Question number 11: Remembering the facts of history and seeing the behavior of some of the religious people in our society there is a great deal of doubt about their qualifications to speak to society. Before they fault our politics is it not necessary to put their own house in order?
That is right. The Church has to continually repent and reform herself. One of the areas that she needs to repent is the failure to be on the side of the poor and work for justice. The Catechism tells us: "Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance" (Catechism of the Church #1435). Penance and change is connected with the working for justice and the protection of the rights of others and this includes the enduring of suffering in the pursuit.
When we are sick we go to the doctor, but not all doctors are free from disease. If we wanted to received treatment only from doctors that had no health problems many of our hospitals would have to close their doors. We likewise are wounded healers, but we go out to others to help in the healing of others. The speaking out about justice is the same. If I have to be completely just, and of noble character before I am allowed to speak out, the voice for justice will remain silent.
The Church has to continually examine herself and repent in the carrying of the cross. The Church has done many wrong things in its history. One of the greatest faults is to have failed to reject the temptations of power and itself becoming a power force, and siding with those in power. We have not always been on the side of the poor and often ignored the poor and the oppressed of society. We have to be with the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, prisoners, if we want to meet Jesus (Matt 25:31). It is not only to be with these who are hurting but to find the reasons for this situation and allow the light of the Gospel to shine on what we see, and proclaim the justice of God.
In Conclusion it is well to remember one of our great fallacies is the either-or way of looking at life instead of the both-and approach. Some would read the answers to the questions and wonder what happened to spiritually and the practice of the virtues. This is not denied, but rather taken for granted, the prerequisite to be God's efficient tool for justice. In Korea, many think the work for justice in the Gospel message has been overlooked. We have heard often that the Catholics who come into the Church are looking for peace of mind. With this kind of thinking we know that our mission to work for justice has not made a lasting impression on the Christians.
Question number 10: When we are like the world of politics and fight over right and wrong we are divided like society. Is it not possible to be quiet and pray?
The main reason the Church has to participate in society is that God is always participating in our world. "God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good." (Gen. 1:31). God created the world and when we act contrary to his intentions, the righteous person and prophets have brought it to our attention. Finally Jesus entered our world. The work of the Church is to do what Jesus started. God doesn't work only within the Church but through the Church in society at large. We need to talk in a healthy way about the problems we face. We are not believers only for ourselves, but called to give the light of the Gospel and make known the will of God to the whole world.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the explanation of the Lord's Prayer # 2820 we read: "Man's vocation to eternal life does not suppress, but actually reinforces, his duty to put into action in this world the energies and means received from the Creator to serve justice and peace." When the world is distancing itself from the Gospel message and we are only concerned about our salvation and turn our back to the problems of society, we do not have the correct understanding of our faith. It is not what God desires.
There are two understandings of the the word world: " God so loved the world that he sent his only son" (John 3:16). The other is from John 1:10. "He was in the world and through him the world was made, yet the world did not know who he was. " The world is the same but depending on our attitude we see it differently. When we see it with the eyes of the first meaning we see the world as God's masterpiece, and work to cultivate what God intended. When we are ignored and persecuted we continue to work to make the beauty of God's creation known.
In the early years of the Church and when it was introduced into Korea we had the stress on idols, fear of change, and opposition to equality on the part of those in power that brought persecution.These early Christians were not afraid of the conflict between their religion and the world, but stood up straight in the public square. We are the descendants of the martyrs and we want to be loved by the immoral world. We are told by Jesus to be prepared for persecution but we relegate this to the past.
A segment of the mass media reports that Catholics are leaving because of the participation of the Church in political issues. Rather the participation from the 1970 to 1980 saw a great increase in the numbers entering the Church. There are also many who today are attracted by the interest the Church has shown in society and are entering the Church. The Church is not participating in society to increase their numbers. However, there are many who are moved by this and become Catholic. The Church needs to stay in the center of our society and make clear the message of Jesus and to speak out about injustices and corruption. Speaking out about justice and fairness is the Church's original duty.
Question number nine: What is the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice that we have heard so much about in the news and newspaper articles from the time of the military rule?
This year is the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice. In 1974 one of the Diocesan Bishops, Chi Hak-sun, was imprisoned by the Military Government for his opposition to the human rights violations to extend the military rule of the government over the country. The Korean bishops made it clear that the work for justice is the duty of the bishops and supported Bishop Chi. He was released and put under house arrest living in a convent. He opposed the Yushin Constitution proclaimed by the military government and called it null and void, and was arrested again and sentenced to 15 years in prison. This was the start of the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice.
