A Gaza Child's Will And Last Testament

 

In the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly, the columnist examines the tragedy of war, not the least of which is what it does to those who experience or hear about it and have to live with its effects on our ability to empathize— "One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic."

"I read the will of a young girl who died defenselessly in the ravages of war. My heart ached, and I was so angry that I cried all night." This article is titled "A Gaza Child's Will," published in Al Jazeera, a leading media outlet in the Arab world, on March 3. 

The protagonist is Rasha, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed on September 30 after being bombed by the Israeli army while staying at home. Why would a child who should be pampered by his parents and play with her toys write a will? The will contains the trauma and helplessness of war and the purity of family love.

The main character is Rasha, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl who died on September 30th from an Israeli bombing while at home. Why did a child who should have been with her parents and playing with toys write a will? The will is filled with the trauma of war, helplessness, and the purity of family love.

“If I become a martyr or die, please don’t cry for me. Your tears will make me suffer. Please give my clothes to those in need. Give the accessories to OOO, etc., and the bead box to OOO. 50 shekels a month’s allowance to OOO, storybooks and notebooks to OOO, toys to OOO, and please don’t scold my brother Ahmed. Please follow my wishes.” (Rasha’s will)

Rasha and her 11-year-old brother Ahmed’s house were first bombed on June 10. They barely survived that time and lived in fear of war and hunger, but three months later, on September 30, their house was bombed again, and the two siblings lost half of their faces and eventually died. No one in the family knew about Rasha’s will until she was buried in the same grave as her brother. The person who made the will known was Rasha’s uncle.

Since the surprise attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on October 7 last year and the retaliatory attack by Israel, the number of innocent children has continued to increase over the past 13 months. 16,700 children were killed and 17,000 lost their parents. Al Jazeera reported that the apocalypse (end of the world) is unfolding in the Gaza Strip. The UN Secretary-General is appealing to “stop ethnic cleansing,” and an Israeli historian criticized, “What has Israel learned from the Holocaust?”

As Pope Francis warned: “War is a defeat for everyone, with no one winning.” In particular, the killing of children in war is a destruction and abandonment of the future. The Pope appeals for an end to war, asking what children and families, the first victims of war, have to do with war.

Parents who have lost their children in war are not alive. Can there really be a future for parents who cry while holding the bodies of their young children? There is only fear and dread. The Pope said: “There are words for those who have lost a spouse or a parent, but there are no words to comfort parents who have lost their children.” No matter how good the words are, they cannot comfort the pain of the bereaved (the loss of a child before their parents or grandparents)  can only make it worse. The Pope recommends we listen to their words, approach them with love, and take responsibility for their pain.

For whom is the war taking place around the world? It is a tragedy caused by the greed of a very small number of powerful people. Those who started the war are criminals. Countless children’s wills are still buried in the ashes of war, and children are writing their wills in fear of darkness.

Anyone can write a will. However, we must prevent countless children like Rasha from having to write their wills out of fear of war. The ones who should be writing wills are war criminals. Instead of writing wills, we must beat our hearts as sinners who will stand one day before the Lord. 

"It is regrettable that the anger and prayers of humanity, yearning for peace and calling for an end to war, go unheard. As adults coming to the end of the month of remembering the dead, instead of writing only a personal will for the distribution of inheritance, how about writing a will that reflects and shares our social responsibilities and roles in the face of the crisis of human extinction?"

What is a true Friend? Martini Martino (1614-1661)

We have often heard that the Catholic Church in Korea started within the country when some of the educated class read books from China by Jesuit missionaries. In his 'Sunday Talk Column' of the Catholic Times, a professor of Korean literature gives readers some background on an issue some scholars at that time found interesting. He has translated the works of these scholars with notes on the texts.

'What is a true friend'? The definition of a friend, the joy of fellowship, the proper way to socialize, and even distinguishing between real and fake friends are included.

The first line of Matteo Ricci's "On Friendship" begins with the phrase: "Friends are the second self." This short sentence hit East Asian intellectuals hard. The enthusiasm for this book by the so-called Yeonam Group was awe-inspiring. Traces of reading this book were unexpectedly widespread in the anthologies of that era.

The professor following this trail encountered "On Friendship" (逑友篇) by Martini Martino (1614-1661), known in China as Wei Guangguo (衛匡國). It was an expanded version of Western friendship theory about 60 years after Matteo Ricci's book was published in 1599. While reading the book, he was surprised to realize once again that the illustration included in Chapter 2, "Distinction between True and False Friends," was the source of our Korean folktales, well-known as "The Test of Friendship Between Father and Son" or "True Friendship."

