Burial Culture

At one time the Church opposed cremation because of the anti-religious beliefs of some of its proponents: denial of immortality and resurrection. However, the Church no longer forbids the practice. And in Korea, among religious groups, close to 70 percent opt for cremation.

Cremation and the new burial procedures that come with the new burial culture was the topic of a recent Peace Weekly editorial. Because acquiring land for cemeteries is no longer possible, the priests' council of the Seoul Archdiocese decided to include, in the burial plot for priests at the main diocesan cemetery, a mausoleum for the interred remains of priests. Standard burial procedures would  continue as usual, but after twenty years the remains would be removed, cremated, and placed in the mausoleum. The cremation procedure will begin with the interment of priests, a decision by the archdiocese that was very much praised by the editorial.

Hopefully, this will be the start in the diocese of a new burial culture among the parishioners, as well. The many cemeteries within the diocese are now filled, and the only possibility left is to convert these cemeteries to this form of burial. The example of the priests should help the parishioners to take a more informed look at what is now being done, which should help them see the need for the cremation procedure.

Although there are many problems associated with conventional burials, few cemeteries are interested in changing over to mausoleums and crypts. The main reason is the opposition of many Koreans; death is not a subject they, or anyone, for that matter, like to think about. If, however, the new burial culture does catch on here and more mausoleums are built, which are often beautifully constructed, these buildings alone may help us experience more directly how death and life are part of existence.

The example of the Seoul Archdiocese should help make cremation a more acceptable option than it currently is for many Koreans; that was the hope expressed by the editorial, adding that visiting these mausoleums may also be a spur to increasing their growth in spiritual maturity and spreading the new burial culture throughout the country.

Concern for the Alienated in Korean Society

"Who in our society are the most alienated?" It's a question she  often asks herself. " Since society is not interested," she says, "we have to find  and help them."  Park Sun-young (Teresa), a former  lawmaker, is recognized for her work with the marginalized in Korean society.  Called the Godmother of  North Korean defectors living in the South, she worked as a lawmaker for their human rights. She fasted for eleven days in front of  the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to bring the public's attention to China's policy of returning North Korean defectors in China back to North Korea.

Most of the  20,000 North Koreans who have defected to  South Korea have come from China.  In China, they would be  considered  illegal migrants and are sent back to North Korea where they are severely punished, even though International law prohibits the forcible repatriation of any individual to a country where they are at risk of facing persecution.  World opinion continues to appeal to China to abide by International law.

Teresa,  besides working with the defectors,  concerns herself with the "comfort grandmothers" (Korean young women forced by the Japanese military to become prostitutes for the pleasure of their soldiers; also with the Sakhalin stateless people, ( the children of Korean workers who were conscripted to work on this Russian island by the Japanese and have not received Korean citizenship.);  with former prisoners of the Korea War, and all those who are suffering and society has forgotten.

She said that when she became a lawmaker she was going to live the Catholic vision of social justice and be concerned with the forgotten in our society, in the way Jesus showed us. She was saddened when her fellow Catholic lawmakers approved of abortion, the  death penalty, and were against the culture of life movement.

She left politics, she said, because it was an obstacle to  doing what she wanted  for human rights. Many saw her activities in the service of others as political;  others poked fun at her efforts as merely disguised attempts to make the limelight. She was unconcerned about the personal attacks, and was happy to put aside the lawmaker's credentials and concentrate on  working for the rights of those who were not recognized by society.

Unfortunately, Catholics have not been as active, she says, as the other religions have been in helping the North Korean defectors. Today, she still  teaches in the law department of a Korean University, while continuing  her activities for the marginalized of Korean society.

Rampant Plagiarism

Plagiarism, the literary theft of another's ideas and words, is on the upswing in a number of countries, says the desk columnist of the Catholic Times. Here in Korea, the appointment of high government officials usually brings up the suspicion that many of these appointments should not have been approved because of the presence of plagiarized material in doctoral dissertations.

The guideline in Korea for determining whether or not material has been plagiarized is passing off as one's own 6 or more consecutive words that have been taken from another's work. The media tends to report the suspicion of plagiarism when they learn that a particular dissertation exceeds the "6 consecutive word" guideline, and when there is a lack of proper attribution of source material. 

The columnist, when studying in the States, was told that plagiarism is considered to have occurred when taking from another's work three or more consecutive words without referencing the source. If the suspicion of plagiarizing is not explained away satisfactorily, the person is then reported to the department head and may be expelled. The person may also be given advice on how to change the wording so it's not considered plagiarizing, and with practice, avoiding the problem becomes easy.