From this time, the Association began to have Masses and prayer meetings and declarations for the protection of human rights, restoration of democracy, freedom of the press and the protection of the laborers and the weak in society. Many of the priests where arrested for violation of the emergency measures of the government and imprisoned. They continued their opposition and suffered for it.
In 1980 they worked to stop torture, the release of prisoners of conscience, and to restore democracy. In 1987 the torture and death of Park
Jong-chul became a critical blow to the dictatorial rule. The student died during a police
interrogation. The Priests' Association began making the facts of the case known, and this extended the Association's influence in Korean society, and helped bring an end to the military rule of the government.
The Catholic Priests' Association for Justice continued to work for reconciliation and unity, and the end to harassment of workers, farmers, and students. With the help of a well known lawyer the corruption in big business was exposed, where money became the new God. The well know whistle blowing lawyer tried to bring his case to the mass media, but no one was interested, and finally went to the Priests' Association.
They continue to speak about issues that are in the news and seek to shed light, working for justice in society. The recent Sewol tragedy is one of the latest issues in which they are working to make known the truth behind the tragedy.
For the last forty years they have worked to make a just society with prayer and action. Many say what they did during the military rule was necessary and appreciated but now they are involved in too many issues. We had the same words expressed during the military rule. It is always necessary to see the evils we have in society and make them known. When the idol of money is attacked, the priests are called leftists; when authority is challenged we hear: servants of North Korea. The financial conglomerates, says the professor, have the mass media under their wing, and in search of money and power do the bidding of big business.
Question number eight: When a religious group expresses a political position isn't this making the religion into a special interest group?
In the eyes of the writer the opposite is the case. The reason the Church speaks out is because in its judgement human rights, freedom, peace, protection of our environment and similar values for the common good have been violated. When this judgement is made the Church has to be on the side of the weak and the oppressed. These positions are not for the Church but for those they want to help.
This was the intention of the prophets of the Old Testament. The contents of the prophet's message was of two kinds; desist from idolatry and practice justice in society. These two were not seen as separate. Do not have strange Gods when you worship the one true God, this God is the God who is always on the side of the poor and oppressed was the message of the prophets and writers of the books of the Scriptures. Therefore the situation of the poor and oppressed when we are silent about their condition we are not being true to God.
Jesus put this together in his saying: "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment, the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments the whole law is based, and the prophets as well."
When we try to help the weak and oppressed and work for their common good we are acting in the role of prophet and loving our neighbor. In this role we are serving them and at the same time criticizing the aberrations and the structures of society that bring about this oppression.
There are those in society who see this work for the poor and criticize it as being more for the sake of religion than for the poor and oppressed. In Joy of the Gospel # 198, Pope Francis explains: "For the Church, the option for the poor is primarily a
theological category rather than a cultural, sociological, political or
philosophical one. God shows the poor 'his first mercy'.
This divine preference has consequences for the faith life of all
Christians, since we are called to have this mind… which was in Jesus
Christ' (Phil 2:5). Inspired by this, the Church has made an
option for the poor which is understood as a 'special form of primacy in
the exercise of Christian charity, to which the whole tradition of the
Church bears witness'. This option – as Benedict XVI has taught – 'is implicit in our Christian faith in a God who became poor for us, so as to enrich us with his poverty'. This is why I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us. Not only do they share in the sensus fidei,
but in their difficulties they know the suffering Christ. We need to
let ourselves be evangelized by them. The new evangelization is an
invitation to acknowledge the saving power at work in their lives and to
put them at the center of the Church’s pilgrim way. We are called to
find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be
their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the
mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them."
Question number seven: When one priest's utterance is mistaken as speaking for the Church don't we have a problem?
Last year a priest caused a great sensation for the sermon at a Mass concerning current affairs. All the citizens took an interest in what was said because of the extensive coverage by the mass media. The media was happy to see the attention given to the coverage. The central theme is what is important and was emphasized, but much of the mass media took one section of the sermon expanded and distorted the meaning in the report.
Jesus when he talked to the poor his words were gentle but when he talked to the the unrepentant leaders he used harsh language. If the government was communicating with the citizens, said the priest professor, there would be no need for these Masses and strong language used in the sermons. The irregularities committed by the government departments has aroused a lack of trust, and the failure to communicate with the citizens has engendered criticism in a segment of the population. This is difficult to deny.
