Dialogue With Other Religions Is Mandated by Love

Korea's reputation as a country with a good record of interreligious harmony is deserved, but recently there was an incident at a Buddhist temple where some Protestant young people did their best to tarnish this reputation. They entered the temple and held their service there, asking God to destroy the temple, which they considered a place of idol worship.  They made a  video clip which was available on the Internet.  It was not only an embarrassment to all believers but to the majority of Protestants. This prompted an editorial in the Peace Weekly and articles in the Catholic press.

The Protestant minister responsible  did go to the temple with the young people to apologize to the monks; the apology was accepted but this did not stop the many blogs that responded to this senseless act. The Buddhist authorities responded with a simple statement, lamenting the action:  "What was done threatens our pluralistic society and our peaceful coexistence. It shows not only that a conflict exists between Buddhism and Protestantism but that it a problem for our society."

Two articles in the Catholic Weekly make clear the importance of  understanding and  respecting another's religion. History gives us many examples of the harm done by self-righteousness and cliquishness. Even in our own times, terrorism and wars are on the rise, instigated by our failure to understand those different from ourselves and to accept this difference.

We as Catholics have the teaching of the Church that makes dialogue between religions imperative for peace. We must make a greater effort to understand and respect those who are different from ourselves, but we must at the same time realize this does not militate against our desire to want others to join us, and we respect the same feeling on the part of others. It must also be understood that we do not look forward to making all religions one.

Catholics see the dialogue between religions as the way to strengthen each religion. Cardinal Francis Arinze was quoted as saying:"Members of the different religions can positively stimulate  each other."  When we see faithful Muslims praying 5 times a day it helps us want to be more faithful in our own prayer life. When we work together with other religions we are working for justice and the progress of society, and also expressing our love for others.

One article observed that for those who do not have a strong foundation in their own religion there is a danger to accept a relativistic view of life: all relgions are the same, they are just different ways of going to God. There is also the eclectic approach of trying to make them into one religion. When a  person does not have a good grasp of his own religious tradition, dialogue is meaningless. 

A Consolata father, a member of the Bishop's Committee for Interreligious dialogue  ends the article by saying "Before Christians begin the dialogue, we have to keep in mind that God is the father of all and that we believe God loves even those who do not believe. Dialogue between religions is putting into practice the love that God has for all.

Reading the Scriptures With the Heart and the Head

Starting on the Feast of Christ the King to the Saturday before Advent, the Korean Church will celebrate Bible Week. It will be an opportunity for Catholics to do more reading and living with the Scriptures. This year we start the week with the apostolic exhortation of Pope Benedict's Verbum Domini (The Word of the Lord), a reflection on the 2008 Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church."

The two Catholic papers had editorials and articles on how we can make Scripture a part of our lives. This year the emphasis will be on living the Scriptures rather than simply knowing what they say.

The Peace Weekly, along with their article, had the picture of a young Japanese woman who had received the prize for  excellence in the Suwon Diocese Scripture Competition.  She had only been baptized  a year and yet, in the parish preliminaries, was picked to represent the parish in the diocesan competition. She was also made a small community leader.

In 2008, she was in a traffic accident that required a  serious operation. This made her think about her purpose in life; she realized not everything was under her control. Although she had no interest in religion, she went to the Catholic Church and asked for instructions. She finished the course and was baptized with the  baptismal name Rita.

She  met her husband in Canada, where she was studying English, and were married in 2003. Her husband was a tepid Catholic, who had been away from the Sacraments for 15 years. Seeing his wife's effort to learn about Catholicism motivated him  to return to the Church.

The day before the finals of the competition she was notified that her maternal grandfather had died. She didn't know whether to forget the finals and leave for Japan or to stay and compete in the finals. When her husband said he would get the tickets and arrange  everything, she felt better about staying, which allowed her to finish the competition and win. This brought joy despite the sadness of her grandfather's death.

This is just one example of how many Korean Catholics have taken the study of Scripture seriously. In the  past they have used many catch-phrases: "let's read, write and be close to the Scriptures." Now, the words are: "Let us live the Scriptures." After many years of effort in getting to know the Scriptures, we have learned to appreciate the necessity of approaching the Scriptures less with the head and more with the heart, if we are to bring meaningful change into our lives.

Do We Need Guidelines on How to Die?

During this month of November Catholics think of death and  pray for those who have died. The trees are shedding their leaves, and nature  goes to sleep, which makes thoughts of death come easier. The secular press does not spend much time reflecting on the meaning of death but the Chosun Ilbo has an interesting account of a book, "Dying in the Hospital."

Written by a Japanese doctor, the book chronicles his 16 years attending 300 persons who died in the hospital. It convinced him that it was not the place to spend one's last moments on earth and that when his time came, he would not spend it in a hospital. Although those dying in a hospital have access to all kinds of life-support equipment--to help them breathe and receive nourishment--their days are neither  living nor a dying. It is not dying as a human being and meeting death with dignity, so the doctor says.