The columnist tells us he has never been impressed with those who have a doctorate. For him, the title of Ph.D. does not mean the person has a great grasp of knowledge or has mastered all that can be known, even about his own field of knowledge. It indicates only that a person has studied a particular field of knowledge, and may have very limited knowledge in other fields of study. The person is also telling us, if only indirectly, according to the columnist, that he or she has little knowledge in other fields, though not liking to acknowledge this fact.

He is impressed, he says, when meeting persons with a doctorate who, while confident in their field of study, are humble enough to admit their ignorance and listen to others. They do exist, he assures us. 

Although there are many legitimate Ph.D.s, the columnist would like to know why, in Korea, we are so tolerant of those who received their Ph.D.s illegitimately. It has gotten so bad, he says, that even typographical errors from  the original material are sometimes copied. One simple solution to the problem he would like to see used more often is to ask or force those who have plagiarized to resign from their offices and return to the life they had before. 

Violence and Alcohol

Violence that comes from drinking too much alcohol is a serious problem for the Korean society. Police departments throughout the country have begun an all out campaign against this type of violence, with teams of officers assigned, as their primary objective, the task of eradicating the violence that often results from drunken behavior.  And there are signs that the effort has been successful: incidents of violence decreased 11.1 percent last year from that of the previous year.

Many people who become violent after drinking alcohol are of course  normal in every other way, some not remembering their violent behavior. The article in the Peace Weekly mentions that the Diocesan Pastoral Committee of Seoul on Addiction, which has studied the problem, considering it a blot on our society, is determined to eliminate it.

The article mentioned an incident, out of many others that probably could have been mentioned, at the recent Olympics in London, where a drunken spectator threw a beer bottle at the runners preparing for the finals in the hundred-yard dash. Fortunately, the bottle did not hit any of the runners. Violence resulting from drunkenness not only is a Korean problem, the article writer wanted to stress, but very obviously is a worldwide problem.

The generally accepted classification of the most common crimes in Korea are: murder, small theft, rape, robbery and violence. From 2001, the number of arrests for these crimes has continued to climb, with the largest number of arrests (63.5 percent) being for violent behavior. In 2010 it decreased to 49.9 percent, but of the five most frequently committed crimes, violence tops the list, and 30 percent of the violence is due to drunken behavior.

The harm done to society because of the misuse of alcohol is staggering, says the writer.  It not only is a big factor in criminal behavior but also in divorce, accidents, suicides, and health related deaths; Korea leads the world in the number of deaths from alcohol-induced liver problems. And the economic loss is enormous. The Health and Human Services Centers for Disease and Prevention has stated that people, in 2010, over 19 years old who were at high risk for drinking was 14.9 percent; in 2011 the percentage went up to 18.2--an increase of 3.3 percent.

The medical profession estimates that over seven million people are addicted to or abuse alcohol. The "drinking culture" of Korea is thought to be a prime contributor to the problem. It's generally accepted that when gong out for the evening, there will be giving and receiving of glasses of liquor, boilermakers and other mixed alcoholic drinks. And doing the town by going to a second and third drinking location is commonplace. For this type of entertainment to change, all of us, drinkers as well as nondrinkers, especially including the courts of law, must cease to tolerate this misuse of alcohol. Without this attitude change, there is not likely to be any lessening of the current alcohol-related violence in our society. 

Alternative Education

The future of the country is in the hands of the young, says the principal of the first alternate school in the Catholic educational system. But many of our students, he told the Peace Weekly--referring to the happiness index of the Organization for Economic-Cooperation and Development, which lists Korea as having the lowest happiness rating among students in the 30 countries surveyed--are not happy.  Now that the Catholic Church is experimenting with alternative schools, the hope is that the happiness of our students will be favorably affected.

A number of reasons have been suggested for student unhappiness, financing their college education being one important reason. High-school students often cite another reason: Studying for college entrance exams and the intense competition to score high on the exams puts a great deal of pressure on to succeed. And the biggest  culprit for this current situation, says the principal, has been the disappearance of holistic education.

In an attempt to correct some of the problems, the law has been changed to allow schools to pursue an atypical curriculum that is more varied, natural, and holistic. Some educators feel that this is not a wise move. They worry that the students attending these schools will not be able to fit into society, find work and earn enough money. This is often the way those who are immersed in our industrialized society choose to see the benefits, or lack of benefits, of alternate types of education, compared with the perceived benefits of the current educational  system. 