Jesus has told us that those who have ears should listen. Whether a person accepts what a priest says in a sermon is up to the listener. He may agree or disagree. Jesus in what he said and did, however, we have examples of excess. In the temple purification incident Jesus wielded a whip and overturned the chairs and tables of those selling in the temple. Was this not a means to help the priests and pharisees see the stubbornness that was preventing them from becoming free.
In first Corinthians 13:7: Love is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes." We often use the phrase 'to give another the benefit of the doubt'. It is a legal term and one we should use more often in our dealings with others: to understand the other and put ourselves in the other person's shoes. It would make for a different world.
In the Catholic tradition we have many axioms that come from the rules of law learned from the past.
"When the rights of either are obscure, the defendant is to be given the benefit of the doubt."
"Odious things ought to be restricted, while favorable ones ought to be extended."
"In obscure matters the minimum ought to be followed."
"No one can change his mind (judgement, advice, decision) to the detriment of another."
"He who is silent seems to consent."
Question number five: The
Church works for harmony, when it criticizes the government and is
involved in demonstrations it is fostering dissent. Shouldn't the Church
be praying for those in politics to be good servants of the people?
There are two kinds of prayer. Prayer that is followed by action and prayer
without follow-up. Jesus said: "None of those who cry out,'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my
Father in heaven" (Matt 7:21). Jesus wants us to work to realize what
we pray.
Each
Sunday at Mass we have the Prayer of the Faithful, where we remember
the Church, evangelization, peace, environment, pray for our leaders,
for the sick for the parish and our families etc. Each one of these
intentions requires that we do something to bring about that for
which we pray. Those who pray for our politicians and statesmen for a
change of life and do nothing to implement that for which they pray, want those that are doing something, to quietly go and pray.
In
the book of Exodus: we read that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh.
This does not mean that God took away his freedom and will power and
controlled his actions. Pharaoh who considered himself the son of the
Sun God, in the thinking of those in the Old Testament, was in the hands
of God, and expressed ironically, he was obstinate and stubborn and choose the way to destruction. God by means of Moses was
destroying this stubbornness. God does his work through human beings.
God was urging the Kings and people to repentance through the
prophets.
When
the politician so something wrong we pray that they act correctly and
help them. When they continue to do wrong we pray for a change in their
actions and speak out about their actions and ask them to change. This
is doing something with our prayers.
If
Moses only prayed for the Pharaoh we would not have had the Exodus. If
the prophets only prayed for the sovereign and the people, would we
have the books of the prophets in the Old Testament? We do not read the
books of the prophets, and only select the books that make us feel
comfortable. Isn't this an area in which we have to confront ourselves?
Question number four: The Church criticizes the government's policies, and doesn't raise its voice against the human right abuses and nuclear plans of the North. Are we not making it easy to misunderstand the Church as 'followers of the North'?
We have to understand what is meant by 'follower of the North'. They used to call us 'Reds' but that is no longer workable so the word has evolved to a 'follower of the North'. A word that has become popular.
Sin and wounds are what prevents individuals and communities from receiving the graces of God. We are freed from sin by repentance and wounds need healing. When, however, to achieve one's goal one makes the wounds of the other greater, we are acting contrary to the God of healing.
Korea was wounded greatly with the Korean War. To heal the wound needs a great deal of effort, time and the grace of God. The governments of the North and South have to work together to heal the wounds. Are not the governments actually using their power to increase the wounds of division? The use of 'follower of the North' is causing the wound to throb.
If not a follower why the silence about human rights abuses and the working on nuclear armaments in the North? A segment of the mass media dislikes the position of religion and uses the word 'follower of the North'.
The professor uses an example to make his point clear. In a class room there are students that are harassed. The class president does not pay attention and one of the students brings it to the president's attention and wants something done. All would
see this as a good. However, those harassed, point their finger to the neighboring class room: "Why are you only concerned about us the neighboring class has more problems them we have?" What are we to make of that? Because it is another room doesn't mean that it has no relation with us; we should not use the other room to dilute what we should be doing. Why silent about human rights in the North? Those speaking in this way are they really concerned about the human rights issues of those in the North and is it coming from a love of these people?
Human rights in the North and nuclear experiments are a serous problem but our problems in the South should not be of secondary interest or of less importance. We are dealing with a closed society and there is a limit to what we can do.One of our government's policies, is working to have the North open their doors and this should be a continuing work of all the international communities.
