Pope John XXIII defined the common good as "the sum total of social
conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to
reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily" (Pacem in Terris #
55). Common good is a term that appears often in the social teaching of
the Church and a basic concept.
A priest with a doctorate
in social studies and now working in the labor apostolate
sees the lack of sensitivity for the common good as one of the primary reasons
for the MERS epidemic, contagion and death that resulted from the
epidemic. He writes about the spread of MERS in his column, and gives a
great deal of the blame to seeking efficiency over the common good.
Information
on the spread of the disease, and the name of the hospitals involved
was not made known at the start, and keeping this secret did much to
help the spread of the disease: more concern for private
issues than for the common good.
The desire of the Church
is to work in the area of the common good. He finds the government
retreating in the areas of public health and promoting private health
endeavors. This he also sees as a reason for some of the problems
experienced during the MERS epidemic.
His thoughts come from reflection on creation. God gave the goods of creation to all of
us. We should all benefit: not especially difficult to understand. There are times when a decision made will result in a loss either
materially or in humiliation, but the public
good benefits. The columnist gives blame for the quick development of capitalism
in society where efficiency is everything. Medical care, education, labor, and lodging all become commodities in the market, and those who
are sacrificed for efficiency we do not see.
In conclusion, he wants us to learn a lesson from the MERS
epidemic. More than to maximize efficiency in our society we need to increase our concern in working for the common good, which will promote a more peaceful life for all. Also help us to live according to
the order of creation and the road we Christians are called to follow.
Godparents for the baptized is a tradition seen in many
Christian groups. Tertullian, in the 200s AD mentions the use of godparents in his book on Baptism. In
the early Church the baptized were mostly adults, and had a godparent of the
same sex. They assumed the responsibility as mentors for the newly
baptized.
The Peace Weekly has a 'cover story'
on godparents and their godchildren. Godparents are to guide their
godchildren in the life of faith but this is not what happens. Often it
is only a name that goes in the baptismal book, and merely a formality
that one follows, without meaning. Godparents are to pray, and lead their godchildren in imitating Jesus but few take the
responsibility with any seriousness.
The Weekly
prepared a questionnaire that was given to 446 parishioners to determine
the situation in the present Church. According to the questionnaire over 50 percent have no contact with their godchild. 38
percent of the godchildren have no contact with their godparents. 15
percent do not know who their godparents are.
55
percent say the distancing from the godparents came from the lack of
contact. 25 percent said that they didn't know the godparent when they
were baptized so quickly lost contact. To prevent this from happening a
priest is quoted with five steps to be a good godparent. Praying for
the godchild, talk and listen to them, study to answer their
questions, introduce them to the liturgy
of the Church, and keep in contact with the godchild.
How
is the situation going to improve? One suggestion in the article from a
Sunday school teacher recommends to match the godparents with the ones
to be baptized into three groups: infants and children, young people, and
adults-- for infants close relatives, for young people Sunday school
teachers and devoted young people, and for adults,
members of the different societies in parish communities.
Serious
efforts to change the way godparents are chosen and programs to educate
those who are in such a spiritual relation will do much to change the
atmosphere of a parish and make for a community of faith.
In the question and answer section of the Peace Weekly a priest asks: In private conversations he is often asked why does the
Catholic Church disregard the countries' security problems, and
continue to criticize the government. When he hears words which incites
people he is upset but when he gets these questions he is at a loss for
words, and feels silence is the best answer but remains irritated.
The
columnist understands his perplexity. He doesn't agree that the Church
has no interest in security. Korea is surrounded by strong countries,
and North Korea has has shown hostility to the South. No one wants to
abandon our security. However, the Church's understanding of security
is much more extensive than the ordinary citizen, and looks towards
the future. Many see security only as related with
Communism.
He gives the example of the training of
children in Japan.They are taught to be considerate of others. In order
to get them accustomed to the cold, children wear short pants in the
winter. They receive leadership courses, patience is considered a great
virtue, and are taught frugality. There is a difference in the way we
can look upon this formation: on the short term we can see the sincerity
of the Japanese, in the long view we can see them wanting to form a
strong populace, and in case of war be able to withstand the difficulties
of daily life.
