The number of foreign missioners in Korea continues to decrease. Korea no longer needs the help of the foreigners, and is sending her own missioners to many parts of the world. Recently, the Seoul Diocesan Council of Priests has set up a program for the treatment of old foreign missioners who remain in Korea.
An editorial in the Catholic Times reports on the decision to give these old foreign missioners, who choose not to return to their country, and have worked in the diocese for over 10 years, a place to stay and living expenses. The essence of the decision is to make the life of the retired missioners comfortable in Korea. This, says the editorial is a change, and welcomes and applauds the move.
The editorial mentions that the Church has been able to grow the way it has because of the help given by the foreign missioners in the past. The Paris Foreign Missioners came to Korea in the beginning to spread the faith when they knew they would face the threat of martyrdom by the knife. After them came the Maryknoll Fathers and Columban Fathers, who both materially and spiritually gave unstintingly to the Church. Especially after the Korean War they were instrumental in supplying the hungry Koreans with something to eat.
These missionary societies in contrast to the Korean Church have become weaker and have fewer members than was the reality when they came to Korea. The missioners have become old and infirm, they have not been replaced and their work has been curtailed. The Seoul Diocesan plan to help these missioners is a way of remembering what they have done, and showing the Korean Church's gratitude for their many years of work.
In God's providence the Church of Korea has benefited from the work of the foreign missioner and now is the time for the Church to return this in care for the old missioners.This is a grace that the Church is able to show to these old missioners. Sharing is of the essence of what Church should mean. The decision of the Seoul Diocese in regards to these old missioners is welcomed.
The missioners have not only worked in Seoul but in other parts of the country. Each diocese, the editorial hopes, according to their needs and capacity, will follow the example of the Seoul Diocese.
Many of the dioceses have without any formal programs or decisions shown concern for the old missioners. Here in Gyodong, where the writer of this blog lives, has been benefiting from the largess of the Inchon Diocese for the last eight years. Many other dioceses have without any formal decisions and programs shown concern for the old missioners. Retired missioners in the present Church benefit from the work of the missioners of the past, who worked in difficult circumstances and now those who are old and infirm are receiving the love and gratitude of our Korean Christians with whom we live and work.
"Say 'Yes' when you mean 'Yes" and 'No' when you mean 'No'. Anything beyond that is from the evil one." A lawyer writing on the opinion page of the Peace Weekly tells us that Adam was the first person to violate this teaching.
In the first book of the Bible after Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he hid himself and when God asked him did he eat the forbidden fruit he answered: "The woman whom you put here with me-- she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it" (Gen. 3:12). Adam only needed to say "Yes" but he blamed Eve for his own act of disobedience and with his excuse tried to shift the blame from himself. With the opening of their eyes we have the suggestion where the original sin is found according to the lawyer.
Ordinarily we say it is a sin when we do something that is forbidden and liable to punishment, but when we deny or give an excuse we do not consider the act sinful. Consequently we find words, and acts within society that excuse from what is called sin. We find ways to confront another for their failing but not to make much of it. We find circumstances and motives where we talk around what was done and package it up with many words. In our society to acknowledge our faults detracts from our authority, and can be detrimental to our financial situation, reflected often in our political life. This whole network of denial and excuses can be traced back to the time of Adam.
This is not only doing something that is forbidden but when we excuse our actions we are advancing evil. The American psychiatrist M. Scott Peck (1936-2005) was one who brought this to our attention in his book: People of the Lie, for him evil is a kind of mental problem that has been systematized and needs to be treated. He found in his counseling, evil that didn't fit into the pathological categories of the mentally sick. Evil's characteristic is not to feel guilty, to blame others, cleverly lie, and by the lies cause confusion and disgust. This discovery made him turn to Christianity from the other religions with which he was attracted.
Evil exists in the spiritual and moral dimension but missing in science and in our social domain which gives rise to confusion and misunderstanding. In reality, she says, when we speak about evil in society we speak about it in absolute terms. Dr.Peck sees it as a mental problem. The soul of all of us are in a battle between God and evil, and the doctor makes us understand that the victory is salvation. He has no problem in seeing the devil in all of this.
According to the Scriptures we have to identify and fight against the evil within us which requires obedience. In our speech, we arm ourselves when our 'Yes" is "Yes" and our "No" is "No". She admits that this is not easy for it requires a great deal of reflection but it is what the life of faith requires of us.
The road that our
young people have to walk in this age of pleasure is far from easy. "Who
in this age uses the word purity? If one wants to practice chastity
they have to refrain from dating." At first I found it difficult and
cried a lot, but after awhile sex became a pleasant pastime like eating
and talking." "One night stands are always possible. If the desire is
there on the part of each, what is the problem? We both pay for the
motel expense and it's a saving." These are some of the easy talk we
have about sex to introduce an article in the Kyeongyang magazine by one
who has studied the subject and lectures on sex.
