MERS, and the reports received have been criticized by many for their
lack of clarity, and for the many false rumors associated with the outbreak of
the disease. Plenty of blame for the government and mass media, consequently, the priest columnist in the Catholic Times, wants us to see everything
from the eyes of the poor.
This kind of talk quickly gets
picked up as leftist, communistic rant by those who don't appreciate the great good done by our free enterprise system. Is it not an act of
simple politeness to try to understand the other in the most benign way
possible? A poor person has no standing in society and will see reality
without the prejudices that the privileged ones have of their society.
We can also see this within the church. Pope Francis is upsetting many
precisely because he wants to view society and the church with the eyes
of the poor.
Information is not always transmitted fully is a problem, but not passed on correctly is more of a problem. Mass media is influenced by ideologies, and pressure from power which diminishes freedom.
Big money and connections with big business influences the freedom of
the media. Consequently, it is difficult for the media to be objective
and neutral. Even with the MERS epidemic we see how this reality influenced much of the reporting.
The failure to report the facts does great harm to our democracy. Without all the facts the citizens are not able to make the right decisions. "Information is among
the principal instruments of democratic participation.
Participation without an understanding of the situation of the political
community, the facts and the proposed solutions to problems is unthinkable. It
is necessary to guarantee a real pluralism in this delicate area of social life,
ensuring that there are many forms and instruments of information and
communications. It is likewise necessary to facilitate conditions of equality in
the possession and use of these instruments by means of appropriate laws. Among
the obstacles that hinder the full exercise of the right to objectivity in
information, special attention must be given to the phenomenon of
the news media being controlled by just a few people or groups. This has
dangerous effects for the entire democratic system when this phenomenon is
accompanied by ever closer ties between governmental activity and the financial
and information establishments" ( Social Compendium of the Church #414).
Religious
people need a sensitivity to discern; from the flood of information
that surrounds us we need to select the correct information. The
columnist stresses we have to read and see what is presented with the
eyes of the poor. News that incites us to progress and development and
inflames our greed we have to suspect. On the other hand, information
that cares for the poor, appreciates the solidarity of humanity,
respects workers is serving the common good.
We need to
criticize the information that is false, and slanted against the poor.
No matter from where this kind of incorrect information comes, citizens
have to speak out,entering into the debate and speaking in the public
square. This shows we are a mature democracy: teaching the social
gospel, and acting as mature citizens and Christians.
Abuse in the family, physical, emotional, economic, and sexual are
serious social problems. An article in the Kyeongyang magazine written
by a professional, who has worked in the field for many years, informs
the readers of this serious issue which is not disappearing.
Violence against women in the home
has many faces, and she gives us an example of a couple married for
over ten years, who were ordered by the court to go for counseling after
the woman reported the violence to the police.
During the first session the husband made it clear that the wife was the cause of the violence: her actions warranted his response. She talked back, did not keep her promise, did not do the cleaning, she was lazy, and he was trying to teach her what to do. Verbal abuse follows physical abuse which remains with the person for a life time, and engenders suicidal thoughts.
Husband
does not feel any guilt and the wife who has to live in this situation
trembles in fear, and her only thoughts are how to prevent the next
beating. Children are the reason she is not able to leave the situation.
Children without a mother is worse then being beaten and prevents
her leaving the abuse. Society considers the abuse a private issue
located in the privacy of the home, no one wants to get involved, but
the writer makes it clear it is not a private issue but a social issue.
Patriarchy
considers family like a possession. One does not find
it easy to talk about the abuse and the shame the wife feels is part of
the reason eradication of violence is not doing well. Society sees the
mother as the sign of sacrifice, service, and devotion, if she
doesn't live up to this ideal imposed by society she will be criticized,
consequently the shame she feels and silence.
Violence
in the family is not seen as violence by many: a reason for the
failure to eradicate it. Many hearing the screams from a
home will pay no attention, and let it pass as a family matter. There
must have been a reason for the beating, if this attitude changed and
persons would report the abuse and knock on the door of the offending
house, she says, we would see a decrease in numbers.
When abuse is reported, we have perpetrators reflecting on what they
have done, and with the counseling both privately and in groups we see
change in behavior and the women receiving counseling also feels less
pain in her ordeal. There is no reason whatsoever to
justify this violence. Efforts are necessary to make the families basic
communities of love and places where growth in body, mind and soul is
promoted and evident.
Children
after birth are given a name which in many cases contains a wish of the
parents for the child. Much meaning comes with the name and this is
also true of a country. An article in the Catholic Times, addresses the
topic for the readers on the 70th year of the division of the country.
Korea also has a name.The South is called the Republic of Korea,
and the North is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Is that
what we call the two areas or is it North Korea and South Korea? Or do
we call North Korea the Puppet Regime and South Korea a colony of the United States?
