Both Catholic papers and the Kyeonyang magazine remembering Oct. 1st, the
International Day of the Elderly, had front page space on the issue and the
magazine had a series of articles on the situation in Korea. The aging
of Korea is one of the fastest in the world and consequently little time for preparation. Spirituality for
the elderly needs to be emphasized. In Korea we have help with the
phrases used often in society: 'well living' and 'well dying'.
In a
recent seminar on the situation of aging, faith and spirituality a
bishop mentioned the need to prepare the elderly to live fulfilled lives and know how to prepare for death. In Society and within the Church there has been a
movement for 'Group Homes' for the Elderly.
By 2017 the
number of elderly will be over seven million which will be 14% of the
population. In 2025 it is estimated we will have over 10 million. In
2000 those living alone were about 540 thousand which was 3.7 % of the
total families. In 2010 this reached one million. In 2013 this rose
again to 1 million 250 thousand which is 7% of the total number
of families. 20% of the total number of the elderly
are estimated to be living alone.
There are no systematic programs in
place to take care of the problems of the sick, and those dying alone. We have
few statistics on what is happening. According to a report in 2014 we
have 55. 5 suicides for every 100,000 of the population, the highest in the world. As the aging population increases, problems increase,
one of the articles mentioned the need for Group Homes. These homes
provide the elderly with the care they need and living in an environment
that is comfortable and personal similar to their own
home.
The first Group Home was introduced into
Korea in 1995, called a home for the aged. According to the Department of Welfare, places that can be called Group Homes in 2015
numbered 131, a decrease from the 142 from the previous year, a sadness which the writer laments. They take care of about 1000 seniors.
One of the articles
by a scholar on problems of the aged laments that many of the elders
have worked for the nation, society and the family and now they are
neglected. The families of many have turned their back on them. Many
have broken hearts hurting economically, mentally, emotionally and we
shouldn't overlook this reality. This will be the self-portrait of our young people.
We
all have a desire to live long
lives. In the Old Testament this was considered a blessing. In the
ancient Roman world the average age of the citizens was about 22 years.
Koreans average age from 1926-30 was 33.8 years. In 2013 for men it
was
78.5 and women was 85.1. If we live to be over a hundred half of our
life will be living as an elder.
"Do
not abandon yourself to sorrow, do not torment yourself with brooding.
Gladness of heart is life to a man, joy is what gives him length of
days"
(Ecc.30:22).
Next year is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and during two days at the end of September, an academic meeting of scholars from many different branches of Christianity met together to discuss the issues raised by the reformation both the light and the darkness.
It was a two-day meeting with three topics: reformation for renewal, reformation for unity and reformation for reformation. The participants were aiming for unity from division by means of theology and dialogue.
The president of the Korean's Conference of Catholic Bishops gave the opening talk at the meeting that was sponsored by Sogang University. The bishop in his opening remarks mentioned that in Korea Catholics and Protestants should not talk about what separates but what we hold in common. We need to talk about our common patrimony, meditate and pray together.
He mentioned that both the Protestants and Catholics have instead of forgiving one another, accepting and working for unity we have been condemning each other. What is different from what we hold is wrong and have disparaged the other. We should not wait for results on unity from the West but work toward unity and and be an incentive to the rest of the world.
One of the participants stressed the role of the 'Sensus Fidei' (sense of the faithful) in the work for unity within Christianity. We have to learn the way we express this feeling toward the faith in our faith life.
A Protestant participant mentioned the need of the Church to be evangelized if we are to evangelize the world. We have to find ways to reform the churches. He mentioned the need to criticize the 'three Solas': by faith alone, by grace alone, and only by Scripture. We need to return to the early church and the small church communities. The capitalist ethos that has entered the church makes this movement to the small difficult.
Over half the population of Korea: Christians and Buddhist are the majority and their influence on the country is not small. Christians number about one-third of the population. They have been formed in a community by Jesus to be one but we have inflicted wounds on the community and with a lack of understanding, conflict, and division, have also infected the larger society in its lack of harmony and reconciliation.
In conclusion a priest from Sogang Theological Research Center hopes this little flame from the Academic meeting will help us to be more in touch with the teachings of Jesus and to work for unity.
In the Peace Weekly Peace Column, the columnist introduces us to the phrase Sensus Ecclesiae (Sense of the Church). He uses the word often when he speaks with those working in the Church. It's the sensitivity to know when something is Catholic or not. The ability to distinguish and discern what is and what is not Catholic.
The faithful at baptism received the threefold mission of priest, prophet, and king. These three tasks are not carried out in the manner of the world but in the manner of the Church's understanding which is according to the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness, and chastity.
Within the community of faith without the expression of these gifts, it's difficult to gain the sympathy of the community. The columnist for his part feels it's necessary to have this feeling for the Church.