He tells the story of a 40-year old man who, after he was told he had terminal cancer, left his hospital bed and went home to spend his last months with his family. This time with them was the  most important of his 40 years, he said, and the kind of message he wanted to leave behind for the family.

The columnist refers to a survey of 298 cancer patients who were receiving anti-cancer treatment six months before death. In Korea 95 percent of cancer patients would be receiving such treatment; in the United States, it would be only 33 percent. He believes the reason for this discrepancy is that Koreans have a strong attachment to life and the  denial of death is pervasive. When death comes suddenly into their life or the life of their loved ones, it is difficult to accept.

The column ends by mentioning that the Korean Institute of Death has published guideline material on how to prepare for death. It begins with instructions on preparing the last will and testament, how to inform others of one's impending death, how to improve the relationship with the doctor, and what the family needs to know. That we in this modern world need guidelines on  how to live, the columnist understands, but that  we need them for dying left him perturbed. However, in this world where extraordinary measures are often taken to live well, it is also important  to know how to die well.

Korean Purgatorial Societies

In most  parishes, a group of parishioners are responsible for helping those who are nearing death.  Stateside they are often called purgatorial societies. Members pray, have Masses said, or do good works for the dead. However, in Korea these societies have been 'Koreanized,' doing much more than is commonly expected, which shows the importance of death in the Korean psyche.

These Korean societies assist the family in every way possible and arrange for the priest to come, if the one dying has not already received the Sacrament of the sick. At death, when the undertakers were few and the people poor, the members of the society would do the work of the undertaker as a voluntary work of love. They would wash the body, clothe it, take care of the rites for placing the body in the coffin, and pray the office of the dead (yeon do); when sung, this takes about one hour.  This was a  great consolation to  the family, for many would not know what to do. They would also make the funeral arrangements and be on call for the bereaved family until the burial and even after, if the family wanted.

Some parishes have their own mortuaries where the body remains until the day of the funeral. Members of the purgatorial societies  are usually the older parishioners and not infrequently,the largest group in the parish. They have motivated many people to return to the Church, seeing the devotion of these Catholics as they went about their duties during times of  bereavement. Their presence at the home of the deceased or in the mortuaries  giving strength to the bereaved families is truly a beautiful sign of God's love.

During this month of All Souls, many articles on death and dying  appeared in the Catholic press. The  Peace Weekly interviewed a 53-year old who has been a  member of the society for ten years.  When she joined at the age of 43, many of the older members thought she would not be reliable, perhaps believing that at her age, she would not be able to have sufficient empathy for those who are facing death; they expected she wouldn't last long. However, they changed their minds soon after she became a member. They now call her Mrs. Kim, the undertaker.

She travels to different parishes giving lectures on the office of the dead and how to recite it. Having a mother who used to walk an hour every day to Mass helped her to follow naturally in her footsteps, and seeing death often as a child also helped. At the age of 10 she saw a woman who had hung herself in her garden; at 13 her younger brother died suddenly, and in high school, she witnessed the death of a street person. When she saw people stepping over him on the sidewalk, she had her first doubt about the dignity and goodness of humans. All of it, she believes, was a preparation for her work as a member of the society.

These purgatorial societies are an important  part of the Church but probably nowhere in the Catholic world, outside of Korea, would you have a purgatorial society that expects so much from its members. We are  grateful to them for their selfless dedication in performing a difficult task so well.

Understanding the Word Self Respect

A columnist in the Catholic Times reflects on a new word that now frequently shows up in our conversations: ja jon gam--a feeling of respect for oneself. The word we have been using, ja jon sim, also means  self respect, but she believes that most of the time ja jon sim has been used negatively--being concerned that others may look down on us. The two words mean the same as in English: dignity, self pride, self esteem, but in Korean the 'sim' form of the word also has a negative connotation in most cases.

It  would be good for those that are fearful of what others may think to put God in the place of the other; life would then seem very different. However, she has no difficulty with the 'sim' word. She feels that only when we pass ourselves off to others as different from what we are does it become false self respect.
 

She looked up  'gam' in a large Korean dictionary and couldn't find it. She does not get into the reasons for this, but it could be that the 'gam' word has only a positive connotation, and we needed a word to express this.  She tells us of the benefits of having respect for oneself, crediting the success of many to this feeling of self-respect. Parents, family, teachers should be encouraged, she says, to help instill this feeling of respect. And even if it is not given by others,  God can make up for this  lack in our lives.

As Catholics, the way we express ourselves at times can be misunderstood as demeaning ourselves. Our language may not be psychologically proper, but it is very spiritually proper, although not readily understood without the context of Christianity. The paradoxes of Christianity--when weak we are strong, by dying we live, and the last will be first--are not easy to understand without this context; a context of humility that sees reality as it is.  Korean Catholics realize we are  members of Christ's body and in each  Mass we pray  to partake  of Christ's  divinity.   There  is no greater motive   for the respect that we should have for ourselves or for humility.

