Confrontation Over a Christmas Tree

Aegibong is a mountain that faces North Korea. In the Peace Column of the Peace Weekly we are told the  historical significance of the name. Back in the time of the Sino-Korean War the governor of Pyeongyang province, to escape the invasion of the Qing forces took his mistress and fled. He Hoped to cross the Han River but was captured by the Chinese forces, and taken to the North, only his mistress was able to cross the Han River. She continued to look at the Northern sky waiting for her lover. When she died she wanted to be  buried on a peak which overlooked the North.

In 1966 Park Cheong Hee, the president, visited the mountain, and understood the  feelings of the mistress towards her lover were much like the anguish of the families separated by the division of the two Koreas, the peak was named Aegibong.

Using the  telescopes on the observation platform of  Aegibong  one is able to see many of the villages of the North and the displaced persons now living in the South can look for their villages they had to leave.

Most of the citizens know Aegibong as the place they light the Christmas Tree. The lighting ceremony makes the  news but as in the past it is surrounded with much commentary. Right after the Korean War in 1954 they began decorating a pine tree with Christmas decorations. In 1971 they erected a 30 meter tower which was decorated with Christmas lights. The Protestants prepare the tree for Christmas and have a lighting ceremony. The ceremony is to celebrate  the birth of Jesus and to pray for the peaceful unification of the country. However, North Korea considers the setting up of the tree, that can be seen within North Korean territory, as a subversive act and an incitement to war and oppose it.

Back in 2004 when the two Koreas were talking to each other at the request of North Korea the South stopped the Christmas lighting ceremonies but they resumed in 2010. The tower that was used in the past for the decorations was considered old and dangerous and was torn down; in its place a 9 meter temporary tower was erected by the Protestant Christian Confederation with the permission of the Ministry of National Defense.

The North Korean Religious Council considers the tree a vile psychological tactic that incites to war and is putting pressure to prevent the ceremonies to proceed.  The villagers also who surround the area are very much concerned because of the threat of the North to not stand idly by if they have the lighting ceremony.The villagers say they will use physical force to prevent the lighting of the Christmas tree. They are afraid of the bombing of the area and the danger to the villagers.

The columnist ends up with a question for the rest of us Christians. Christmas is a time of peace and we have a situation that forebodes confrontation. How would Jesus look upon the situation?

                                                                                                     

Doers of the Word

During the liturgical year we have many reminders of where our attention should be directed, and today in Korea we think of the poor in our society and share what we have with them. The third Sunday of Advent is Almsgiving Sunday in Korea,  and also Gaudete, (Rejoice Sunday) reminding us we are to live with joy in our hearts.

We have a message from the head of the bishop's welfare committee that reminds us of the many poor in our society. There are about 4 million Koreans who are living in extreme poverty. Families with three members that do not have the minimum that the government has determined a family needs to live.

In the bishop's message he mentions that in a recent survey made, 86 percent of the Koreans find living difficult. The quality of life in Korea is one of highest in Asia, one of the economic strong countries in the  developed world, and yet many of the citizens consider life difficult: they work hard and have little time to rest.

There is good reason for this when we remember that Korea is a divided country, and with all the talk of war, nuclear armaments, and occasional belligerency, the ordinary Korean is not without serious worries about the future. The country is surrounded with three giant countries which have not always looked favorably on the South.

The top 20 percent of the citizens are earning 6 times what the lower 20 percent are earning. Neoliberalism is a strong economic philosophy that influences a great deal of society. The philosophy has helped Korea progress very quickly in the ranks of the economically strong countries, but also at a great price. The students are well educated and have shown this in comparison with other countries but here again the competition is unrelenting, and for the losers a cloud that remains with them for life.

Christians, the bishop reminds us, can't  separate the love of God from that of our neighbor. We have all heard that even a nation cannot eradicate poverty, it is the work of all of us. We need to participate in improving the way of life for all the citizens, and to help all live in the manner fitting a human being. Joy in life should be a given for all;  sharing what we have with those who have less than what they need is to be doers of the word and not only hearers.                                                                                                                        

Social Gospel of the Church

The Desk Column and the editorial in the Catholic Times presents us with thoughts on the 'Social Gospel Awareness Week' which follows Human Rights Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent. 

