Catholic Charnel Houses in Korea

Our cultural experiences of death and funerals can be very different.  It is therefore difficult to find the same practices being followed, in any culture, when dealing with the death of a loved one. Seeing the necessity for setting aside more land  for cemeteries in Korea has brought about a change in the thinking of Koreans. In 2008, the number of those who chose cremation over burial reached nearly 70 percent.
  

And yet the facilities to cherish the memories of the dead are few. There is an aversion to these facilities by many in the culture, perhaps one reason being an extreme emphasis on health and fitness This opposition on the part of many of our citizens, often without good reason, is the reason local governments have difficulty in permitting charnel houses.

Even when these vaults that temporarily hold the remains of the recently deceased are located in buildings of worship, there are those who avoid them. A sign that the funeral procedures we now have are not conducive to giving respect to the dead. Even the constitutional court makes the building of charnel houses in churches difficult.
 

The law court acknowledged the sentiment of many of our citizens: "Our country has a cultural climate and sentiment that is afraid of the corpse and the tomb. In consideration of such an atmosphere in our culture, the legislature decided to regulate the establishment of charnel houses near schools in order to protect the educational environment."   

The editorial in the Catholic Times  goes on to say that a society that does not have respect for our predecessors is not a well-regulated society. To have places in churches to cherish the memory of the dead is to see life and death correctly and also be a chance to educate our children. In Europe and the United States, cemeteries often are on the grounds of the church.

There is no good reason for seeing the facilities for the dead as repugnant. The government has the task to promote a proper understanding of matters surrounding death, and the Catholic Church also must do a better job in communicating what it means to cherish the memory of those who have died.

Unfairness of Life

Life is filled with many unexpected zingers, the 'outrageous fortune' that comes to many. What is it that enables some to accept these trials in stride and brings others frustration and unhappiness? 


A monthly bulletin for priests recounts the story of a young girl from a spiritually healthy Catholic family who lived an exemplary life. One of her aunts was superior of a large community of nuns; the family was proud of her, and she was very much admired by the girl.

After college, the girl began working at a private firm and making her way in life. The parents were very proud, and praised her to friends. She decided to follow in the steps of her aunt, and the family was happy with her decision and gave their blessing.
 
Her intention, the article goes on to say, was to imitate Jesus and be at the service of the weak in society. However, what she saw in the religious life was not always the ideal, but she made allowances for our weak natures and was ready to forgive and understand, for she knew her own weaknesses.

The priest mentions that her personality was such that she spoke her mind, expressing what she she felt in her heart. Some of her superiors didn't care for this and reprimanded her. But this did not change how she lived her life; she quietly went on during what she was assigned to do, without complaining.

This went on for almost ten years; then one day the superior told her she would have to leave. When she asked why, there was no clear answer. This was a shock to her--her world collapsed. She had wanted to be a religious, the only thing she aspired to for all those years and now just before final vows she was told to leave. The priest feels that before the time for perpetual vows, she should have been told what they had difficulty with, so she could work on it.

She was heartbroken and not able to come to terms with what happened. All her dreams and hopes disappeared. She only wished to die. She believed in a God who would help her, but now when she most needed help she felt that God was not there for her; he had become useless to her. Mass and the liturgy lost all meaning. Her parents began to see the change in her personality. What was once a source of pride to the family was now an embarrassment. The young women is now facing a life of despair, frustration, loneliness and thoughts of suicide.


In cases of this type, we do not know all the circumstances, for we only see through the eyes of one of the participants. However,  even though it be conceded that all was not done well, the young woman's interior life was not mature enough to accept the unfairness of what had happened. We must do what we can to address the unfairness in life, but at the same time we have to be able to live with it. Life is not fair and as Christians we have to be prepared for this and trust that in God's providence the crooked will be made straight. We have in Genesis the example of Joseph and in the Gospels, Jesus, which gives us plenty of material to guide us in dealing with the unfairness of life.

Catholicism and Private Revelations

Private revelations--whether occurring as an apparent appearance of the Blessed Mother, crying statues, cryptic messages, and the like--have had throughout history a certain fascination for many who are religious minded.  Those who accept these supposed revelations and subsequently do not follow the guidance of the Church are like the followers of a leader of a new religion. The Peace Weekly series on Catholicism and Other Religions deals this week with these private revelations.

The bishops of Korea, in 1997, gave us guidelines on how to see these private revelations. The little book was titled: Movements and Tendencies that Hinder a Healthy Spiritual Life. For a Catholic, the Deposit of Faith is the public revelation that ended with the death of the Apostles. It is with this understanding that private, special or individual revelations have to be considered. If these are accepted, they only help us to understand the original message that ended with the apostles.
 