Recently he attended a symposium in which one of the speakers spoke about this Sensus Fidei as a requisite in the lives of the clergy and laity if we want renewal. This Sensus Fidei is not much different from Sensus Ecclesiae: a supernatural instinct of the faithful. Because of this, there is a need to overcome the division between the teaching and learning Church. Pastors and faithful need to have sympathy for each other and with this common sensitivity toward the faith, we will have renewal.
After hearing about the Sensus Fidei he went to the book published by the International Theological Commission: Sensus Fidei In the Life of the Church, 2014.
"The importance of the sensus fidei in the life of the Church was strongly emphasized by the Second Vatican Council. Banishing the caricature of an active hierarchy and a passive laity, and in particular the notion of a strict separation between the teaching Church (Ecclesia docens) and the learning Church (Ecclesia discens), the council taught that all the baptized participate in their own proper way in the three offices of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. In particular, it taught that Christ fulfills his prophetic office not only by means of the hierarchy but also via the laity" (#4).
Consequently, the hierarchy and clergy need to respect the 'sense of the faithful' and accept them as cooperators in the work. Without this, the laity will very likely find the flame of the Holy Spirit going out. He lists six attitudes that help this sense of the faith: participating in the life of the Church, listening to the word of God, openness to reason, adherence to the magisterium, holiness - humility, freedom and joy, and edification of the Church (89~105).
The Korea Church in vitality is the envy of many other countries, however, if we look inside we see problems: authoritarianism and centrality of the clergy, immaturity, and individualism of the laity. The emphasis on the 'Sense of faith' in the symposium is the way we need to go.
In every time and space, there is going to be a minority. This is true in the world of humans: differences of thinking, appearances, tradition, and infinite ways of acting. Within this quantity we have groups who are in the majority and those in the minority, The problem is the relationship of the majority with the minority. An article in the WithBible magazine by a priest of the Seoul Diocese introduces the readers to this important issue.
This can be mutually beneficial living in harmony, or can be with conflict, and exclusion, control, and subordination. We must remember this is a question of quantity and not quality.
However, this quantity and quality are often forgotten and we mix up the two. He gives us an example of a family who getting together have prepared a meal of cold bean soup noodles. One of the family members every time she has the meal has a serious case of diarrhea and mentions this. At this time the other family members together chime in: "We are all going to eat it, you also have to, we can't prepare another dish just for you. " What would a family who spoke this way say about the family?
He begins discussion on the the the topic of homosexuality: those who are sexually attracted to the same sex be it male or female. Korea has not been very open in bringing the problems associated with homosexuality to the attention of the public. He asks the readers: Are those who are attracted to the opposite sex the majority and the normal and the minority who are attracted to the same sex abnormal and to be excluded?
He reviews the teaching in the Catechism of the Church on Chastity and Homosexuality. "Tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts' are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life, They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved" (2357).
"The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them, it is a trial.They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and,if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition" (2358).
"Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery. that teach the inner freedom,at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace,they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection" (2359).
He concludes the article noting that the Church in Korea sadly has been silent on this issue; true also in society. This teaching has a tendency to bring about a conflict in community and wonders if the silence was not a wise way of acting. For we are faced with a greater problem when we fight about something as noble as sexuality: conservatives and progressives in holding their positions can fight and be violent.
Homosexuality is not the only issue where we have a majority on one side and a minority on the other. This is the reality of our world and requires that we always deal with those different from us with charity. A situation which is rarely achieved.
We often see persons who ignore what is central and concentrate on a side issue or something preposterous. They either don't understand the issue or beat around the bush. We find them in the Pharisees and Sadducees of the Scriptures. They are enamored with the surface and formalities. So begins an article in the WithBible magazine by a retired humanities professor who spends his time in study and writing.
He feels that this kind of thinking is rampant in society. Moreover, many are within religion who are prominent and cling to the unimportant and consider themselves not only the true believers but also the protectors of true religion, often bringing down ridicule on religion. No reason here to distinguish between Catholic and Protestant.
In Korea, many Protestant Churches consider smoking and drinking sinful. They are harmful to health but are considered like an article of their creed. Probably, he says, without Christian justification, there is no place in the Protestant world that adheres to this teaching as in Korea.
In Greek, the word 'adiaphora' is used to express things that morality neither mandates nor forbids. It is an action that has nothing to do with right or wrong or salvation (an indifferent act). These actions are left up to the person to judge and act appropriately. The Church according to the writer should refrain from entering this area. Consequently, Catholics have difficulty with the Korean Protestant notion on smoking and drinking.
Many of the sermons the professor hears are theological and have little to do with the important areas of life. It is not seeing the world as it is. Sermon topics miss the important and remain on the 'adiaphora'.
