How Do You See Human Rights?

In an article in the Diagnosis of the Times column of the Catholic Peace Weekly a Human Rights Lawyer begins expressing disappointment that in recent years invitations to talks in parishes have decreased greatly. He would use the occasion to gather funds for human rights organizations in the country.

The Catholic Church in response to the demands and concerns of the times, the Catholic Human Rights Commission together with clergy, religious, and laypeople are working to protect the rights of the marginalized and those whose human rights are violated. It is a community that is active.
 
In the midst of a flood of good words, we must always ask ourselves what kind of love are we talking about with our bodies and minds. The lawyer can't forget the verses of a poem that a priest quoted in a talk to the elementary school children.

"You say you love the flowers in the field, and you pick them.
You say you love a flying bird and lock it in a cage.
You say you love the fish in the pond, and you eat them.
I'm afraid when you say you love me.
What does it mean when you say you love me?"

The Bible's words are that we should not oppress strangers because we also were once strangers. We should consider them as part of us, and we should love them like ourselves which is not our reality.
 
Originally, there was no closed society, only a closed mind in a busy and hectic world. There is only vague anxiety, prejudice, turning away in weakness with selfish ideas, and cowardice that comes from being buried in everyday life even though we know something is wrong. What is wrong must be corrected. We should always know how to be sad and angry and express it with our bodies and mind when we see humans being abused.

Prayer for World Peace is a regular part of the prayers offered by believers at Mass. We are asked where is the "world", what is "peace", and whether we sincerely "prayed" with all our heart, mind and tried to live what we prayed. Crimes such as anti-democratic tyranny, the slaughter of minorities, torture, forced migration, and forced labor are committed without hesitation, and some companies are involved, seeking only profits.

There can be no peace in our lives and in the world when we fight for our lives over "bread and fish" so that everyone can eat, and at the same time perform "miracles" of science while many people die of starvation. We must pray for world peace with a humble and fearful heart.   

He recalls the contents of a lecture tape by an American pastor. "There is a refinery of Korean crude oil. Numerous trucks load huge amounts of crude oil and enter the factory, but all trucks that come out are empty trucks. This is because all refined crude oil is used to operate the factory. This is what our church looks like today." We reflect on whether we, our family, our society, and our church are living by forgetting our dreams, lack of sharing, and many precious things under the pretext of being concerned with the finer things of life.

"There is no one poor enough not to give love, and no one rich enough not to need love." What about a small human rights practice before the end of this year? Meaningful donations to human rights organizations such as the Catholic Human Rights Commission of Korea. Showing a warm heart to those working in the field of cold human rights is also good. In the field of human rights, there is always something to do.

Mission Of Love

 Jesus left the earth after completing his mission and ascended: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you" (Matt. 28:19-20). 

This mission was given to the Apostles as he sent them into the world, received by the church; the mission of each of the Christians to proclaim and witness to the Gospel—the very reason for our faith life and its fruit. So begins the first paragraph of an article in Bible and Life on Mission by a diocesan priest.

What is the image of a believer proclaiming the gospel? Some see it as a great burden, some devout believers as their role, and others not interested, and flee from its message. 

At present we see a disinterest in religion growing in society. We have pseudo-religious groups using methods of propagation that distort the meaning of religion and this is well known among the believers, making the work of evangelizing difficult.

Priests find it difficult to tell the parishioners to spread the good news and they seem in many cases not to know how to approach the subject, devoting themselves to the pastoral work of the parish. Evangelization is an important part of Jesus' message but it is not unconditionally imposed on the community. So how does one go about making sense of the situation in which we find ourselves?

We disciples of our Lord have been saved by grace and are in a relationship with Jesus, an encounter, response, and mission. This mission is the fruit of our relationship with Jesus, the last step. Jesus doesn't send us out in the world without preparation. The steps before the sending are even more important. It's experiencing the love of Jesus in our lives and the happiness that follows; being able to participate in this work and benefit from this extraordinary gift. 