The word face is often used in Korean, and 'losing face' is a very hurtful experience. We all desire to make a good impression on others but here again, we are dealing with something very natural.  No one wants to look foolish or be hurt. The natural feelings that come when we lose face can be overcome by respecting who we are and acknowledging our dignity as God's loved ones. 

The columnist ends with this commentary: Only when we respect and love ourselves will we respect and love the other.

Magdalena House

The Peace Weekly recently interviewed  the custodian of Magdalena House, a Catholic shelter for victims of prostitution. It  provides counseling for those who are trying to leave the life of prostitution and return to a normal life in society. The woman in charge of the House, Consecrata, told of her work to help those who have died while working in the sex trade.                   

She remembers the many women who have come to the shelter and have died. Their pictures were shown to the interviewer, and she heard  Consecrata  reminisce about each one of the women. Each picture had a story to tell. One woman, who had lived as a prostitute but left the life to begin her own small business, was killed in an auto accident.

Since  1987 Consecrata has been involved with the funeral rites for these women. One woman was accepting a male visitor up to the moment she died. Consecrata  was told that it was a heart attack. She told the police she believed it was murder and asked them to investigate. She was told "You must accept what was said, what do you know about this anyway?"  Even the family did not  want to know the reason for her death. She said prayers for her at the mortuary and took the body to the crematorium.


When she hears of prostitutes who are sick she goes to help them in their last hours. When she helped with the  burial and the funeral arrangements, on returning  to the shelter she was considered unclean and they would spread salt around the premises. But seeing the way she has given of herself for others, this attitude has gradually disappeared.

Last month, three  women died. When she went to the crematorium she was met by one of the workers who guessed what it was all about. You do not see women carrying the coffin in Korea, and he offered to help.

The members of Magdalena House on New Year's day and Harvest Festival prepare a table for the rites of the dead. She is asked by some of the women: "When I die will you do the same for me?" The death of a prostitute is of little interest to others, but to Consecrata the time and energy spent in caring for those who are dying is a work of love.  She is often told, "You must not die before me." The rumor that prostitutes have to sell their bodies for experimental purposes to have enough money for the funeral is no longer circulated. If the woman has no family, Consecrata takes care of all that is necessary; she doesn't want to be the custodian of an unknown grave.

When the anniversary of their death comes around, she often gives friends of the deceased money to buy vegetables to prepare for guests. These women have lived a difficult life, filled with shame. Consecrata  tries her best to be with them when sick and facing death, and to fulfill their wishes for the funeral rites. In a Buddhist funeral, the more bows the better, and on one occasion, she bowed so often she returned home with her legs  shaking.                                                                                                                       

These women have been treated as objects.  Consecrata's desire is to make their final moments on earth like all the others in society. She sees  their dignity and is  responding to it.

Catholic Lay Theologians of Korea

Right after the start of the Apostolic Church those that went to the gentiles with the Gospel were laity. In the early Church those engaged voluntarily in the study of theology where lay persons. This was also true at the start of the Church in Korea: lay persons studying the teachings of the Church, living it, and bringing it into their faith life.  
 
The editorial in the Catholic Times introduces us again to these facts and reminds us that in a pluralistic society we will have many more lay Catholics getting involved in theology and taking  their rightful place within the Church.

The winner this year of the Korean Catholic Scholastic Award went to a professor who has been working in the field of history for the last 30 years. This is the second time that the award went to a layperson.
 
Within the Catholic Church in Korea we see the laypersons’ maturity coming very much to the fore: not only in scripture, history and ecclesiology but also in other related fields of special interest to lay theologians. The laity are not receiving much support, however, from the Church, especially in preparing an encouraging atmosphere for lay theologians. 
 
With the  deepening of spirituality,  they will help to evangelize our society and also carry out the mission to go out to the rest of Asia and the world.  Support for promoting spiritual maturity and theological studies will be necessary if  they are not to  flounder. Without this proper pursuit of learning and  mature spirituality,  progress will be building a house of cards.

The presentation of scholastic awards is a sign of growth. It enables the Church to acknowledge those who are prominent in their field of study and to encourage others in their study. However, it is not sufficient to give awards if we don't also support our lay theologians; this must be given more attention and support by the Church. The editorial recommends a permanent research institute that will contribute to the formation of lay theologians and lay leaders.  

The clergy and religious have been so closely identified with the Church that there has been a tendency among the laity to feel like inferior members of the Church. We are all members of one body and the laity are the  members whose function is to spread the Gospel in  the world. With the continued growth of the Church and increased finances, we should soon see the lay person coming to center stage and making more contributions to the life of the Church.