The columnist compares the Japanese
children with Korean children. If the children does well in studies
parents have a tendency to ignore their behavior. This later shows up in society. We have even in small things uncontrollable emotional
outbursts, and those with little knowledge want to solve difficulties
with emotions.
The Church is an alternative community
which tries to deal with these problems. To have care for the other,
respect the other, to educate the whole person to live with
others. It is education for life.
One of the maladies
of our society is the McCarthyism syndrome: (a witch hunt, unscrupulously
accusing people of disloyalty by saying they were Communists). When we
hear criticism of the government, persons speaking honestly and see a need to change certain behavior,
we have those who consider it a subversive act. We still are dealing with this kind of thinking in Korea. It
is an emotional problem.Those that point out the problems in
government may truly love the country and are doing more for the security
of the country than those who do not criticize.
We need to
understand each other and respect each other's opinions.When we don't
allow the others who think differently to speak and call them communists
we are dividing the country, and we can see this happening in many
countries of the world. As Christians we should see this kind of attitude as working against building the kind of world that God wants.
In her column in the Peace Weekly the writer reminisces on the many
people she has met, and lost contact with during her years of work. Of
that number were some she was able to speak to openly
and frankly. She doesn't know why but many of the relationships became
awkward, and gradually the degree of coldness increased.
Just
before retirement one of that group came to visit with the writer. She
doesn't mention what instigated the unburdening of her pent up
resentment but she fully expressed her feelings to the person. Made
known her hurts, resentments, criticism, grudges-- all poured out in a
short period of time, all negative. However, she admits that the anger
did not subside after it all came out. During the monologue the one-time intimate
did express herself.
After retirement she did remember the words of the visitor that were expressed that day and they
continued to reverberate in her head. The sentence that continued to bother her was: "Why do you think that everything you do
is right?"
When she let it all out, she also refuted
this statement that was one of the retorts by the visitor and her
response did get the person to nod in agreement, but the words remained
with her and continued to bother her. This is what they saw in her that
prompted the estrangement: everything she thought, said and did was
seen as cold hardheartedness by them, and now in every situation in
all circumstances these words come to mind.
North and
South Korea both have different understandings of the situation. The
North and South have different ideologies, and is it not possible to
say problems arise when we think that we always have the right answers? Isn't the problem between the
North and South basically that each maintains they have all the answers
to the problems and don't want to listen? And she concludes with the words of the Scriptures.
"Why
look at the speck in your brother's eye when you miss the plank in
your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take that speck out
of your eye while all the time the plank remains in your own?" (Matt.
7:3-4)
'In
random thoughts on religion', the columnist in the Peace Weekly, writes
about a woman who helped him in his work both materially and
spiritually. She was told by her doctor she had about 15 days of life
remaining. This news upset her greatly. She was far from her seventies;
the news left her in shock. She attended Mass and went directly to the
hospital.She never lost her dignity. She prayed earnestly for a cure and
dreamed of returning to her former ways.
He
heard that she was in hospice-care and went for a visit. "I don't
want to die", "I want to live" were her words, said with very little
strength. He visited her a number of times but all he could do was hold
her hand and and say nothing. No words of consolation came from his
lips. Our Lord hearing of the death of Lazarus and meeting Martha and
Mary he cried. Because of the human condition and original sin we will
all die. However, with the Resurrection of Jesus we have hope. Leaving the
woman for the last time in hospice, he had the consolation she was going to a better life.
Just
recently he had two other friends who were recently given a death
sentence. He was at one time very close to them and both of them, not
even in their 60s, were now in hospice care. The columnist was overcome with
a feeling of ingratitude towards one of them, and the other he grew
apart because of his friend's uncontrolled temper. Hearing that they were in
hospice-care he quickly went to visit them.
In
these times when we talk about people living to their hundreds it is a
sad sight to see these men who where until recently men with great
presence and vigor who were haggard images of themselves. Seeing them
in this condition brought tears to his eyes.
He
wanted to bring them to a knowledge of faith and give them a reason to
hope. In his own life the faith he had was a great consolation in facing
death, and he wanted to bring up the issue but they were in
pain and he felt it better to leave the job to their wives.