In the gospel, we realize that Jesus first came to the earth to do the will of the Father. He gathered together the poor and the suffering and with much teaching and miracles showed us that God's kingdom was near. He called his disciples to be with him and live and eat with him and experience the joy of the Gospel. 

When we look at the situation humanly and recall the betrayal of Judas, the death of Jesus on the cross, disciples abandoning Jesus; his efforts to educate the disciples ended in failure. It showed more than the weakness of the disciples the great love of God. He gave them the promised Holy Spirit to witness the great love of God for the whole world. He first evangelized the apostles and they became the tools to evangelize the world. They understood the truth of great joy and showed the poor and suffering his merciful love. Imbued with great joy they were not afraid of death in spreading the message.,

This joy of the Gospel is shown clearly in the incident of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. Seeing the supposed savior of the world on whom they believe died in such a gruesome and helpless way the disciples despaired and in defeat left Jerusalem for Emmaus. The place where they knew nothing of Jesus and had no relation with him. In this state of mind, the resurrected Jesus appeared to them and explained the passages of Scripture that referred to him. That evening at the table when he broke the bread and shared it at the table their eyes were opened.

What was the feeling of these two disciples when they met the one they thought was dead? When Jesus was explaining the Scripture to them was not their hearts filled with great joy? Which changed them completely and they returned to Jerusalem. The place where they had met Jesus, the place where Jesus died, where his enemies were, and where they also could meet death, but the joy of the gospel could not keep them from returning to Jerusalem. They were overcome with the desire to spread the joy of the Gospel.

The mission to spread the Gospel comes from the meeting with Jesus, intimacy, and the change in ourselves. It is not something we have to do but an overflow of the love that we have received. This is what is meant by evangelization. Christmas shows us the love of God in a visible way and the mission we have to spread the love to the world. Merry Christmas.

Overcoming the Culture of Hate

A serious problem in society is the 'in group' and 'out group' thinking that is so  pervasive in history and our present society. Comes natural to us as individuals, members of families, nations, communities, factions, feeling  comfortable with those with similar views; many positive  benefits for growth but a need to see problems that often arise. 

As Christians we have the example of Jesus who felt comfortable with all, his  love was all embracing, extending  even to  the enemy. An article in the Catholic Times by a priest  asks us to overcome the

the culture of hate which is obvious to all but feel helpless to confront.

 

Adolf Hitler's "My Struggle", a compilation of his thoughts, expresses  hatred of Jews in words difficult even to transcribe. However, as is well known, discrimination against Jews has been a common phenomenon in Western Europe long before Hitler appeared. 

 

In the Middle Ages, when plagues were prevalent, Jews were often blamed for bringing about these disasters. People in those days, when  faced with the 'evil' of natural disasters were willing to participate blindly in scapegoating others. The genocide of Jews in World War II, a tragic tragedy in human history, cannot be viewed only as the sin of Hitler and his 'blind believers'. The 'Holocaust'  the extreme way a totalitarian society made overt fear and hatred of the Jews the 'enemy'. 

 

Currently, humanity is suffering from an unprecedented disaster due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While  important to do all that is possible to prevent the spread of the virus, fear-stricken countries raise barriers; we need to be on the lookout for the  growing culture of hatred. The phenomenon of treating and rejecting a specific region or country as a virus host is far from a Christian view of our situation.

 

Many experts say, we now have to live in a world different from before COVID-19.  To cope with disasters that may continue even after COVID-19, humankind must work more closely together. We need to create a more peaceful world where we can respond to global disasters together, rather than a world where countries and peoples are divided, fear each other, and threaten each other with military force. 

 

We need to reflect on the nature of the crisis and pain that afflicts the human family, breaking away from the mechanism of 'othering' — us and them kind of thinking. And refraining from making scapegoats of others.

 

In his address to the 53rd World Day of Peace, Pope Francis emphasizes the culture of fraternal encounter in order to overcome fear, the source of conflict, saying: "The culture of fraternal encounter leads us beyond the limits of our narrow horizons, constantly encouraging us to live in universal brotherhood as children of the one Father in Heaven."

