In recent history, we have had many investigated for alleged abuse of judicial authority and dereliction of duty. Invariable the reason comes that they were just following orders. This is something endemic in society and is not only a recent phenomenon.
The many statements that have followed the court procedures show this as the main reason for the abuse of duties. In a column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a professor brings to the attention of the readers the struggle that many have with conscience and their duties.
But there are others who act in reverse. One of them is a police officer who was the director of police in 1980 in Jeollanam-do. He objected to orders from above during the May 18 Democratic Uprising. He was dismissed from his post, arrested, tortured for disobeying orders and directing his officers to turn in weapons and providing medical treatment and food for the protestors. He passed away in 1988 from the after effects from the torture he had to endure for what they called abandonment of duties.
Are those in subordinate positions in society to obey orders unconditionally of their superiors even if they are unjust and immoral? When a person just follows orders does that make everything right? She asks the readers if they were in that situation where the orders of the superior go against one's conscience what would they do? This is a question each one has to face.
These kinds of problems are not only faced by people working in government or industry but situations of this type are seen in our daily lives. Obviously, we are not talking about matters of little concern or of no moral value. Conscience is the sense that tells us what is right or wrong in our actions.
It's difficult to follow one's own conscience when it is not the will of the superior—nothing is guaranteed and security is jeopardized, Many things are guaranteed and sustained if I follow the instructions from above unconditionally.
The hope is that those in leadership positions in society will not be ordering injustices and immoral behavior. We need people who will develop their consciences and do what is right even at the risk of harm coming to them. This is the way to guarantee a society that will not feel shame in what we hand on to our children.
Areas of study are many and different. Science is one of the big fields where the physical and natural world is studied through observation and experiment. A priest, professor of physics at Sogang University, writes about the relationship of science and religion in the Catholic Peace Weekly.
He mentions the well known English atheist scientist Richard Dawkins who wrote in his book, The God Delusion, the more intelligent and the greater the level of education the less likely one is to have a religion. He doesn't have a very high opinion of scientists who are believers.
A question quickly comes to mind. Can science answer all the questions that we have? In the scientific age, called also the age of the fourth industrial revolution, does religion have a place? Some scientists have the conviction that religions are no longer viable—scientism.
Science has without a doubt given answers to many of our questions about nature and life, a great benefit to humankind but it can't answer the question of the 'why' of life and nature. Of course, the scientist with a belief in scientism believes that science has the answer to all our questions. This is an internally held belief and actually their religion and not a scientific response to reality.
Scientists have no way of giving answers to the meaning of life. It is here that religion enters our thoughts. Different religions have different answers to the questions about life, death, and search for the answers to morality, the existence of a being greater than the human and awe in the contemplation.
It brings to mind the many questions that we ask ourselves. How am I to live? How am I to understand this problem, this accident? How am I to deal with my own scars and find peace of mind and soul and find some solution? These are questions science can't answer.
In this new age of the 4th industrial revolution, what is the meaning of religion? Dawkins points out the evils of religion and calls for its abolition but he says this from his own convictions which are the product of his own lived life. He is actually unscientific, he is influenced by his own personal individuality which is his religion. He condemns it and at the same time is a believer in his own religion.
In conclusion, we can say that nobody is able to get rid of a belief system. One can refrain from taking upon oneself a religious belief but no one is able to free themselves from asking questions about life and its meaning. Consequently, as in the past, the present and in the future, the search for meaning will always be present.
Science and Religion have both their own areas of study and search. They need not be enemies and see everything only from their own vantage point. St. John Paul II said: "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth, and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—"
A priest remembers the time doing pastoral work on an island where he had a small home for grandmothers. He writes about his experience in a Pastoral Bulletin. When the Chuseok holiday approached a few people would come to visit and bring gifts to the elders at the home.
The grandmothers cleaned the grounds around the house and put their best clothes on for the holiday. He recalls the visit of four or five community leaders who came around noon in a van carrying some gifts. The grandmothers received the boxes of fruits and gifts in front of the house. They took some pictures and the guests returned to the van waving, explaining they were busy and had to leave. The seniors bowed deeply thankful for the gifts and the van drove away. The guests waved with a feeling of satisfaction.
Somehow, in the place of love, there seemed to be a big gap between the giving and receiving. The writer did not see any signs of closeness, love, or oneness. The grandmothers were small people who waited and bowed. To the contrary, those bearing gifts were the givers, doing good things, and feeling good about their actions. There was no spiritual exchange or meeting through conversation, but only the externals of giving and receiving.
There is a saying in Asian teaching about charity. When you help a person, three things should not be seen: the person giving, the recipient, or what is given. People desire to make themselves and their help appreciated.
Jesus also said not to reveal our charitable giving. "When you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you" (Matt. 6:3).
The writer mentions there are many people in difficult circumstances where he lives. He wants to help but is hesitant about what to do. Many experts advise us to be wise in giving unless a real need is present for we can make persons beggars.