He leaves us with the words of a Germain psycho physicist Gustave Fetcher: Man
lives on earth three time,the first state is continual sleep in the
womb. Second stage is the present where we sleep and awake in turns.
The third stage is always awake. In the first state one is prepared with
the organs of speech, sight, smell and hearing which will be used in the
second stage. In the second stage preparation is made for the last
stage. When the baby leaves the womb the transition is like a death to a
new environment and new life. It begins with a cry and a whole new
environment with laughter and joy. The third state is one we don't know much about,
full of peace and liberty.We see the last stage as one with a very
narrow door and dark, but it is the way to eternal life.
Korea's
division into South and North has many intellectuals and authorities on
the situation giving their opinions. An article in the Kyeongyang
magazine by a student of the subject and a university professor gives us
his ideas.
Right
from the start he tells us of the difficulties of being objective
because of the restrictions that we face in society. North Korea can be seen as a devil and should not be in the world order, this will influence the way
the subject is approached. The other position wants
reconciliation, cooperation and co-existence.
When
Kim Il-sung died in 1994 and Kim Jong-il replaced him almost all the
authorities said he wouldn't last 3 years. This opinion was a heart-felt
desire, a subjective wish that overcame their thinking, which sadly is a
self portrait of ourself and a good example of our inability to
understand the North. Also the danger of wanting to white wash all that
the North does, and not seeing the situation objectively, and taking
everything we hear at face value is also not the way to go.
Many authorities have varied opinions on the
situation in the North with Kim Jong-un. Recently we heard news of
purges of leaders in the government and the appearance of government by
fear. Machiavelli is quoted as saying the prince rules the easiest
when the citizens are in fear. But when the fear turns to hate problems
arise which requires that the prince offset this fear with love and
blessings.
The
professor sees many different possible scenarios for the future
relationship. And would like to see the kind of unification that
happened in Germany without any blood being spilled He wants a policy
of engagement. The lack of a united position in the South is a great
obstacle to the unification of the country. Many are the citizens who do
not want the unification. We need to work for this unification among the citizens of the South, that will facilitate the unification of the country.
We
need to do all possible to overcome the hostility and confrontation
between the North and South, It shouldn't matter whether the government of Kim Jong-un is stable or unstable, we have to prepare ourselves for reconciliation and cooperation, dialogue, engagement and coexistence. And work for the realization of this dream.
In the
beginning of the 1960s per capita income in Korea was 100 dollars, in
2013 it was over 20,000 dollars. During the period of 40 years we have
seen an increase of over 200 times. Briefly, many citizens have become
'rich overnight'. Sudden accumulation of wealth and new social status
brings new attitudes: self importance, different from others,
wanting respect, and the desire to show off the wealth and
separate themselves from others.
A
university rector brings this reality to the attention of the readers in an opinion column in the Catholic Times. We see this in individuals who become overnight
millionaires but also true of a country-- immaturity, confusion and
anxiety.
Koreans
he says are absorbed with the myth of success. Society does look down
upon failures which promotes the myth of success. Sadly, this thinking has entered the world of religion. Imported from the States in the last decades is the power of positive thinking, the
ideology that has moved much of Korea: personal development, happiness
evangelizers, and the feel good understanding of life.
Like a flood this enters our businesses, our churches, and
even the academies of learning. Much of this positive
thinking has worked. Like a panacea--we are dealing with the placebo
effect. What is the object of the positive thinking? Positive thinking
is the motivating force that energizes one to overcome difficulties and
moves the will and gives hope, but it can also be the driving force
for ambition and the spirit of greed.
'Feel good' understanding of religion can be pervasive in society.
The power of positive thinking is important but it is not
religion. Life is not the thirst for continual prosperity and health.
This religion of prosperity is not the longing for the eternal but attachment to the transient and ignoring our follow citizens and
matters of justice. God is often used as a tool and as a means to
attain success and prosperity.
Newly rich do not realize they are being controlled by an
inordinate emotion. In their new culture of wealth they do
not realize they are not being 'more' but losing what they were
made to be. Consequently, the uncontrollable passion for education, extreme competition, and many of the abuses that we have in society.
We
need to have a win/win understanding of culture, with the teaching of
wisdom enabling us to live together with others, and he concludes that this
should be the aim and duty of Christianity.