 

It is the season of Advent waiting for the Lord to come for the reconciliation of the divided world. Pray that our church will better fulfill its vocation to unity in the face of the calamity of fear that fuels division and hatred.

Be Who You Are

 All efforts needed to make a better world, obviously begin with humans. We are the houses in which God resides, taking care of our spirit and body is the first step in working for the betterment of humankind. From here we work caring for the social community, living in harmony with one another and  concerned for the global environment where all living things can thrive healthily. So begins the column in the Catholic Peace Weekly by a priest professor at a College of Medicine.

 
Identity is the key to living as a person. In the three-dimensional house created by God, the most important and foundational is human ecology. Therefore, the restoration of the collapsed house should begin with the restoration of human ecology. If so, how do we recover human ecology?
The solution to this must start with the restoration of human identity. Today, we live as we live without deeply reflecting on 'Who am I?' and 'What kind of being are we?' In short, we are experiencing identity confusion for a variety of reasons. Human beings cannot stand upright  unless their true identity is formed or the identity confusion is overcome. Forming a true identity is the key to living as a person.
 
There is a short story that reminds us of the importance of forming a true identity. A baby tiger asked the mother tiger. "Mom, am I a tiger?" When asked by the baby tiger, the mother tiger replied, "You are a tiger," but the baby tiger was not convinced. So he went out looking to determine who he was. Leaving the road, he meets an elephant, a goat, and a bear, and asks if he's a tiger. When everyone answered yes, he finally is confident of his identity and returns home with joy. When close to the house, he sees the mother tiger from afar. The baby tiger runs to his mother and shouted, "Mom, I finally know who I am!"The mother hugged him. The mother tiger welcomed the baby tiger and said, "Good job, my puppy!" tapping the baby tiger's butt. At this, the baby tiger again fell into self-identity confusion. It is a funny and sad story for he runs away from home in despair, repeating, "Oh, I am a dog, not a tiger?"
 
This story suggests that my identity is not given by others, but eventually by myself. It shows that when we are not yet fully aware of our own identity, or when we feel confusion in our identity depending on the situation we begin floating. Therefore, clearly grasping the different aspects of who I am is the most important factor in living my life correctly, and it is the starting point for me to determine the direction of life and live with meaning. Our true identity is revealed in our relationship with God.
 
In my relationship with God, my true identity as a human being, a truly unique creature, is revealed only when God calls me. At this point, we are filled with infinite self-esteem. Here, self-esteem is not the self-esteem that is obtained because we have something or a certain status, but the self-esteem that comes from the surprise that we exist, and the self-esteem that we are loved free of charge. Only when we are filled with this inner self-esteem can we escape from the desire to prove ourselves by what we do or the attachment that needs the approval of others.
 
In addition, you can find the meaning of life in every in all situations in which we find ourselves in a true form, and silently carry out the mission and role assigned.  Above all, forming this true identity is the foundation for living a worthwhile life, and as the Bible says, building a house on a rock. The boy Jesus, too, at the age of twelve, realized his true identity in the temple in his relationship with God. "Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be in my father's house?" (Luke 2:49).

Installation of the New Archbishop of Seoul

 

Recently the newly appointed bishop Chung Soon-taek was installed as the new Archbishop of Seoul. Both Catholic Weeklies had articles on the installation below are some of the thoughts expressed in the Catholic Peace Weekly by the journalists.

Archbishop Chung Soon-taek was installed on Dec. 8th, as the new ordinary of the Seoul Archdiocese. He said in his sermon: "We will think, share, listen and search together on how the church should act as light and salt in the world, following in footsteps of our ancestors." He asked the priests to pray and cooperate with him, and said he would think, seek, and cooperate together and be concerned about how to increase the vocations in the archdiocese. He said he would share with all of God's people with an open mind, listen, and try to move forward together.  

There were unusually loud voices wishing Archbishop Chung not to forget his neighbors in need, but to be with them and take care of them. One woman said: "I know that the socially underprivileged, marginalized, disabled, and young people were invited to this mass. Thank you so much. Young people are the future and hope of this society," she continued. "Young people are in a very difficult situation right now. I hope you will play a big role in making the world a place where we can all live well and walk together."

