An article in the Catholic Peace Weekly mentions what the writer heard from some acquaintances about their daughter who moved to Seoul from the country and their efforts to find a house. A decent apartment of 30 square-meters was priced at 500,000 dollars to lease, and about a million to buy. He was completely flabbergasted.
The area in which the writer works the prices are so steep that one would never imagine even asking. Seoul overall would have prices on average going for about $400,000 for lease and $800,000 to buy. Borrowing $200,000 dollars from the bank we can see how long it would take to make the house your own.
We can see why many shout out: 'Hell Chosun'. Young people find it impossible to live in Seoul with their own efforts. Those in their twenties and thirties sarcastically mention the many things they have to abandon: romance, marriage, birth, house, relationships, dreams and even hope. Are we able to refute this? They are the 'seven-give-up' generation. They criticize the present government for the situation.
Children who have no hope of receiving help from their parents have a greater degree of frustration.
Inheritance and donations accounted for 42% of the total assets in the 2000s from 27% in the 1980s. In 2018, the proportion will have exceeded 50%. Are we to expect young people who start off with nothing to be good Samaritans? Is it possible to expect a bright future in society for those who can't move to another area and are asked to tighten their belts.
High house prices are not the problem of young people alone. Parents who can't help their children get a start in life are faced with anger and guilt, not being able to help. The rich also are not going to like it. Those who can pass on their wealth to their grandchildren are not many. Many are wondering how they can help their children in the future.
If
both the husband and wife work for more than 10 years, you
have to create a system where they are able to own their house. If
the price of houses continues to rise, even if the number of jobs
increase and low-income increases this is of little concern. The problem with low fertility will continue.
In the Apostolic Exhortation: "Rejoice and Be Glad" Pope Francis spoke about the mission of holiness, "the mission to build this nation of
love and justice and peace with all people... The
goal had to be the restoration of just social and economic systems, so
there could no longer be exclusion” President Moon should not only improve relations between the North and South but also concentrate on stabilizing house prices, without doing this he will lose the good will of the people.
Korea is a country with many homegrown religious groups seen by traditional believers as quasi-religious and cult-like. Many consider themselves non-believers, what that means requires a great deal of reflection.
The religious census of 2015 showed more unbelievers than believers. Non-believers accounted for 56.1% of the population. In 2005 the number of believers was 52.9 % and dropped to 43.9 % in the 2015 census. Religious believers are of many different persuasions: Shamanism, Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists, Confucianists, and many other indigenous religions.
Shamanism is very much part of the culture, as is Confucianism; this would not readily appear on a survey. Protestantism would be divided into many different sects that mainline Protestants would have difficulty accepting as Christian and one such group would be the Shinchonji Church of Jesus.
Most of the believers and unbelievers are sincere and convinced of their position. At times it is difficult to see anything positive in what a person believes because of the aberrations, behavior, irrational thinking of the adherents. Consequently trying to keep some of the good many see in religion, they consider themselves spiritual and the attraction to atheism.
An editorial in the Catholic Times sees the spread of the Shinchonji Church in Korea with some of their tactics becoming more abhorrent. Mentioned was the infiltration of the Legion of Mary trying to find new recruits by the 'harvesters' of the Shinchonji Church. This was reported by a group formed to bring attention to Catholics of the maneuvers of these quasi-religious groups such as the Shinchonji church.
The editorial mentions sadly that 30% of the new members of the Church were Catholics. They have in recent years increased membership by about 20,000 each year. This should be a great embarrassment to the Church that the faith of our Catholics is shown to be so shallow.
One of the Catholics who converted to Shinchonji was quoted in the Catholic Peace Weekly: "In Shinchonji they met God, learned his word and was saved. I did not find this in the Catholic church. I wasted my time."
One of the priests who has studied the movement stresses the need for Catholics to realize that we have been saved by our belief in Jesus and received the mark of a disciple of Jesus and are sons and daughters of God. Sadly this conviction is missing in many. When this is missing it's an easy step to look for a worldly salvation.