Chastity is no longer a
value. 45.6 percent of 1,254 college students said they had sexual
intercourse, while half of those that did not have the experience said it
was the lack of an opportunity. 66.1 percent of those older than 23 had
a sexual experience while those older than 25 the percentage was 82.1
percent. This, the writer says, is not from another country but a
report about Korean students in our newspapers.
The attitude displayed by
the report, the writer finds disturbing. "Who in today's world uses the
word chastity?" It is a word from another age. Is chastity now considered a
vice and to be discarded?
Our sexual perceptions
are formed by our culture which in turn are influenced, unknowingly, by
the mass media. In the past we had the printed word; today, images,
there is a world of difference.
Students entering
college were asked to write about a first kiss in detail: 70 percent of
the women wrote about the falling snow and kissing under the street
lights, while the men talk about kissing in an alley. Why such a
similarity? What the young people saw over the years in ads, movies,
dramas, and musicals is what comes to mind. Our young people have seen
much more than kissing.
Big
business has made use of mass media to spread this sexual ideology far
and wide. The sexual craving needs to be satisfied. Love has to be
satisfied by sex. When the lover is absent than a 'one night stand' is
acceptable. The popular culture has made this a common feature and
habit in life. We see it in drama, movies, talk shows, in dating. Violence is inflicted on those who do not buy into this modern
ideological sex culture. Those who do not want to join in are ridiculed and considered sick.
Sexual ideology's biggest
evil is dealing a big blow to the culture of life. Sex and pleasure
without the possibility of life becomes normal. The writer wants to ask
those who are spreading this ideology how many times pregnant, how many
abortions, how many partners, how many encounters and separations? Does this life bring happiness? Common sense gives an obvious answer, and why do we fail to make it known?
Using the words of
Lincoln : You can fool all the people some of the
time, some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the
people all the time. In conclusion he uses God's words speaking to the Israelites when they entered a new land and are tempted by their Gods and
their way of life. "I am your God now that you are in the land of
pleasure don't follow your craven desires and follow after what you
see." Don't lose your way in this land but follow the way of chastity.
The young people of today have to follow the way of the martyrs.This
is the cross that will help heal the world.
A Religious Sister who heads a research center, and lectures at a university, hopes the the visit of the pope to Korea will be the start for changes in the Korean Church. She mentions the questionnaire that preceded the visit of the pope sponsored by the Catholic Times and was commented on frequently in the Catholic press. Hopefully, she says, the questionnaire will be the basis for future plans. She gives us her ideas on the opinion page of the Catholic Times.
The issues that came to the fore were clericalism, worldliness of the Church, formation of a middle class Church, an immature laity, were some of the points mentioned. The issues for renewal were comprehensive. She compares the issues to a cogwheel in which all are related and interact with one another.
She uses the example of a university professor who mentions that global life is made up of individual life and other co-life. A tree to live needs, the sun, air, wind, water, earth, likewise, we as a Church need each other to function as Church.
The questionnaire showed that the number one obstacle to renewal was authoritarianism and clericalism within the Church and this was one of the reasons for the immaturity of the laity. The authoritarianism of the clergy is the reason for the passivity and dependence of the laity. She mentions the need to form the laity to take an active part in the running of parishes. She hopes that this will be the results of renewal, but she still has in her thinking some serious doubts, and why should this be? She asks. She feels that the problem is not something outside of us but in ourselves. The clergy are going to have to examine themselves, they are the ones who need to come to a new understanding of their role. Without this examination the renewal will have difficulty.
She mentions a Jesuit priest who worked for the poor and lived with them. He died recently and she attended the funeral.The Church was filled. He was a cleric who lived with the poor and gave up all his authority and received authority by the way he lived.
The Sister mentions she saw where the real authority of the priests comes.
"When one walks in the fog,unknowingly, your clothes become damp." These words are handed down in Buddhism and was the title of her article. She hopes that there will be many priest who will want to work towards the ideal that they have received from their training. At ordination the young priests lie prostrate in front of the altar. She hopes that the priest will be conscious of what this signifies and prays that they will live this promise effectively in their lives.
She remembers well the smiling face of Pope Francis during his visit to Korea and the way he reacted with all those that he met. She hopes that we will have many pastors in the Church with this smile on their faces.
Beatification of Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 martyr companions at the
Gwanghwamun Gate recently was a memorable day for our Christians. An
essay in the Catholic Times reflects on the meaning of what happened on
that day: Korean history and Catholic history came together. Before we
lose the enthusiasm, the essayist wants us to reflect on three points
that arise from the beatification.