A religious sister director of a Welfare Hospital said: "I hope that like Jesus while on this earth was with the poorest, weakest, and forgotten, you will always extend a warm hand to those forgotten in society."
 
Another layman mentioned the many realities of conflict, pain, and those living in the shade, saying: "I hope the archbishop will help heal the conflicts and lead people to have a warm heart to help each other out of pain."
 
The members of the Archdiocesan Knights Association, who were in charge of the management of the parking for the Mass also agreed that they wanted believers to live harmoniously with each other and follow the Lord zealously. An 80-year-old member of the Knight's Association, said: "There are many believers who want to come to the church but cannot come because they are poor" and added, "Please don't forget these children of the Lord." A woman said: "I don't know why I cried so much during the Mass," adding, "I hope you can be with us as a bishop who thinks of the weak in the world."
 
Archbishop Chung, in his sermon, selected spirituality, youth, and synod as the concerns for the Archdiocese of Seoul. Regarding young people, he said, "We will try to become a church that works to accompany young people who are the leaders of the future and main concern of today."
 
A young woman who participated at the Mass as a student representative and presented a bouquet of flowers to Archbishop Chung, said: "I know Archbishop Chung is a person who cares a lot about teenagers and young people and hope he continues to do so."
 
A priest currently the director of the Catholic Youth Movement recalled, "The archbishop, participated at the opening and closing Masses at 14 universities, and visited students fervently like Jesus on his visit to the various villages." He then said, "I hope the Archbishop will continue visiting the teenagers and young people to meet, listen, and be with them."
 
A young man in his 30s asked the archbishop to remember the generation in their 30s and 40s. He said: "The faith has weakened due to COVID-19, so I hope that 30s and 40s can be comforted and cheered up in the faith."
 
Religious and priests wanted the archbishop to lead them on the path of spirituality. The former Korean provincial of the Carmelite Order said: "As a bishop from the Order, I hope  you will enrich the Korean church with academic and spiritual views. I hope you will create an environment where the rich spiritual assets and treasures of the Religious Orders, such as the Franciscans, Jesuits, Carmelites, Salesians, and the many others, can penetrate deeply and melt into the church and parish, bloom and bear precious fruit."

A newly ordained priest said: "During the homily of the Mass today, you said the church should be spiritually reformed to respond to the times, I hope that such spirituality and spiritual reform will be  implemented in all the individual parishes of the diocese."
 
The head of the Religious superiors Association said: "We hope that the spirit of 'Synodalitas', will permeate the relationship with all in the diocese as we walk together towards Jesus, and it will bear concrete fruit through the friendship of Archbishop Chung and all the priests of the Seoul Diocese.

Importance of Community in Spirituality

In the Spirituality of Everyday Life column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, a member of the CLC movement recalls the hard times working under a demanding boss. Many stories came out at the weekly Christian Life Community (CLC) group meetings. He shared how hard it was and how he overcame the difficulties.

At that time, the members who were in the group felt sorry for him. They gave him advice, comfort, and encouragement from the teachings of Jesus, and how Jesus was with him during the day as he continued to examine and reflect on his problems. The more he struggled, the more they listened and encouraged.
 
However, he was actually disappointed with what he heard. What he expected from the community was anger towards the boss, criticism of his behavior, and how difficult it must be for him to put up with the situation, he expected a lot of human comforts. If the
the community reacted in that way he would have felt much better.

As the community advised, he had no choice but to cling to Jesus and pray. While clinging to Jesus, on some days he dared to fight with his boss, and on other days he got deep comfort from Jesus. He despaired because of his unchanging situation, and other days, he felt joy and happiness in small things and gained strength again.