Catholics are slow in working within the church to counterattack attempts of the cults to find new members within Catholicism. Protestants have 15 special groups throughout the country that are in place to counsel those who have been hurt by Shinchonji—families are often divided. Catholicism has begun also to take an interest but they have not the members yet to do the work.
Prevention from getting involved with the movement is to stay away from their teaching. Shinchonji mission activists, who are called "harvesters", approach their target as a specialist belonging to a company or school that everyone knows and invites them to their Bible study programs.
Necessary is to always expand the horizon of our faith life. Not only with the Scriptures but with spiritual books and reading of Catholic newspapers and magazines which will strengthen us in overcoming the temptations the world continues to present.
One of the weapons used to comfort children in the past, tired of playing with toys, was the movies. In the 2000s we had computers, smartphones and the world of games. Now another device has been introduced, the smart speaker: wireless devices with voice-control which will take commands to do things.
One may receive for the asking anything in the treasure house, information, music, language dictionaries, calling taxis, controlling and connecting with other devices etc. Actually what is in the smartphone has an independent existence with the smart speakers.
The smart speaker, however, is not a toy for children. Technology makes our lives easier but with each advantage comes a price and consequently the need to minimize the cost to keep technology positive.
One of the journalists for the Catholic Peace Weekly introduces the Kakao Mini to the readers, a Korean made smart speaker. Kakao is a South Korean internet company and the most popular messaging service in Korea. Catholics may connect to Catholic Masses and sermons of the day and the office of the day etc. with Kakao Mini.
Since many of the foreign companies will be entering the Korean market as Google, a world leader, has already done, the competition will be great with the other tech giants of Korea also wanting a part of the market, which no doubt is the reason Kakao Mini is interested in the Catholic market.
Recently, the Catholic Church has expressed various opinions about how to accommodate various digital devices. On one hand, there is a criticism that digital devices lead to worldly lifestyles, without prayer and reflection. On the other side, there is a voice saying that it should be actively accepted in accordance with the changes of the times.
The Catholic Church, in Inter Mirifica text on the social media adopted by the Second Vatican Council in 1963, stated: "Among the wonderful technological discoveries... The most important of these inventions are those media which, such as the press, movies, radio, television and the like, can, of their very nature, reach and influence, not only individuals, but the very masses and the whole of human society, and thus can rightly be called the media of social communication."
As some of the world's leading companies such as Google and Amazon have come out with smart speakers, shortly, they will be as common as mobile phones, TVs and computers. In terms of rapid diffusion and power, it is right to put it in the same category as the discoveries that the council referred to.
Where have all the young people gone? From all appearance, it seems the numbers have decreased but no studies have been made of the situation. One of the reasons is we don't have any common understanding of what we mean by young people. A priest who is working with the youth and has responsibility in the work on the national level gives his ideas in the Kyeongyang magazine.
It was during the 19th century that the term young people was first used. Today we have no agreement on who should be considered a young person. Up until 1990 common was to think those who left their teens and before the late twenties were considered the young people. Many now consider those in the late 20s and 30s, before marriage, to be the young.
We need standards in what we mean by 'the young'. Nowadays persons are entering society at an older age, changing our understanding and making those in the 20s and 30s the young people.
The writer states that the Church was not able to decide who were the objects of pastoral concern. The framework for the pastoral care of the young in the 1980s and 90s remained, which did not fit the young people in their late 20s and early 30s.
Another reason for the young people distancing themselves from the church was the parent's emphasis on studies. It started with the third year high school students preparing for college but expanded to the 2nd and 1st year students.
The second reason he lists is the authoritarianism of many of the clergy. This surfaced in a survey made by the bishops of Korea in 2016. The young priests are the same age as many of the young people but with a more hands-on approach than what the young people are accustomed to in a democratic society. This puts a damper on the spirit of the group. Also, assistant priests are not in the parish for more than one or two years, not good for the work.