The writer, a professor at the Catholic University, tells us that three things have been traditionally considered in determining whether the revelation is from God. First, it has to be in accord with the deposit of faith. Second, the person who received the revelation must be of sound mind. Third, are those with the revelation and their supporters showing spiritual fruits from the revelation (Gal. 5:22).
 
Private revelations that do not help us understand the deposit of faith are not authentic, and if those having the revelations become like the leaders of a new religion, then problems can develop. Some who are overcome by the trials of daily life are attracted to these strange phenomena, but they are not important to a follower of Jesus and his way of the cross; Jesus is the doctor they should approach.

The Church should be doing the work of a good doctor. When there are many who go looking for strange signs and miracles, one has to wonder if the Church is doing what it is meant to do. When there is a decrease in the faith life of the community, and the community  fails to find strength and consolation, this may result from a failure of the Church to communicate with its members effectively.  When the word of God is strongly proclaimed, however, when there is a vibrant sacramental life and community fellowship is present, the numbers of those thirsting for strange signs will diminish.

'Theology of the Body' in Korea

The Theology of the Body, a series of 129 talks by Pope John Paul II, compiled in a book and widely distributed, was the topic discussed at a recent academic symposium held in Seoul. The Catholic University Pastoral Research Center has studied the talks and the results of the study were shared on how to apply them in pastoral work.

The bishop who gave the foundational talk stressed the importance of the talks for our troubled times. Speaking unambiguously about such a controversial subject, the Pope was intent on clarifying a subject that has confused and troubled many people. If we want to return to health we have to go back to the Scriptures, the Pope said, to learn what the husband and wife relationship was meant to be. A correct understanding of our sexuality, in its origin, will lead to a mature, well-integrated personality. 

Because the traditional understanding of the body and sexuality has broken down, the Pope is giving the Church and everyone interested in the subject an integral and positive look at sexuality that will be a gift that will remain in the thinking of many. It is not, said the bishop, a theology of the body as much as an understanding and a proclaiming of the Gospel--the good news--of the body.

A religious sister who works with the Teen star sex education program said that the theology of the body finds a place in their teaching on sexuality. Seeing sexuality as a whole, how it affects emotions, examining mucus secretions, and keeping records, the participants in the program are beginning to appreciate the spiritual meaning of the body when it is observed through the theological lens provided by the talks of Pope John Paul. All this makes for a very natural discussion for both the boys and the girls to see the meaning of their bodies vis-a-vis marriage.  
 

One of the presenters referred to the Pope's statement that the married couple should not try to control or possess their partner. Another mentioned the prevalence of sex treated as a commodity, the sexual suggestiveness of some advertising, sexual deviations, divorces, abortions, unwed mothers, medical manipulations of life, and so on. We have forgotten that God made man and woman as sexual beings so they could relate in a personal way in a marriage union.

Both Catholic papers covered the symposium. The Pope's Theology of the Body is a late comer in Korea but we will soon see it in pastoral and diocesan programs as we become more familiar with the talks as they become more readily available in Korean.                                                                                         

Parish Community

 One of the young  diocesan priests writes for the priest's bulletin about his new assignment as pastor. It is a small parish with about 400 active parishioners, most of them old. What was he to do? He writes about two of the activities he has inaugurated in the parish with fortunate results.

He decided to  begin a monthly travel picnic for those over 65. It was given the name 'silver light travel'. They go to parks, palaces, arboretums and islands. One woman, after visiting a palace in Seoul, told those who were with her that she was ready to die. At the age of 80, she saw the King's palace for the first time with the priests and sisters; what else is there to desire?

This grandmother was making a living by gathering papers and worn out articles, and rummaging trash cans to find articles to sell. She lost her son in an accident, leaving her in poverty and loneliness. These monthly excursions are something  she anxiously looks forward to. It is easy to understand that each month her trip is one of the happiest moments in her life. The priest reflects that it is the first time that anybody ever said what he had to offer made for the  happiest day in their life. He wonders how many can say that about something they have done?

He then tells us about a priest he met who told him about his chrysanthemum festival  that was well received by the parishioners.  He returned to the parish and meeting with the sisters and the some of the Christians decided to gather some pots of chrysanthemums. Little by little they had pots of chrysanthemums in all kinds of  shapes  and sizes, numbering 150. And in a short time, 100 other flower pots were also  brought in by the parishioners. The surrounding area is not a very pleasant sight but with these 250 or more potted flowers, it makes for a whole different feel  for the churchyard. After Mass, there are many parishioners who stay around to admire the flowers. In groups of twos and threes they move around to the different pots, while conversing.