The Peace Weekly gives an account of a recent workshop-meeting that brought together the teachers and the parents of students attending the first alternative Catholic school in the country. Although the primary emphasis of the school is on character formation, the principal is contemplating a move into more spiritual dimensions of life. If character education is understood to form the person, the spiritual will work to go beyond the person to more community involvement, always searching and working for the common good. Moving in this direction will deepen the freedom and autonomy of the students. When this is achieved, the principal said we will have "a happy school"--a school that students will want to attend.

A professor from the Catholic University is quoted in the article as saying that Catholic schools are now at the crossroads of a new Gospel mission. Whenever Catholic school administrators are tempted by the present educational system to be complacent or to compromise, they should bring to mind the Gospel message and have that inspire  them.

 

The Road to Healing

In Korean society we frequently come across references to the word 'healing,' perhaps a sign that our society is undergoing a pathological change, with many of us becoming worn out and lonely and finding it more difficult to keep the body and mind healthy. The editorial in the Peace Weekly points out that for some people the keys for the transformation to healthful living may be as simple as adding new projects, including plans to travel to new destinations. 

The Buddhists have encouraged this transformation to health by holding 'stays' in their temples, where people can come for a few days to get away from the concerns that bind them to the world, preventing them from enjoying peace of mind. The World Health Organization, in 1996, issued their definition of health. Using a holistic approach, they provided criteria for determining not only what makes for physical and mental heath but spiritual health as well.

Healing, all healing--physical, mental, spiritual--is, as the editorial puts it, in God's domain. Because, ultimately, God is the only healer. In the Old Testament, becoming a new person--recovery to spiritual health--often begins with the healing of physical disease. In the New Testament, healing is clearly shown to extend beyond the healing of the body to the spiritual--and salvation.

This healing of the spirit is also available whenever we receive the sacraments of the Church; they help bring the love of God into our lives. The grace of God should be one of the means to rid ourselves of disease in both  body and  mind, as well as in the spirit. Because of these benefits, the editorial believes the Church should be more interested in promoting this apostolate, which should help satisfy, according to the editorial, our need for the sacred.

God, from the beginning, poured into humanity his grace, and if our lives are sufficiently open to the continual graces that are being offered, nothing but good can come from this openness, and health would be one of the gifts received. We need only to empty ourselves, forgive others, and do what the voice of conscience dictates.

Living the Spiritual Life

The world is a noisy place, says a columnist of the Catholic Times in his column on spirituality. By simply hearing the news or watching TV, we can readily come to appreciate how much noise surrounds us every day of our lives. It's not the kind of noise we can distance ourselves from easily and examine as a spectator might, he says. It's always there, hovering around us. Some of this noise is obviously 'out there,' but the noise coming from inside us, he maintains, is even more troubling.

In fact, we have a tendency to fear quiet, welcoming the noise, which explains to some extent why we like  celebrities and sports stars, following what they say and do with enthusiasm. Among the causes for the inner noise, he includes the desire for money and honor, and beckoning city streets that entice the strollers with their culture of pleasure. Much of what we see and hear is intended to titillate the senses, making it difficult for many of us to pass it by.

However, when the time is right, all that disturbs our inner peace can disappear, the columnist tells us. Often we do not allow ourselves to resonate with God's will. In an instant, moved by faith, we can be pushed into the cloud of unknowing. No matter how complicated life becomes, it can still resonate with God's will.

When we are overcome with the noise, however, and feel trapped, not knowing what to do or where to go, the situation may be similar to putting on a garment and, when not paying attention, placing the first button in the wrong button hole. When overcome with the noise, and its disabling distractions, it may be because we are not attending to the reservoir of hope and faith that is available to us. From birth on, being alert is the way we grow into mature adulthood.  We have to turn this tendency to become as fully conscious as possible in the direction of God. To loosen up somewhat is all that is necessary. When we are uptight, the danger of suffering a breakdown is always a possibility. Not setting our sights on the results of victory or failure, but directing our awareness to God is the path we want to take.

It's a path that requires faith and hope, mellowness and firmness. For a Catholic understanding of spirituality, the words that come to mind--vulnerability, openness, becoming clay in God's hands--allow us to be moved by his love for us. The initiative belongs to God. We simply rest in a humble receptivity of his gift.