Young people along with other parishioners often feel pressure and are burdened with tasks for the larger community. Instead of being mission-orientated it becomes task-orientated. The young are to be formed into apostles and instead feel the pressure of tasks. And as the numbers decrease the remaining young people feel more of the burden.
The larger society is making the activity of the young more difficult because of the oppression coming from the society—time and mental stress. The opportunities for employment have decreased and the young have to prepare for this new step into society.
This is not the time to lose hope but to renew our desire as given in the Joy of the Gospel #24. "The Church which 'goes forth' is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first (1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast."
When the going gets difficult we face the crisis and challenge necessary for a new spring. We don't give up but with the help of the Holy Spirit we spend time in reflection and look for answers as the Church is now doing with the Synod of bishops. In Rome at present we have the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Bishops (Oct. 3-28) discussing the topic: Young people, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. Let's pray that it will be a success and give us a fruitful way of acting in the future.
In a diocesan bulletin, the writer uses the horror movie After.Life to give the readers some thoughts to ponder about life—real life. After a car accident, a young woman who had everything going for her but far from happy ends up in a mortuary with a funeral director who likes to talk to the dead.
The movie never comes out saying she is dead and the theme of the movie is precisely based on the point— was she ever 'alive'? The mortician tells her she is dead and she maintains she is alive for she is breathing. The difference is the meaning that they give the word live. For Anna, the young woman surviving is living and the mortician tells her that is not what life is.
The mortician tells Anna life is much more than breathing, eating, and basic hygiene. And tells Anna she probably died many years before. Anna and the mortician continue to argue over the issue. The point being made is they both use the same words with different meaning.
The writer wants to know how many are truly alive and not just surviving? The young woman Anna is dead but was she always dead? The movie really never makes this clear, possibly trying to show the way many go through life.
We make efforts to survive as does all of life. Surviving is keeping away from death. The opposite from living. Isaiah tells us: "The living are the ones who praise you..." Isaiah 38:19. How many of us are living"
Gloria enim Dei vivens homo, vita autem hominis Visio Dei. (For the glory of God is the living man, and the life of man is the vision of God). This phrase is often mistranslated into: The "Glory of God is a man fully alive". This is somewhat different from what is meant for living fully in the minds of many is to live on the edge, to experience all, to climb the highest mountain...
"For the glory of God is a living human being, and the life of the human consists in beholding God. For if the manifestation of God which is made by means of creation, affords life to all living in the earth, much more does the revelation of the Father which comes through the Word, give life to those who see God" (St. Irenaeus Against Heresies).
In the Scriptures we do hear about living life fully: "Jesus came that they have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Luke 6:38 "Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap..." (Luke 6:38).
Receiving the Eucharist daily for many should be a sure sign of the life that we should be living. We have been called to participate in the life of God which we hear at each Mass we attend: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." Do we need any other words to express what we have been called to be and do with our lives?
In the Kyeongyang magazine, a Korean who immigrated to Sweden about one and a half years ago writes about his experience. A Catholic for just over 10
years, still growing in the faith, ends up living in Sweden
where the Catholics are a tiny group within a Lutheran culture. He gives
us a Korean perspective of life in Sweden.
The
Catholic history of Sweden is one of suffering. Catholicism in Sweden
started around the year 830 AD, becoming a Catholic country around the
year 1100. Uppsala the old capital was the first diocese. In 1523 King
Gustav Vasa freed the county from the control of Denmark and became the
father of the new nation, and importing Lutheranism.
Lutheranism
is called Sweden's Church (Svenska kyrkan), as the name says the church
is subordinated to the Government. The king, like in England, is the
head of the church.
In 1593 all Catholic activity
was forcibly stopped. In 1617 by the King's orders, the church was not
recognized and went underground. In 1781 the country
proclaimed religious toleration to foreigners and in 1873, members of
Lutheranism were given the freedom to convert to Catholicism. But it was
only in 1951 that citizens were given complete freedom to believe in any
religion.
