Where is Heaven?

A reporter for the Catholic Times gives us the mission plans of a Korean priest in Mongolia which attracted some of the citizens in a way that they found meaningful and attractive.  

Missionary work in Mongolia from Korea began in earnest in 1991. Several religious orders and the Daejeon Diocese dispatched priests and religious to lay the foundation for the mission, but the mission found it difficult to expand. Missionaries in Mongolia pointed out several causes. 

First of all, although there were six parishes in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, it was difficult to attend Mass every week due to serious traffic congestion and distance. Some of the Christian Religious groups that came to Mongolia broke up families and brought about economic difficulties to some of the Mongolians and a misunderstanding of Christianity.

For those who did not know Jesus the missionary work of "Come to the church because it is a good place" may increase the number of Catholics for a while, but it did not create a foundation for faith in the mind of the writer. The late Father Kim Sung-hyun, who loved Mongolians, chose another way, he lived with them.

A year after his death, Mongolians who did not know Jesus said: "They met Jesus through Father Kim." And added, " They felt that the priest always loved us." 

Father Kim loved people first and comforted their hearts, rather than putting the Mass, worship, Bible, and doctrinal work necessary for a life of faith as primary. His sincerity made the Mongolians come into Jesus' arms on their own. Jesus was already there in Mongolia where he thought he was not.

We sometimes experience despair as if misfortune only happens to us, a situation in which there is no hope in sight. Father Kim's situation in Mongolia more than 20 years ago would not have been optimistic. But he turned the place where he was into heaven. The power was in the practice of an evangelical life.

Young People and Spirituality

The editorial in the Catholic Times gives the readers a look at the situation of the young people in our Korean society.

The mass media influences the world society much more than Christianity and to a greater degree the youth.

Conscious of this reality in 1984  Pope Saint John Paul II held an international gathering of young people with over 250,000 in attendance. When the UN proclaimed 1985 to be the International Youth Year, he issued another invitation to young people to come to Rome and again the response was huge with over 300,000 young people gathered in churches around the city. 

Starting in 1987, World Youth Day was celebrated for the first time internationally and every 2 to 3 years from that moment on in different host cities of the world.

The next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027. Pope Francis announced this at the  Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on August 6, 2023.  The excitement among the South Korean delegation was great. 

Archbishop  Chung, of the Archdiocese of Seoul during his homily reiterated the theme of WYD 2027, "Rejoice in Hope ", which was announced by Pope Francis on Dec. 1, 2023.

World Youth Day has been hosted by 14 different countries around the world in almost all of the continents. Europe has hosted it 10 different times; The Americas – North, Central and South – have hosted a total of 4; Oceania and Asia have each hosted it once. This will be the first time on the Asian continent.

Korean churches celebrate the last Sunday of May every year by designating it as ‘Youth Sunday’. This day was established to convey the true love and truth of Christ to young people so that the church can be with them. The frustration and despair experienced by young people seem bigger and heavier than ever before. As we all know, young people in our society are pushed into high-level competition from a young age.

The reality of the entrance exam hell that occupies most of adolescence, and the constant competition for employment seems to be an endless time of suffering for our young people.  Even as an adult, life is still hard. 

The problem of the low birth rate, currently a great problem of our society, clearly reveals the difficult lives of young people. Young people who have to lead such difficult and arduous lives often do not receive respect or comfort even within the church. We must reflect on the reality that people have no choice but to neglect their religious life because they are busy with their studies and social life, and that the church has been lacking in truly respecting and listening to them. 

However, despite this, we are confident that young people can still find true hope by living with the Lord, who is the way, truth and life. This is because the hope that young people often lose can be found in the Lord. This is because we believe in the Lord’s promise, “I will always be with you” (Matthew 28:20). 

The Korean church is preparing for the 2027 World Youth Day. Thorough preparation is necessary for this conference to be not just a large-scale international event, but also a place where young people from all over the world meet to discover and share hope in the Lord. And the preparation is not just preparation for the event but requires a change in our hearts and lives. The hope is that this year’s Youth Sunday will be the starting point for that preparation.

No one is Going to the Battle Field

Here/Now Catholic Website an article by a German professor emeritus gives the readers some thoughts on the priorities of the culture we are making.

On April 22, 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute announced the results of an analysis of global military spending in 2023. It was a record high of $2.44 trillion. For comparison, a United Nations study found that $39 to $50 billion is needed each year to provide adequate food for everyone worldwide. This amount represents only 2 percent of global military spending.

