarrassment to individual Catholics. We have eyes and do not see, and ears and do not here. With this attitude how can we be the light and salt that Christ wants us to be?

We can't separate religion from the religious person. Fortunately, Catholics are beginning to see this as a duty. Why else do we pray and why do we evangelize but to see this become a reality in our lives? The Church in Korea is making an effort to educate Catholics for our role in society. Looking up to heaven and asking God to get involved is not enough. We need to look around us here on earth and participate in the work that God gave us to do.