The columnist mentions the respect he has for a friend who  graduated from one of the three premier colleges in Korea, SKY: Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Not only graduated from one of the best schools but is a member of a  well known Protestant Church, and lives in one of the better areas of Seoul. However, he has been labelled a follower of the North (meaning for many with Communist sympathies).

He is not overly concerned with this turn of events and found some encouragement from Pope Francis' words while in Korea concerning the North. He feels that his friends just don't understand him, and still has a bright disposition.

There are many who have a wrong understanding of what the Social Gospel is all about, and think that it should not be our concern. This he says is not understanding what Catholicism is all about, for it has to do with the ten commandments, and living them in our daily lives.

The teaching of the Social Gospel appears in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in part three:Life in Christ. When we refuse to accept this teaching we are abandoning what it means to be Catholic. The popes  in their exhortations, encyclicals, pronouncements have made this our formal teaching. We are able to see life in society, politics, economy, labor, peace, the environment, life, human rights, and many other issues with the vision that comes from the Gospels.

The Church is like a boat making its way on a rough  ocean. We  need a compass to find the way.The Social Gospel is the compass that shows us the way. When we refuse this direction we are only accepting half of what Jesus has given us. Can we call this  a mature faith life?

The Gospel of Life

In Korea there are  many things that are illegal but you would believe were legal. An article in the Peace Weekly begins with the words of a doctor turned  ethicist who mentions a news story where 117 persons were apprehended for child  pornography and of that number, half were in their  teens and one third of those were in elementary school.

Doctor Lee was a well known gynecologist who is now teaching at  Catholic Universities the ethics of life. He received his doctorate in ethics at a university in Rome last year. In 2008, at the age of 64 he decided to go on to study moral theology.

He wanted to  find out why God made male and female to be one.  Why was the Church opposed to artificial birth control and condoms? He wanted to find out where the roots of this teaching on life came from. This desire as a Catholic to find the reasons for the culture of life teachings, at his age was difficult,  but he was  adding to the knowledge he had as a doctor, which made it very satisfying.

The doctor was now more interested in the moral issues associated with life than the field of  gynecology that he had devoted most of his life. He was now interested in natural child birth, problems with birth control, abortion, stem cells, suicide and the other issues connected with the culture of life. He now wants to share his knowledge with others.

Korean society has little teaching on sex which is a large problem. Schools have given up on sex education which makes it open for all kinds of distorted views. By the coupling of the male and female, we have new life and the meaning of this life:  morally, philosophically, is  to be taught within the Church. There are certain elements that can't be taught with medical and scientific knowledge.

Doctor Lee has entered late into the movement for life. Even though he is well on in years, he feels it is  a call of God, and wants to dedicate the rest of his life to the movement. 

In Evangelium Vitae (#5), Pope John Paul II addressed an appeal to all of us: "in the name of God: respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life! Only in this direction will you find justice, development, true freedom, peace and happiness!"

Getting Younger Each Day

On the spirituality page of the Catholic Times the columnist writes about the heart of a young person. A quality that most of us find very attractive especially as we get old. 

The columnist met a follow priest at the cathedral parish who was there to get some Mass wine. They hadn't seen each other for some time so they went to a coffee shop for quiet time. His friend mentioned they started a catechism class in the  parish and one of the new catechumens was an unique individual.

What do you mean by unique? asked the columnist.  His friend mentioned the man was in his 50s and a person who was successful in life. The reason he gave for wanting to come into the Church was the example of the pope in his visit to Korea. The man followed very closely what the pope was doing on TV, and was greatly impressed with what he saw.

The appearance of the pope was that of a young person, said the man. He wanted to have that same kind of heart and joined our catechism class. Hearing his story the friend was embarrassed in comparison, for he was doing it all without any religious belief.

Although he was the president of a company that was successful he did his own driving, and his clothes were very simple as was his life style. From the profits of the company he was putting some of it back into the society to help the poor, and was personally involved in helping others. The only person that knows about his service to others was his fiance

The columnist was surprised to hear that he was in his fifties and not married. His friend was not able to give him any information on his home life for he hadn't questioned him yet, but his whole manner was one of humility and simplicity, said the friend.

Persons young of heart may not be a quality that is easily recognizable but it has an irresistible power to attract. We are all searching for peace, security, happiness, and in the whirlpool in which we live these qualities of life are not easily possessed. The man in his fifties was attracted to an old man, the pope, who showed the spirit of youth. This was his  motive for entering the Church. This is a rare motive but one that should be more common. St. Paul did tells us that the body grows old but there is no reason why the heart (spirit) has to grow old. In Jesus, we will find that the dreams and youthfulness that should be a part of our life even as we near death, can be found in him.                          