There was an unfortunate family he wanted to help but to do it directly he saw problems. He sought the help of people with professional knowledge in helping those in need. They visited the home, counseled and determined the needs of the family which he helped to meet. There are many ways to help people with difficulties: financial help, education, and personal development.
In modern times, there are many who have shown us different ways to love. One is to go into the world of the poor and suffering and live with them. It is not giving or teaching anything, but accepting and acknowledging others as brothers and sisters and spending time with them. We have the example of many eminent persons who have done just that by living with the unfortunate people and sharing their lives with them.
One of these is Jean Vanier who began the L'Arche movement over 50 years ago. In L'Arche movement, each person participates, helps and receives help, it is founded on mutual relationships. Vanier has a doctorate in Philosophy for his thesis on Aristotle. The research was on happiness, which he defined as loving and being loved. This was also the path that Jesus showed us in showing love for the outcasts of society.
Is this water really clean? She wonders as she takes the cap off the bottle of spring water. She drinks but not without serious doubts about the health benefits. So begins an article in a Diocesan Bulletin. As a child, she remembers the older generation saying in the near future we will be paying for the water we drink. The time is here.
We live in a highly scientific civilization; concerned with clothes, food, and shelter but our thinking about food has changed the most. In the past, it was the expensive and good food we desired especially different kinds of meats but recently with the appearance of the 'well being' movement, interest in vegetables and fruits has grown greatly. Despite this, water is still one of the most important elements of good health. The secret of a long life is regular exercise, control of one's eating, and water. Drinking 3 liters of water a day to get rid of waste products and clean the blood.
At present we have water with different ingredients and this will continue with great variety. Water with vitamins, calcium water, rock water, alkaline ionized water, and the like, with labels and priced accordingly, even now there are types of water that are more expensive than kerosene. Water purifiers remind the buyer that good water protects one's health. In order to sell the purifiers, they use all kinds of words to tempt the customers to buy their product. Now you can have both hot and cold water and easy to use. There is even the kind that will make ice cubes, all pointing to the importance of water.
Many are the side effects in search for clean water. No matter how expensive and well made the water purifier, without the changes in the filters you have a useless machine and the abandoning of underground water sources and mineral springs. Few are the places in the country where we can find first-class natural water.
Back in the 60s and 70s in the country, we had village wells and even pumps in the homes. Most would go to the village well where they dropped their buckets and returned home with drinking and water for household use. With a splash and the drop of the bucket we had not only fresh drinking water but were able to converse and build community, now just memories.
The village priest would come to the well on rare occasions. He was one who would be drinking tap water and mineral water. He would buy mineral water but finally came to the conclusion that he had been drinking tap water all his life without problems and returned to drinking tap water. He bought an earthen pot in which he poured the tap water and after the impurities went to the bottom it became his drinking water. After deciding on the merits of purified water and the tap water the tap water won.
With the progress of civilization we have gained a great deal in comfort but the smell that came from our humanity began to disappear. Not able to drink water without concern is a sign of what we have done to the environment. Ice caps are melting, glaciers are disappearing and we are getting strange weather—extreme heat and floods and natural disasters because of our indiscriminate understanding of development. Even with the drinking of mineral water, the heart is not at rest. She concludes with yearning for the old days at the village well.
In the recent assignments in the Seoul Diocese, 129 received new posts of that number 30 priests entered various kinds of training programs and sabbaticals. New pastors came from priests ordained in 2002. Which means assistants have a long wait before they receive a parish. So begins the Peace column in the Catholic Times.
Strange as it may sound the growth of priests in the diocese is serious. This is true also in the special works in the diocese. Currently, there are 232 parishes in the diocese and 430 priests are involved in parish work. Except for the 232 pastors, the rest are assistants. Beyond the parish apostolate, 270 priests are involved with special works.
In the diocese considering the regional characteristics of Seoul, beginning new parishes is no easy task and adding to the special works will be difficult. However, we can't say the number of priests in the diocese is sufficient. As of 2017, the average number of priests for each believer in the country is 1093 while Seoul has 1,720 believers for each priest. The number of priests available for the believers is much less than the rest of the country.
Looking at the situation from another angle and even bringing this topic up he does with great caution, but the Catholic Church in Korea is strongly clergy oriented. Objectively, the dependence of believers on clergy is great. This can be confirmed by the fact that the priests who are devoted to their work have conspicuous results in their pastoral work. This would also be the case with the religious. Looking at the situation negatively, we have a clergy centered church culture, authoritarianism, but it shows clearly that Korean believers respect priests and religious people despite this reality.
With this situation in the diocese are there ways in which priests can find works of responsibility to devote themselves to the needs of the laity?
In the diocese alternative pastoral approaches: joint pastors and team ministry have been suggested and sometimes implemented, but in the Seoul Diocese, they have proven ineffective. But there can be other ways.
One of them is to get involved in the reality of life in the here in now. (Would he be suggesting something like the worker-priest movement in France? The movement lasted for many years with different results. At times reluctantly accepted by the Church and later efforts to stop the movement but much was learned and good results were seen.)