If
we want communication to proceed we know the need to be sensitive to
the feelings of the other party, otherwise we face each other as enemies
with no hope of progress. The columnist remembers the time in the
seminary when he and his classmates worked as volunteers helping the
refugees to prepare for qualification exams, and were concerned on what to
call the children. Would it be defectors or new migrants? They decided
to call each one by their name, accepting each one of them as
individuals, without giving them any label that would lessen the respect
and love that they wanted to show to each of the students.
When
we pray for the reconciliation and unity of the country, we are not
recognizing the wrong headed philosophy or refusing to see all those
who are hurting under the system. Catholicism has difficulty coexisting
with Communistic materialism, and we are not asking those who suffered during
the war to forget all that transpired, but to think over what happened
and learn from the history. However, if we are not able to look beyond
what we experienced there is no hope for peace.
June 25th is the day we remember the Korean War and pray for peace. We Christians should be the leaders in this movement.
Peace is not merely the absence of war, nor can it be reduced solely to the
maintenance of a balance of power between enemies. Rather
it is founded on a correct understanding of the human person and requires the establishment of an order based on justice and charity. (Compendium of the Social Gospel of the Church # 494).
Prayer is an important issue with those with religious belief. We
have many ways of praying. Catholic traditional ways of praying and
stages of prayer go back centuries. We hear about vocal, meditative and
contemplative prayer. St. Teresa of Avila had the nine stages of
prayer. However, one does not expect to find a column in the secular
press treating five stages of prayer. A columnist in today's Chosun
Ilbo introduces us to his five levels of prayer which he says he
gathered from those who do a lot of praying.
His first
level is asking for favors: money, health, promotion at work. Prayer
to meet the person's needs: prayer begging God for help,
which the columnist doesn't find surprising. When fire falls on one's
foot the response is to do everything possible to put out the fire.
All self-esteem is put aside, and one cries out for help, and the
mental faculties do not enter into the picture.
The
second stage is paying attention to what God or the heavens are saying
to the person. No longer asking, but listening quietly to what God is saying.
Thanksgiving
is the third level. No matter what happens: failure in business,
sickness even the death of the individual, the response is thanksgiving.
To reach this level he says requires one to be at least in his fifties.Everything is in God's providence which the person acknowledges, and gives thanks.
Fourth
level is praise. In everyday life all becomes prayer: eating,
talking to family and friends, involved in work all is prayer. Even
though he is not making any effort to pray, the prayer is automatic.
Lastly we have the stage in which there is no desire to pray and not even conscious of God.
As
Catholics we can see that the columnist was very ecumenical in
gathering his information on prayer, and putting it into five stages. We
may quibble over some of the expressions but there is a great deal in
what was expressed that we would nod in agreement, although we
would not express it in the way the columnist did.
He concludes the column
by telling us that prayer begins with the first level, From the third
level on we are dealing with persons who are very comfortable with prayer, and the ordinary person would not find it easy to enter.
He also
feels the place of prayer is important. A place with many rocky cliffs,
and mountains is conducive to prayer. In the famous monasteries of
Europe they are nestled in the rocky mountain areas of the region, very
similar to the topography of Korea. He also tells us that where a Saint
has prayed in the past the prayer will be more effective. On a visit to the home of
St. Francis of Assisi, the columnist noticed the
areas was encompassed in light.
Today, in many of the Masses throughout the country we prayed for reconciliation and unity on the peninsula. The division of the country came after the end of the Second World War in 1945-- ending the colonial rule of the Japanese, and turning over the peninsula to the trusteeship of the United States and the Soviet Union, in time to become independent, which never happened. On June 25th 1950, we had the civil war between the two divisions where two million died, and 10 million were separated from their homes and relatives, and in 2015, still without an armistice.
Catholic media has visited the problems that we have with the divisions of the country and asking for prayers for the unification of the country.Kyeongyang magazine, has a number of articles that give the readers an understanding of the problems and difficulties that are faced.
The North has changed much during the 70 years of separation. Hunger has brought change and the movement away from some of their socialist principles have been adapted as we have seen in China and Russia. North Koreans are open to information from the outside world and one of the articles mentions they enjoy watching some of the dramas from the South. Also, free to purchase many products in the market even those from the South. This will continue to bring change to the political structures.
National Security Law in the eyes of many is a big stumbling block preventing steps for unification. In the world today freedom of thought and speech is understood and Korea is still under the National Security Law. One of the articles mentions how the political parties and even academia are not speaking out. From the time of President Syngman Rhee it continues to do great harm to the process for unification. "Any person who praises, incites or propagates the activities of an anti government organization, a member thereof or of the person who has
received an order from it, or who acts in concert with it, or propagates
or instigates a rebellion against the State, with the knowledge of the
fact that it may endanger the existence and security of the State or
democratic fundamental order, shall be punished by imprisonment for not
more than seven years ( taken from Wikipedia).
How do we work for unification and peace on the Peninsula? One article reports the agreement between the North and South in the Kaesong Industrial Region which is operated with the North. South Korean companies employ North Korean labor in a joint venture, but there continues to be squabbles, and it has never reached the potential that was envisioned when they started in 2002. Efforts expended for unification by organizations and religious groups are many, but they do not last long because of the political reality.