Europe now spends more on armaments than Russia. In the case of Ukraine, military support from the United States and European countries, which reached $35.7 billion last year, must also be added. In that case, Ukraine's budget would amount to 91 percent of Russia's defense budget. Since 2014, Ukraine's military budget has increased by 1,272 percent. The United States recently approved a new aid package worth $61 billion. An additional $26.4 billion was provided to Israel and $8.1 billion to Taiwan. This accurately reflects the current geopolitical hotspots.

In the Western world, many media outlets and politicians cheered as if the Earth had escaped the danger of destruction. The stock prices of major defense companies responded with a significant rise. The weapons industry is thriving thanks to the global trend of militarization.

Despite large-scale military support, Ukraine is facing serious problems. Since the war began with the invasion of Russia, the number of casualties has increased alarmingly. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers lost their lives, putting the Ukrainian army on the defensive. Desperate efforts are currently underway to recruit hundreds of thousands of new troops. According to official Russian information, unlike the Russian army, which can strengthen its forces with about 30,000 volunteers every month, the Ukrainian army relies on official mobilization orders at the national level. However, the people are resisting this. According to a report by Polish newspaper citing Ukrainian sources, about one million Ukrainian men eligible for military service have gone into hiding inside Ukraine over the past two years. A similar number of men fled to countries abroad, mostly in the European Union. About 200,000 Ukrainians of military service age are taking refuge in Germany. The government and military leadership plan to take stricter measures against those who evade military service in the future. In mid-April, Ukraine's parliament passed a new mobilization law that requires all men between the ages of 18 and 60 who are required to serve to report to the military conscription office within 60 days, even those who were exempt from conscription on the first decision. passed. Ukrainian citizens living abroad are also obliged to register or update their personal information. Electronic registration is also possible. Failure to comply with registration obligations will result in loss of eligibility for consular services, such as issuance or extension of passports or other personal documents. Additionally, Ukrainian nationals living abroad who do not register are at risk of having their Ukrainian citizenship revoked. This mobilization law also has serious consequences for soldiers who have been fighting on the front lines since the beginning of the war and are now urgently demanding to return home. This is because the planned disbandment of these units has been postponed and soldiers must continue to fight at the front lines. Because personnel cannot be recruited, if they leave the front line, the front line collapses. As tremendous anger arises among the soldiers, the possibility of desertion is increasing. After the war began, the right to conscientious objection to military service, originally guaranteed by the Ukrainian Constitution, was abolished by the newly imposed martial law. Conscientious objectors can now face years in prison. May 15th is International Objector's Day. On this day, numerous organizations and groups around the world launch the global “Refuse War” campaign to resist militarization, war, and military service. A recent survey found that more than 70 percent of Ukrainian men of military service age do not want to join the military. International peace organizations are working hard to protect not only Ukrainians but also Russian and Belarusian conscientious objectors and deserters from prosecution and to help them gain asylum. This slogan was popular in the 1980s, when the peace movement reached its peak in Germany. “Imagine! There is a war, but no one is going to the battlefield!” This slogan is still relevant today.

 

What Peace Do We Proclaim?

A parish priest in the recent Catholic Times gives the readers some thoughts on one of the important issues of our day--Peace.

There is a small gallery beside one of the churches in his diocese called the 'Peace Gallery'. Words that mean "peace" are written in many languages on the exterior wall of the building. The largest ones are in Hebrew and Greek, the languages of the Bible. In addition, words that mean peace in Latin, English, and Chinese are shaped in the form of the cross. The wall itself is an artwork proclaiming the peace of Christ, who saved the world through the sacrifice of the cross.

"Peace be with you!" These were the words the resurrected Jesus greeted his disciples with after his death and resurrection. It would not have been strange for Jesus to greet them with cold eyes and words of resentment after being abandoned, but Jesus wishes them peace.

On the other hand, the disciples are restless. The Gospel writers say they were afraid because they thought he was a ghost. They were sorry for having abandoned their teacher, but he was dead, and they thought it was all right to preserve their life, so they locked the doors tightly and hid. But that teacher who they thought was dead appeared in front of them. The guilt they felt must have shaken their whole being, but their teacher greeted them with a gentle expression: "Peace be with you!"

Even among us living in faith, the strange tension between the teacher and the disciples revealed in the story of the manifestation of the resurrected Jesus is often found. This is a tension felt as a conflict between spirit, and flesh. It occurs when the faith is not fully established and not mature.

First of all, a Christian follows Christ, but in our minds, the values and standards of the world are often more firmly established than the values and standards of the gospel. We know better than anyone else that Jesus' teachings are valuable, but feelings of uncertainty are often present. Thus, the seeds of the faith sown often fail to sprout and dry up, and we often choose to be silent rather than to think, speak, and act as Christians.