At presently dedicated priests are sent to large hospitals to work in the hospital ministry in the same fashion sending priests to work in other workplaces, presently with the police and in markets. He would like to see this extended to many other areas of life.
This pastoral work should not be only saying Masses and giving the Sacraments at fixed times. Just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep, it is necessary to find believers, understand their anxieties, pain, and attempt to foster healing and return people to a renewal of life— the role of the 'field hospital' emphasized in the Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis is the aim.
In order to enter this way of pastoral work will require the overcoming of many problems and difficulties. The pastoral workers will have to become of one mind and wisely look forward to a common purpose. The passion for mission is necessary. He concludes the article with the example of the Protestant Ministers in the way they go about planting a new community where none existed. With this kind of motivation and passion, one will not fail.
Jealousy and inferiority feelings seem to go together which is not surprising. What is surprising is that humility is not considering oneself inferior. Humility is a virtue and the inferiority complex is not. Humility is centered on a relationship with God while the other is centered on oneself—big difference.
The head of a counseling service writes in the Catholic Times about how jealousy makes life difficult. She uses the data of two professors of psychology who showed how jealousy produces blindness. Those who are jealous are confused with their unpleasant emotions and unable to perform their tasks properly. The human brain gives priority to the emotional stimuli that appear. Jealousy is a comprehensive and complicated state of anxiety, anger, and humiliation.
Jealousy affects all of us, it brings great harm to relationships. A neighbor who threatens a good marriage relationship, a new friend shaking a deep friendship. Jealousy occurs between two people: "I want to have what you have." The problem is that you think you have to have what others have, which comes from our egotistical understanding of what we need.
Usually, jealousy is a painful emotional experience, but among psychologists, jealousy is a kind of signal that warns us to be awake. It is a kind of warning that reminds one that a precious relationship is in danger. When jealousy is triggered, it should be a chance to check once again the affection towards the family, the loved one, the friend and develop it into a better relationship. In this respect, jealousy may be a necessary emotion because it helps to maintain a healthy relationship that may not be seen without jealousy.
In some cases, jealousy may cause the most serious problems in life. In the movie 'Black Swan' directed by Darren Aronofsky, Nina was jealous of another actress Lily and was mentally disturbed enough to think that she had stabbed her rival for the role but instead stabbed herself. Jealousy often brings about the death of oneself both literally and figuratively.
Dostoevsky said emotions are strong and jealousy is the strongest. Once it arises it just doesn't disappear by itself. But when a person is the object of jealousy for a long period of time they can live happily without ever knowing that someone is jealous of them. So, for our own sake, we don't want jealousy to take hold in our lives.
To do that, I first need to find out my inner desires. It is not 'I have to be number one' but 'I want to be number one'; not 'I should be prettier' but 'I want to be pretty too'. We should not compare with others nor hide what we feel from ourselves. We work to achieve what we want. No matter what the end results of the effort, I choose not to be unhappy because of the happiness of others.
Korea was a late comer to the world where animals became pets and compainions but has progressed rapididly, no doubt due to the economic changes in the life of the citizens. In the past royality and the wealthy had animal pets but the ordinary citizens would be busy with other concerns.
The dog was the first to be domesticated and that goes back to the stone age, for dog bones were found in the graves with their owners. Cats followed many years later. The dog and and cat were first domesticated for their ability to help owners with problems that came along in life. Dogs helped to defend the family from the wild animals and help in the hunt and cats would be helpful in taking care of rats and other predators stealing from the storehouses.
According to a survey by a Financial Goup, it is estimated that 30.9 % of the total households are raising pets. The money expended in the pet market will increase from 950 billion won in 2012 to 5.81 trillion won in 2020.
In an article of the Catholic Peace Weekly by a social critic, shows how Korea has gone from calling animals house pets to companions. Animals have become members of the family. In the above mentioned survey, 68.3% of the respondents agree that companion animals are members of the family.
The World Animal Day, was established in 1931, on October 4, the anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi. The saint was proclaimed the patron saint of ecology by St. John Paul II in 1980. On this day, in many churches all over the world we have ceremonies with the blessing of animals. In
Korea, the blessing of animals have been held in many churches from the beginning of 2010, and continues to increase.
We have funerals for animals and the writer mentions one of the prayers that is used at the death of a companion animal. 'O Lord, God, the pet that brought so much joy in life, is dead , and I am thankful for all the good times and happiness that he has given me caring for me, so that the memory of him will lead me to love and care for the people around me. May I also praise you by respecting the life of all creation. Amen.'
On the other hand, there is the reality of animal abuse. There
are 57 revisions to the Animal Protection Act promulgated in the first
half of the 20th Congress, but there is a pressing need to change the
perception of society as a whole. What is the church's position on animals in this reality?
'Responsibility and Practice for the
Restoration of the Order of Creation' (2010) compiled by the Korean Catholic Bishops'
Conference is a guide to our care for the environment, section 30: God loves not only man but all creation of the world. It is natural that one cares for animals because God created, cares, and protects them. St. Francis of Assisi and Philip Neri who treated animals with love, set an example for us in this regard.