Much of Protestantism is tied down to the adiaphora, partially from the literalism of interpretation, so-called fundamentalism, praying for blessings, centering their faith on their pastor and he includes Orientalism in his evaluation. Inner freedom of a person of faith is destroyed.
In 2017 we will have the 500th anniversary of the proclamation of the Reformation by Martin Luther. Let's forget whether Protestantism has realized their goal but it's a good time for Catholics to look back in history and examine and reflect on the event.
Luther at that time was fighting against the 'adiaphora' that were confusing the Church and asked for change. For him, it was (Sola Scriptura) only the Scripture. Luther was fighting to get rid of all the 'adiaphora' that he believed accrued to the Church's teaching and did not match the Gospel message.
He concludes the article with the impression that many in the Church spend too much time with the 'adiaphora' and miss the essence. He singles out the treatment of workers within Church facilities.
Our actions are often on the side of the strong and ridicule the justice that is due the weak and poor. There should not be any temporary workers in our hospitals, schools, and parishes. This is not a case of 'adiaphora' but an essential teaching of the Gospel. Love should inform all that we do for it is the essence of our faith life. However, we often see the opposite.
In present society, the female does at times take the initiative in courtship but still the male in the majority of cases continues to be the active one. Biologically the sperm of the male is unlimited in comparison to the ovum of the female. So begins an article in the Kyeongyang magazine on the courtship ways of animals by a father of three children who works in a diocesan family ministry.
The male more than the female is concerned with competition and interested in his own world. Consequently, he doesn't like to be compared with others.
In the animal kingdom it is similar but examining the ways is of great interest.
The female hedgehog protects herself with her quills. The male is not deterred by the quills and when it mounts the female he is speared with the quills and with the front paws caresses the female. The female desists from its guard-like stance and refrains from using her quills and they become a pair.
The Peacock shows off its beauty of its tail feathers and without them, the chances of finding a mate are greatly reduced. Prairie dogs win their mates by frequent jumping. Scorpions dance before their mate. Crocodiles serenade their mate, barely audible, and in the spot you see bubbles rising. Male penguins prepare their nest and present a pebble to the female as their courtship present. The Red female spider is much larger than the male and often is under the illusion that the male is her food. The male knowing this is willing to court the female. And he bravely undergoes death knowing that he is preparing food for the new baby spiders.
The animal kingdom has given our writer much to think about as he continues his article and shows us what he has learned. Like the hedgehog has he overcome the quills of his wife with understanding and concern or instead returned his own quills. Like the Peacock has he been concerned with his appearance and been understanding for his wife's desire to look well. Like the crocodile has he spent time serenading his wife and going on a date. Like the penguin does he remember his wife with presents?
He wants to be the first to approach, the first to console, the first to show love and to continue being a novice in his relationship with his wife.
"Now, I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with the human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love. I am a noisy gong,a clanging cymbal" (Cor.13:1).
Mass media's power in society is often underestimated. In the medieval period, we had the three estates, in our society the fourth estate, when the words are used, refer to the mass media. The power of the mass media, both the positive and the negative are extensive: affecting our physical, emotional, psychological and the spiritual life.
The negative influence comes not only by slanting the news, emphasizing certain aspects of life out of proportion to reality, failing to report the news honestly, not taking into account the way news is reported, but also in failing to report news and ignoring what goes against the editorial policies of the news outlet.
Writing in the Catholic Times the head of a diocesan justice and peace committee mentions in his column on the Sewol Ferry tragedy this last point: failure to report on the demonstrations going on by the families of the victims is a form of censorship of the news by those who should be reporting the news.
Families of the Sewol Ferry Tragedy continue in the center of Seoul with their fasting. (The Sewol Ferry sank on April 16, 2014, on route to Jeju Island with school children on their class trip. The ferry capsized carrying 476 people mostly high school students). Families of the victims want to know the truth behind the sinking of the ship and the reasons and feel this is not what is happening, consequently, the peaceful demonstrations~ shaving of their heads and fasting.
The families of the victims in the center of Seoul are trying to get the attention of the citizens but the mass media is keeping the citizens in the dark which makes the families feel like they are on an island in the middle of Seoul.
Two years and a half have passed since the sinking; serious gestures have been made to uncover the truth, punish the responsible, and work for a more secure society but at the same time, the truth of what was involved has sunk to the bottom of the ocean with the silence of the mass media.
The writer wants to see an openness of the press. "The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2494).
"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 on the entire democratic system when this phenomenon is accompanied by ever closer ties between governmental activity and the financial and information establishments" (Social Gospel Compendium 414).
"In the world of the media, the intrinsic difficulties of communications are often exacerbated by ideology, the desire for profit and political control, rivalry and conflicts between groups, and other social evils" (Social Gospel Compendium 416).
He concludes the article by asking: Is the Church free of blame from the way it reports the news and as Christians are we free in the way we receive and accept the news?