Each day was a time of struggle; he continued to share the process with the community. The community continued to be with him, listened to his sharing, and rejoiced together with him over the small happiness and joy he found in daily life. Because there was a community, he was able to meet Jesus and continued to have conversations with the community.  
What if the community had only provided human comfort, sympathy, and encouragement for his difficulties? Of course, that would have helped, too, but rather than clinging to Jesus that much, he would have relied more on human comfort and encouragement, and the effect would not have lasted. Human comfort and encouragement are only incidental, and fundamentally, one must meet Jesus personally.  

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini's book of Bible meditations: "The Gospel of Matthew," compares the journey toward Jesus to dogs chasing rabbits. Several dogs all bark and run, but the dogs who did not see the rabbit eventually stop, and only the dog who saw the rabbit continues to the end. The same goes for the journey to Jesus. A unique encounter with Jesus is fundamentally necessary.
 
Of course, just as there were dogs that ran together to further fuel the will to chase the rabbit, the process of coming to Jesus also requires a community. The Christians are a community who share the journey with Jesus. While seeking hope and joy through Jesus and trying to resemble him more, they encourage challenge, and exchange strength with each other.
 
The community does not solve individual problems. The community is not always on the right path. However, they can help members of the community to look back on themselves honestly in front of God, feel his love, and choose Jesus' way. Individuals are selfish and weak, but they can look back through the community on the path they have walked, have a change of heart, and move on towards Jesus again. This is because the Holy Spirit works through the community. This is why we have to go to him through the community.

Peace On The Korean Peninsula

"The accumulation of arms strikes many as a paradoxically suitable way of deterring potential adversaries from war. They see it as the most effective means of ensuring peace among nations. This method of deterrence gives rise to strong moral reservations. The arms race does not ensure peace. Far from eliminating the causes of war, it risks aggravating them. Spending enormous sums to produce ever new types of weapons impedes efforts to aid needy populations; it thwarts the development of peoples. Over-armament multiplies reasons for conflict and increases the danger of escalation" ( #2315 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church).

 

 Peace gained by force cannot last long. Peace can no longer be guaranteed when the balance of power is broken. This is why peaceful methods need to be used.

The Bishop's Justice and Peace Committee and Diocese Justice and Peace Committee held a seminar recently, the presenters agreed that to achieve true peace, arms competition should be avoided and fair distribution of goods should be achieved.

In a keynote speech, a bishop pointed out: "The Korean government wants to proceed with the peace process on the Korean Peninsula but the defense budget was raised 3.4 % from the 2021 budget. He explained that increasing the defense budget while working in declaring the end of the war does not make sense for peace will not enter the discussion.

Taking West and East Germany as an example, the bishop said: "Before German reunification, West Germany continued to provide economic support to East Germany for 18 years," adding, "This played an absolute role in fostering homogeneity among East German citizens rather than hostility to West Germany. If the South Korean government continues to devote its budget to food and welfare of North Koreans, it will have a positive impact on easing tensions between the two Koreas," he said.

 

The reason war and conflict occur in the world is that the gap, discrimination, and complaints between the country and the people deepen. This is because goods are not distributed fairly, he said. Such inequality and unfairness fundamentally stem from selfishness to excessively fill self-interest. Greed is the source of conflict, he pointed out.

 

"Mankind should be freed from the greed to have more, consume more, and enjoy more," adding, "If we really want peace, we should accept a poorer life, live simply and in moderation, and share the surplus with the poor, who lose their human dignity due to extreme deficiencies. That way, there is hope for the future of mankind, he stressed.

In a subsequent presentation, the director of the Peace Armament Center, presented the theme of "reduction of arms and peace on the Korean Peninsula." "On the Korean Peninsula, arms competition has been fierce over the past 70 years because of deterrence to war and has provided another cause for the crisis. 

 

The politics of war and confrontation to deny and annihilate each other over "value" and "ideology" have continued, and it has blocked peace and human rights," he said adding, "Peace must be achieved in a peaceful way, not by military means. "Not only should we leave it to negotiations between governments, but also the parties who have suffered from division and war should be the main agents and they need to speak out." He appealed: "Many people should pay attention to peace on the Korean Peninsula, participate in the peace campaign and join forces in ending the war.