On one occasion, a woman who was at the flower display mentioned that her husband, who had never talked about the beauty of flowers before, had done so after seeing the display at the church and came with her to see what it was all about. She was amazed at the beauty of some of the Chrysanthemums; the beauty of flowers, as we know, can easily grab one's attention.

Next year he wants to increase the number of pots and mentioned it to the sister, who said, looking at him intently, "You  are going to have to select someone to water the flowers. My biggest job this year was watering the flowers." This is the natural  result of the work, the priest reflected. 

The pastor considered these two works like sacraments, resulting in much personal good that was not immediately seen.  It was a way of fostering parish unity, of creating a more closely-knit  community.

Wisdom of the Woman in the Early Church

Writing in the Catholic Times the director of the Seoul Caritas Volunteer Center mentions that after returning to the documents of the Second Vatican Council, she now understands why the Pope wants us to become familiar with those documents.
 
She attended, in 1967, the first lay meeting in Rome. She was able to learn a little bit about Europe and to reflect how the death of many young men in the war gave women the opportunity to take their place in European affairs.

Returning to Korea and learning that forty or more women groups had been formed, she wanted to devote herself to the work of women and the country, becoming a head officer of a conference of women to lend support to the various groups.   At that time the situation of women in society was difficult: many were abused, shunned, harassed for not having a son, stressed by overwork, forced to obey unconditionally, sexually violated, among other difficulties they had to endure.
 
This has been acknowledged by many the world over, and in 1975 the Year of Women was convened, formally proclaiming the equality of women. Since then there have been meetings on women problems continually over the years. The presidents of several countries have also committed themselves to advancing the place of women in society, with the goal of getting rid of all discrimination.
 
Results of this have been seen in Korea. For a time men faced a great deal of pressure. However, both men and women have seen that our greed has brought many other problems to the fore in our society. She uses Erich Fromm's book The Sane Society to explain that widespread acceptance of an exploitative orientation within many cultures as the reason for our many societal problems.
 
She concludes her piece by telling us about the incident in Mark's Gospel (chap.14) where a women goes to the house of Simon the leper and anoints Jesus with expensive ointment. She was criticized for spending money that could have been used for the poor, but she was unconcerned about the criticism. She had no exploitative intentions but only wanted Jesus' message to go out to the rest of the world, like the fragrance of the ointment. We can learn much from the wisdom of this woman of the Gospel.

Catholics and Protestantism

"Catholicism and Other Religions," the continuing series now running in the Peace Weekly, takes up Protestantism, beginning with its emphasis on the devotio moderna. A professor of the Korean Church History Research Institute feels that it's necessary to understand the part 'modern devotion' had in the life of the 14th century Catholic to understand the beginnings of Protestantism.

The movement started in Holland and was different from the old devotion of the Scholastic school, which emphasized the liturgy and the sacraments. The new devotion placed greater importance on meditating on the passion and the Beatitudes. Individuality and practice were emphasized, and contemplation was to develop the inner life and deepen our relationship with God.

This faith life was intent on uncovering a person's individuality and interiority; it was to be the Protestant model of religion. This was the spirituality of the Brethren of the Common Life (1383). Erasmus, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ignatius of Loyola were all influenced by this movement. It was the 'devotio moderna' that influenced Erasmus when he claimed that grace can be confirmed only by the Scriptures and faith; this emphasis was instrumental in putting more importance on the Scriptures than on tradition in determining the truths of the Protestant faith.  

There was within the humanistic period of the Renaissance a movement among Catholics to change the way things were being done in Catholicism. However, their efforts were not as successful as those of Luther and Calvin.

In Korea, the Presbyterian missioners from Canada and the United States did the first missionary work and had the most numbers. Presbyterianism, Methodism and Pure Gospel are the three largest Protestant denominations in Korea.

The professor asks what can we learn from Protestantism? Catholics can use them as a negative model, he says, as a mirror to see ourselves. Reflection on the quick growth of Protestantism is now no longer only a Protestant issue. The unregulated spread of churches, the excessive number of seminarians being sent out, lack of content in the teaching of theology, the extreme form of exclusivity--all are concerns Catholics should ponder. Especially necessary, says the professor, is changing from a dictatorial clericalism to another form of leadership within the Church. 

Some Protestants see their many denominations as harming their public image. Some also believe there is a shirking of public service, a dualistic view that separates the Church from the world, too much emphasis on material growth, and hostility toward other religions. 

On the other hand, what can be imitated is the devotion to the study of theology and the study of how to acculturate religion into the Korean culture. The professor lists many Protestant theologians who have added a great deal to the study of comparative religions and their cultural significance within society.