On the other hand, we often love Christ in our hearts but have difficulty following Jesus' teachings because many calculations overwhelm our minds. The love for Christ in our hearts is nothing more than an emotion, or worse, a kind of lip service called: "I love you too Jesus". As a result, we are not disobeying the teachings of Christ, but neither are we obeying them fully.

The last is when you place something else in the place of Christ, both in your head and in your heart. What holds Christ's place varies from time to time, but it is mainly power, honor, and material wealth. However, in today's society, material wealth seems to dominate everything. It is said that if you have money, you will naturally gain power and honor. This is the situation and there is no room for the seeds of any faith or the teachings of Christ. You don't need Christ, you just need the name 'Christian'.

Knowing that he would be ostracized by the mainstream forces of the time and suffer a miserable death, Jesus spent his time making present the kingdom of heaven on this earth, firmly refuting what was not his father's teaching and will. "The peace I give is not the same as the peace the world gives" (John 14, 27). The peace declared by the resurrected Lord to his disciples was not a feeling of peace as an absence of violence. As Christians, we need to see what kind of peace we are proclaiming.

We Are All One

In The View from the Ark, a professor at a Catholic University gives the readers of the Catholic Times some background on the spirituality some Korean scholars see the world. 

Pope Francis released "Laudato si'" in 2015 and the new Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum "Praised be to God" in 2023, calling for a new way of life in the age of the climate crisis. One notable Catholic believer in this context is Chang Il-soon (John the Baptist). He was born in Wonju in 1928 and passed away in May 1994. This year marks 30 years since he became a citizen of heaven.

Pope Francis, through his 2015 encyclical "Laudato si" invited an ecological conversion to care for our common home, the Earth--- an integrated ecology, encompassing humanity and the environment, economy, culture, and society. His 2023 document "Praise be to God" examines the causes of climate change based on scientific evidence, a survival issue for our generation. The document urges effective action before greater tragedy does occur. 

Chang Il-soon was baptized in 1940, a scholar who was opened to the religious traditions of Asia. He was so well-versed in Donghak and referred to as 'the walking Donghak' [A movement in Korean Neo-Confucianism that was a reaction to Western learning and called for a return to the Way of Heaven].

He was also knowledgeable about Buddhist traditions, Confucianism, and Taoist philosophy. He deeply internalized the Catholic faith to the extent that he could call himself a 'Jesus' freak'. He lived a life that helped deepen the Korean Catholic's integrated ecological way of life together with the late Bishop Ji Hak-soon (Daniel), the first bishop of the Wonju Diocese.

Pope Francis says: "God has written a precious book, whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe." (Laudato si', 85) God allows us to look into his infinite beauty and goodness through this book. Therefore, the world should be contemplated with gratitude and praise as a joyful mystery. (12)

Chang Il-soon expresses this as follows: "In a single blade of grass, the Heavenly Father exists." (一草之中聖父在矣)  Here, Chang Il-soon refers to God as the 'Heavenly Father.' Recognizing God as 'Father,' which is natural for him, faithful to the prayer taught by Jesus (Πάτερ: starting with 'Father'). Saint Francis, based on the 'common origin' (un’origine comune) of all created beings, called grass and insects 'brothers' and 'sisters.' (11) The Pope continues this tradition, calling for us to live as a 'universal family' (89) and 'universal fraternity' (228). All beings created by God, created in the image of God as 'part of the universe' (89), living with the breath of God, are revelations of God, temples housing God, and God's family.

All beings that come from one God (common origin, 11) and have God as a common point of arrival (83) are connected as one through this 'commonality.' The Pope expresses this as "all creatures created by the one Heavenly Father are connected by invisible bonds." (89)  In a calligraphy he wrote in the spring of 1984, he sang of this 'connectedness' as follows: "I did not realize that you were me, that the moon is my age and the sun is my age, surely you are me."

The statue of the Virgin Mary in a church of Wonju holds the earth in her left hand. We live as beings connected on one earth within the Trinity and the Virgin Mary, which means 'you are connected to me,' and 'I am connected to you.' Chang Il-soon presented this integrated ecological truth to the church and society more than 30 years ago, beautifully, warmly, and powerfully. In this age of climate crisis, I hope that his 'one grass' spirituality and 'you are me' spirituality can be more deeply internalized ecologically in our church and society.

The Younger Generation

 

The friends of Building Bridges column of the Catholic Times, who are in their 60s, say that today's youth are full of  pride with no proper work ethic, lacking courage and adventure, uncommitted, and too calculating. 