In 1953 they established a
diocese with no more than 3000 Catholics. In the 1960s when foreign
laborers began to enter, the numbers increased. In 1998 the first bishop
was made after a lapse of over 400 years and last year bishop Anders
Arborelius was made a cardinal, the first in Northern Europe.
Of
the 10 million citizens, 119.000 are registered Catholics but are
considered to be about 150,000. There are 45 churches in the country and
half of them are in Stockholm. One of these communities is the Korean
community in the capital. There are about 200 Korean Catholics in the
country. Because of distances and other reasons, many have stopped going
to church and some attend the Lutheran Churches—the services are
very similar to the Catholic Masses with communion.
The
Korean community since last year has a Korean priest saying Mass twice
a month. They are a community of about 50 which slowly is increasing.
Before the priest came they had a Korean sister from Germany who kept
the Korean community together. In 2016 because of age, she returned to
her convent in Germany and they received a Korean priest from Korea.
Lutheranism
is part of the establishment and the citizens see it as a part of the
government. The clergy are seen as civil servants. The respect they have
for the clergy is quite different from what Koreans are accustomed. The
individualism of society comes into play and influences everything. This also has entered the church.
The moral
life of society is much freer than Korea. Marriage is not as in Korea.
Divorce is having another family. Not seen as a problem or
disappointment but something that happens. Living together without
marriage is no problem and seen as marriage. Abortion is a choice one
makes.
Sweden has a central place in the cultural world
of Europe; one of the best countries in which to live but
also the culture which is far removed from a Catholic ethos and sterile for Catholics. He ends the article by hoping Korean
priests will find it possible to come to this 'religiously Catholic
underdeveloped country'—atheistic and secular.
In Korea, as in other parts of the Catholic world, many find it difficult to reconcile the actions of the clergy and religious with the Gospel message. Why do the clergy and religious get involved in politics? An article in Bible & Life by a seminary moral professor returns to the issue for the readers.
The article begins with the Sewol ferry disaster that on April 16, 2014, heading for Jejudo capsized, killing more than 300 people, mostly students. It was one of the worst Korean maritime disasters. The tragedy sparked a public outcry that continues even today blaming the government in large part for poor safety standards and the resulting rescue work.
Since many priests and religious were on the side of the victims and wanted answers, this was seen as getting involved in politics by some of the citizens. A yellow ribbon was the symbol of the Sewol tragedy and for many years after the tragedy, a tiny yellow ribbon was seen on clothing and many other articles. A sign of solidarity with the families of those suffering and in remembrance of the dead.
The ribbon is also a sign of division as much as unity. A division between the 'right' and 'left', seen also within the church community. The professor mentions one of the Catholics, seeing the actions of the church in regards to the Sewol Disaster, wanted the funds he gave for the formation of priests returned to him. Did the person feel priests and religious were to leave these problems to others and concentrate on prayer and the Gospel?
This issue is one that has to do with the very life of the church. The Second Vatican Council stressed we are the people of God, all of us are called to follow the Gospel message. We are all members of society and when society is not directed to the common good— faced with injustice, corruption, it's necessary to sound the alarm. This is the social gospel which with the doctrine of faith are not to be separated. They do not depend on our taste nor is it a matter of choice but to know and do.
Teachings on our social life was always recognized but in 1891 Pope Leo 13th in his encyclical Rerum Novarum (Of New Things), the teaching took on a different aspect with the rights of laborers and their problems—considered by many as the labor charter.
This teaching has a firm foundation within the church, giving us four basic principles of the social gospel. Human dignity: we are created in the image and likeness of God. The common good: is to desire the good of the other and to take steps to secure it. This is the good of all, made up of individuals, families who make up society. Subsidiarity: an organizing principle where matters ought to be handled by the smallest competent authority. Solidarity: all one family in the world, building communities that empower everyone to attain their full potential, through each respecting each other.
When the rights of others are not respected and injustices are rampant than we are going in the opposite direction in building up God's kingdom. When this is the case how can the church remain silent? This is not politics. "Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation." (Mark 16:15). This is the primary mission of the church.