Women's Role in the Church

"We can count on many lay persons, although still not nearly enough, who have a deeply-rooted sense of community and great fidelity to the tasks of charity, catechesis and the celebration of the faith. At the same time, a clear awareness of this responsibility of the laity, grounded in their baptism and confirmation, does not appear in the same way in all places. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities. In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making" (#102). And again,"I readily acknowledge that many women share pastoral responsibilities with priests, helping to guide people, families and groups and offering new contributions to theological reflection. But we need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church" (#103).  Words of Pope Francis in the Exhortation: Joy of the Gospel.

The issue of women in the Church is ongoing, and the Korean Church has been concerned with the lack of satisfaction on the  part of many women for a long time. Pope Francis has shown his interest in expanding the role of women within the Church and the Korean Church continues to work to implement what has been the direction, but there are  roadblocks along the way.

The Bishops' Subcommittee For Women was begun with a need to empower the women in the Church. The recent seminar of the Subcommittee discussed  women's work in the present and future. Both Catholic papers had articles on the seminar and mentioned a presenter who very clearly expressed the opinion that we have heard often that the clergy have to change their way of thinking and attitude towards women if we want to see change.

The first presenter at the seminar, a seminary professor, who expressed the above opinion also   expanded to say in the Korean Church women's role has been a supporting one, and discrimination is readily seen. In the questionnaires and surveys  taken among the women we continue to see a desire for a smoother way of communicating between priests and women, a desire to see a change in the patriarchal mind caste, and to be in the decision making in parishes. All realize without the participation of the women with their special gifts, sacrifices and capabilities we would not be able to maintain the parishes.

Two women who are now presidents of the parish council gave talks at the seminar. One stressed the need for educational programs for women. The first women to have the position as parish council president in her parish mentioned how difficult it was: physically, internally and externally. The atmosphere in the parish was cold but with her efforts in being the first to greet the parishioners, and going out of her way to be of service to the community the gaze of the parishioners soften, and she began to get people encouraging her. 

One of the men mentioned that a woman president gives the women confidence, and inspires them and we have a mellower way of being a leader but we are not able to sit down for drinks and relate easily with the women. In our traditional society to be in that position is cause for uneasiness for many. 

The time away from the family is a problem for a woman, and the misunderstanding that may arise in the family. One of the men mentioned the need for the woman, if she is a homemaker, to make good use of her time and not to hear from the family that she is spending too much time at the Church.  

The efforts of the Church to bring the women into the decision making of the parish life continues, since most of the workers in a parish are women, we will  see an improvement with the conscientization we have had over the years.     

Results of Neoliberalism

For the past two weeks our diocesan bulletin has treated the subject of Neoliberalism. The writer is a priest who is responsible for the formation of the young. He finds it more of a problem than Postmodernism. Neoliberalism is also known as the  'age of the market' or  'age of  competition'. From the 1980s it began taking hold in our society, and today it is deeply imbedded.  

Competition has found a home in the society because it is believed to improve the goods and services. The underside that follows will make our young people pay the price in the years to come. 

Neoliberalism breaks down the solidarity of our society and secondly drains us of our natural resources. He uses the sociologist Richard Sennett's words which acknowledges the positive aspects of   Neoliberalism but also the evils that followed: loss of freedom and self respect, fear, and a resignation to the present reality giving birth to passivity.  

The children try to better their classmates in getting good grades, and to attain these grades they come home from the academies late in the evening. The young people are preparing their list of specifications, for their personal history, to find work. Those who have a job in their thirties fear losing them. Those in their forties are thinking of going to an academy to learn English to make sure they will have a job as the young people enter the labor force.   

The writer gives us some suggestions and alternatives the  society needs to make. Excessive competition needs to be controlled. Maintain the  good elements and decrease the bad and work for a  change in the way we do politics to improve the situation. Work for a better welfare system, and say farewell to the supremacy of competition and materialism. We need to do away with the egotistical society we have made and form a new culture.

He finishes his article with two proposals: help the weak in society to have a new start. Secondly, we need a deep  study of the cultural of Neoliberalism and what it is doing to the society.