Regardless of time and place, generational differences have always existed. There are countless records of the older generation criticizing the youth, dating back to Sumerian clay tablets from 1800 BC.

Unlike the agricultural society where the accumulated experience and knowledge of the elderly were important, in today's highly developed scientific and technological society, the elderly are often marginalized. Although the aging population is rapidly increasing, there are fewer places for them. Many people struggle to operate digital  devices in government offices and restaurants.

The older generation finds it difficult to communicate with the MZ generation. This generation, also known as 'digital natives,' grew up in an environment where personal computers, the internet, mobile phones, and MP3s were the norm and are fluent in digital language and devices like native speakers of a specific language. Some even refer to them as a 'new species' rather than a new generation. Their use of incomprehensible abbreviations is so prevalent that some say they "speak our language like foreigners," indicating how difficult communication can be.

But do those who say "young people these days have no manners" know that the same was said thousands of years ago? The moment an older person starts a sentence with "Back in my day...," they are likely to be treated as old-fashioned. To the youth, the older generation seems inflexible, authoritarian, and unable to listen properly.

In the Building Bridges column  the columnist gives the readers advice on our young people of this generation.

It's natural for different generations to have emotional and value differences. However, more opportunities for natural interaction between generations are needed to prevent these differences from leading to conflict.

In an era of population decline, intergenerational communication becomes increasingly important. For this, the elderly should not try to teach the young but should listen more and ask the youth about things they don't know. This can lead to actual learning and better relationships. There's a reason why it's said that "the older you get, the more you should listen and the less you should speak."

Older people should not assume that today's youth are repeating the same experiences they had at their age. Today's universities and Korean society are vastly different from 30-40 years ago. We should not judge the youth based on our own experiences.

We are contemporaries, each with different experiences, living together today. It's important to acknowledge that we are colleagues and act accordingly, especially in responding responsibly to the challenges of climate disaster and low birth rates and aging population. Perhaps that is truly what it means to act one's age.

Korea's First Catholic Priest's Statue In the Vatican

The Sunday Chat column this Week was written by Jinseop Han Joseph the Korean sculptor whose work was selected by the Vatican to be enshrined in the niche outside St. Peter's Basilica in a space that was vacant for 600 years. 2023 was an important year for the sculptor for that was the year the statue was installed.

This is the first time that a statue of an Asian saint has been enshrined in the Vatican, and the niche outside St. Peter's Basilica where the saint statue was installed was an important space that had been vacant for 600 years.

 "The work began with Cardinal Lazarus You  expressing his intention to dedicate a statue of Father Kim Dae-geon to Pope Francis in 2021." The 'Jubilee Year of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon' (November 29, 2020 - November 27, 2021) concluded with Cardinal Yu's declaration of his intention to dedicate a statue to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Saint Andrew Kim. 

While searching for an artist, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, then chief priest of St. Peter's Basilica, insisted on selecting a famous Italian artist who would go well with the works of Michelangelo and Bernini in the cathedral.

However, Cardinal Yu, who was watching this process, strongly expressed the opinion that it was natural for a Korean sculptor to be the one who made the statue of the first Korean saint of Korea. The Vatican began looking for a Korean artist and wanted a Catholic stone carving expert who could work in Italy. Mr. Han thinks the decision was made to find a sculptor with experience studying in Italy. When he thinks about it now, he believes that his career in stone carving for 45 years and studying abroad in Carrara, Italy was not a coincidence but was prepared by God.

In December 2021, he received a call from the Vatican. Since the Vatican is trying to produce a statue of Father Kim Dae-geon, the request was to send the materials needed.

Not long ago, he had made a statue of Saint Kim Andrew for the Daejeon Diocese, so he sent the four models he had made and a photo of the completed work. Soon after, he received a call from the Vatican asking him to come for review. The first screening, held on July 18, 2022, was attended by Vatican Artistic Director Pietro Sander, art officials, Vatican architects, and Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik. 

Specific questions followed, including a description of the work, its size, production method, what the work means, and how to install the work. He did his best to answer. After the first screening, he returned to Pietrasanta, where the studio was located, and made a model of the background to determine the exact size and shape of the work. Soon after, he heard that he had been selected as the artist to produce the statue. A joy came over him that was difficult to express in words or writing. It was the reward of working hard with stone carving for 50 years without giving up.

The process of determining the specific appearance of the icon remained. Among the several models, he kept in mind the posture of holding a cross in the right hand, but considering that the installation location was outside, there was the risk of color and change of shape due to exposure to snow, rain, wind, and sunlight, so he extended the arms of the Saint to embrace the world. The final selection was made and he began the meaningful work of erecting a statue of St. Andrew Kim in the Vatican.