Blessed Paul Yun was
the first one on the list of martyrs beatified that day. Because of a
decree that came from the bishop of Beijing, Blessed Paul burned the
ancestral tablet and when his mother died he performed the funeral
according to the Catholic rite instead of the Confucian rite.
Confucianism, the writer reminds us, is still very strong in Korea. If
one should destroy the ancestral tablets even in the 21st century there
would be a lot of finger pointing. Paul had passed the first exam for
public office, was the son of a noble family and caused great scandal.
He was a person different from that of his age.
Magistrates
tried cajoling and force to change his thinking, but to no avail; he
was martyred in 1791.The most prominent among those beatified on August
16, 2014.
Paul Yun Ji-chung, became Korea's first Catholic martyr when he was
executed. Ordinary citizens would see these Catholics as
persons without respect for parents and king: lack of loyalty and filial
piety and worthy of death; they were against the basic values of
society.
Secondly we see the situation of Catholicism
change in a short period of time. From being a bunch of depraved
individuals to dignified members of society. Since the values of
politics and religion are different there has been pressure before and
after on religion. During the Chosen dynasty, Buddhism was oppressed;
in this modern world we have had religious demonstrations and signs of
dissatisfaction. Catholicism for over a hundred years was a persecuted
community that is today accepted. We would not find the equivalent of
such a quick change in Korean history.
On the day of
the beatification the Christians gathered in the center of Seoul in the
Gwanghawmun plaza where at the time of the persecution their
death was decided and taken to Seosomun where they were executed. Did
any of the children of the martyrs ever think that their ancestors
would be honored some two hundred years later in the very place they
were condemned to die?
Thirdly we have the timely
remarks of the pope on this occasion. These early martyrs formed a
beautiful community of equality in a time where
we had droughts, famine, and corrupt officials. Social position and
discrimination between men and women was a part of society. These early
Christians challenged the culture and lived the Gospel life of equality.
The
pope reminded us of these beginnings. Lay people took the
initiative and began the community of faith. With their intelligence,
faith and curiosity they took pride in their efforts, and the pope asked
that we don't forget this message of equality from the early Church.
In
conclusion the writer wants to bring to our attention the words from
the government documents from the time of the persecution. During the
interrogation of the martyrs in 1801 on three different occasions we have
them saying that there will be a Church built on the grave of Yun
Ji-chung. These are the prophetic words that we the descendents of the
martyrs need to examine.
Today is the Korean Autumn Festival Holiday called Chuseok. August
15th of the lunar year also called Hangawi: the full moon lunar 8th
month. A time to give thanks for the harvest, to our ancestors and to
God for the life we are meant to enjoy.
Chuseok means
a great deal to the Koreans, it has a long history, and families will
go great distances to spend part of the three day holiday at the home of
their parents. On the festival morning many will have the rites remembering the
ancestors, go to the grave site, and eat together: sharing their lives, and affection for each other.
Many of the
Catholics after the rites in the home will attend Mass in which the
deceased members of the family will be remembered, they recite the
office of the dead and thank God for his blessings and ask to be
renewed for a more fruitful life in the future. Reflection on death
helps to live the gift of life with greater joy.
The
readings for the Mass give us an indication where are thoughts should
be. Happiness is a desire that we all have. We sometimes understand
this happiness to be a feeling, the results of chemicals within the
body.This is not the way we want to understand happiness. Feeling good
is not what is meant by happiness. The parable for the Mass is taken
from Luke 12:15-21: the foolish greedy farmer who blessed with a good
harvest wants to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store his
harvest and hears that death is coming: to whom is he going to leave his
riches? Sharing never entered his mind.
Sermons today
will try to show where true happiness is found. All of us have heard
that material goods are not the answer, but what brings happiness is
answered in thousands of different ways. Humanists
will remember what the Greek philosophers recommended: contemplation of
the true, good and beautiful and the practice of the virtues. A
Christian wants to empty oneself, and be led by God and his graces. God wants us to be happy so we don't want to put any obstacles
in his way.
Fr. Anselm Grun, an authority on
spirituality is in Korea to give talks on spirituality and was written up in the Peace Weekly. He mentions that he finds Korea sadder than he
found it on his last visit. The Autumn Festival and the death of so
many young people in the Sewol tragedy, without any satisfaction coming
from efforts to uncover the truth, is not helping the mood of society.
The Benedictine Monk stresses
that our attitude is what makes for happiness.The search for wholeness
and spirituality brings joy into our lives. We are changed by the
relationship we have with God. Catholics attending the Masses on the
holiday will be hearing a great deal about what the obstacles are in
our search for happiness. Thinking of death and our ancestors will help
us to see life without the influence from our popular culture. Happy
Autumn Festival, and the joy that comes with gratitude.
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.