One of the most serious obstacles is the way the citizens see the situation with the North. You have the humanitarian position that wants to help the North to raise their economic level and make the transition to unification easy, while the second group waits for the North to collapse, and then will help them to unite with the South. The Church is very much on the side of the first group, but not all the Catholics would agree. We need to have a win-win scenario but this is not easily achieved.
A seminary professor
writing in a pastoral bulletin for priests reflects on "weariness and
rest" of the clerical life. He spends time with the first year students.
When he first received the assignment he thought he would be spending
time with them in their studies and prayer life. He has been in seminary
work for six years and his lectures and prayer life have not been a
problem. He doesn't remember when it started but at the end of a
semester he is tired and exhausted.
In the first two years he felt vacation time for the seminarians was too long. Now looking at the freshman class he is in admiration of their life. They are not allowed to have smart phones, no internet, no games, can't leave the seminary, no TV. How is it they can give all this up? He finds their appearance at the liturgy a beautiful sight.
Meeting the students he has to give all of himself to them. When he is stressed out, and deals with them sternly, they will be uptight, and just look for correct answers. When it is not heart to heart, we are just talking in circles. We have a superior talking to an inferior-- military style. There is not the respect for the other but wanting the other to understand the superior, and respond to him. Initiative in the work of formation is not with the formator but with the student.
We may think with heart to heart talk, joy would be the natural result but in his experience he finds pain appears first. These young men have many scars. They have suffered an educational system where competition was everything, and they fear more of the same. They were exposed to snobbery in the home, where they were compared to others, becoming a priest they would have a respected job. He reminds us that many of the students lived through the IMF times ( international financial period) where the economy was not doing well. They experienced a great deal of anger, and difficult times. Suggestive modern culture left traces on their psyche. Thankfully, the parish community and sports were able to liberate them from the scars enabling them to take the necessary steps to enter the seminary.
Seminarians do not have a romantic understanding of the life they will be entering. Difficulties, frustrations and a heart that has received many wounds is who they are, and prepared to meet a world filled with gloom. It is beyond their strength and are tired by it all. Words of Pope Francis during the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass are words of consolation.
"Our weariness, dear priests, is like incense which silently rises up to heaven. Our weariness goes straight to the heart of the Father, now how to rest by
accepting the love, gratitude and affection which I receive from God’s
faithful people? Or, once my pastoral work is done, do I seek more
refined relaxations, not those of the poor but those provided by a
consumerist society? Is the Holy Spirit truly 'rest in times of
weariness' for me, or is he just someone who keeps me busy? Do I know
how to seek help from a wise priest? Do I know how to take a break from
myself, from the demands I make on myself, from my self-seeking and
from my self-absorption? Do I know how to spend time with Jesus, with
the Father, with the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, with my patron
saints, and to find rest in their demands, which are easy and light, and
in their pleasures, for they delight to be in my company, and in their
concerns and standards, which have only to do with the greater glory of
God? Do I know how to rest from my enemies under the Lord’s
protection? Am I preoccupied with how I should speak and act, or do I
entrust myself to the Holy Spirit, who will teach me what I need to say
in every situation? Do I worry needlessly, or, like Paul, do I find
repose by saying: 'I know him in whom I have placed my trust.' "
"Let us learn how to be weary, but weary in the best of ways!"
Parish communities have personalities that some can read rather quickly. Writing in the pastoral bulletin a priest shortly after arrival at his new parish assignment noticed the large number of persons using electric wheelchairs. At the Sunday Mass he noticed about 10 wheelchairs and in the community he saw many who were using these electric wheelchairs to move around.
Majority of the community were living in only for rent apartments, a good indication of the poverty of the neighborhood. He made up his mind to prepare a pilgrimage to a shrine Pope Francis visited while in Korea. He wanted to treat the handicapped in the best possible way and made plans to bring the handicapped to the shrine by taxis.
The reason for these thoughts come from the words of Pope Francis in Joy of the Gospel: "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" #198.
He got in touch with the welfare center run by the diocese, and worked with them. There were 19 parishioners and 13 from the community. 32 all together with 35 volunteers to take care of the handicapped. The taxi drivers came from the Taxi Drivers Pastoral Association of Seoul who donated their time and 35 taxis for the pilgrimage.
One of the participants said it was like looking at a scene from Lourdes. After arriving at the shrine there was a garden feast for all the pilgrims. Dinner was not just a meal but a sacramental feast of love. It was a time for all to feel a bond solidarity.
More than the handicapped, the priest observed, it was the volunteers who seemed to be the happiest. He concludes his article with the words from the same exhortation:
"No one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their
own lifestyle demands more attention to other areas. This is an excuse
commonly heard in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial
circles. While it is quite true that the essential vocation and mission
of the lay faithful is to strive that earthly realities and all human
activity may be transformed by the Gospel, none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice" #201.