The son boasted that he had many friends. The father, trying to test his son's friendship, asked for help after an accident. The story goes that when all of his sons friends refused to help him, he went to find his father's friends, and they offered to help him without a second thought. 

In March 2023, as his last semester of study began, he was in Boston, Mass,  for six months.  He searched earnestly for materials related to these two books at the library. A considerable amount of materials was found. He looked through Martini's various Latin works on China and his complete Italian collection and collection of essays. He also saw four other portraits that remained in the West. After returning home, he organized and translated the "Jiaouron" and "Guyoupian" that had sparked a craze for friendship in East Asia and published "Chinese Scholars Discuss Friendship" (Kim Youngsa).

As soon as the vacation began at the end of June 2024, he went to Hangzhou to visit Martini's tomb near Hangzhou University. Martini, who was tall and had a spiritual appearance, after death his body did not decompose for decades, causing a stir among the local believers, who worshipped him as a god.

The tomb was preserved with only the remains of the one destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The words "Wei Guangguo Missionary Memorial Hall" were engraved on the marble gate tower on a Gothic column at the entrance. The inner pavilion had "Tomb of the Cultivators of the Holy Teachings of the Lord" written on the front and "Resurrection of the Body of the Believers of the Faith" engraved on the back. In a communist country, the tomb of a Western missionary with an inscription that said he believed in the resurrection of the body was being managed and preserved as a cultural relic. 

Standing in front of the tomb, which was in disarray due to rain and construction work for a new renovation, he had many thoughts. He was lost in thinking about the path that led these Chinese Jesuit missionary efforts, whose scholarship reached Joseon (Korea) before the clergy or church was present, helped change minds, and became a providential hand to change the world.

Ecological Progress in Korea

The editorial of the  Catholic Times newspaper congratulated the efforts of a parish in the  Diocese of Daejeon as the 19th Catholic Environment Award winner.

A new Catholic ecological committee held its first symposium in early December to find ways to activate environmental awareness in Korean parishes and develop an ecological liturgy.

They met to discuss and implement the Pope's encyclical Laudato Si, in which Pope Francis critiqued environmental degradation and climate change. Many have seen the need and moved differently to bring about change.

"Until now, the Catholic ecological movement was led by priests. Now it is time for all the faithful in Korea to show their voice as the 'green church,'" was the voice of one religious sister.

A  liturgy professor at the Major Seminary said they can change parishioners' consciousness by inserting ecological themes in general prayer intercessions, adding ecology-related scripture readings, and composing hymns about preserving the environment.

This year's theme is 'Carbon Neutrality through Renewable Energy Conversion'. The selected Parish was recognized for its efforts to overcome the climate crisis and preserve the order of creation by building a solar power plant and supplying renewable energy in accordance with the spirit of 'Laudato Si'.

The climate crisis refers to a crisis common to all of humanity caused by greenhouse gases generated by humans' indiscriminate use of fossil fuels. These gases increase the Earth's temperature and damage the ecosystem and natural environment. 

What is serious is that our country is going against the global trend of efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Korea is taking the opposite path of responding properly to the climate crisis, such as indiscriminately developing new airports, building new coal-fired power plants, and promoting nuclear power.

In the midst of this, the winner of this year's Catholic Environment Award shows an example of responding to the climate crisis at the parish level. The parish has significantly reduced carbon emissions by installing solar power plants and improving energy efficiency. In addition, all parishioners have actively participated in ecological and environmental pastoral activities and have built solidarity with neighboring parishes and local communities beyond the parish. 

Korea is not alone in slowing down the change process. Most of the world now accepts the issues involved with the climate crisis. However, misinformation and myths are still being spread, harming environmental progress in many areas.

We believe that Cheonan Parish's ecological repentance and activities can and should be spread to all parishes nationwide. If all parishes in the Korean Church actively take on this effort to protect our common home, we are confident that Korea would be an exemplary response to the climate crisis.

The Church Is Not A Museum

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The recent issue of the Catholic Times had an article on a professor emeritus and the need for inculturation as an essential future of the Church; otherwise, as Pope Francis said, the Church would become a "museum."

Father Stephen Bevans (Professor Emeritus, Catholic Divinity School of Chicago) visited Korea from October 16 to 25. He expressed concern that "inculturation has 'cooled down' throughout the (universal) Church". He said, "In the motu proprio Ad Theologiam Promovendam, Pope Francis urges theologians and the Church to engage more with local cultures and contemporary thought."

Father Bevans has been a professor at the Catholic Divinity School of Chicago for over 30 years and has served as president of the American Missionary Society, member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and member of the World Mission Commission of the World Council of Churches. He is a world-renowned scholar of inculturation theology.

"Repeating traditional phrases or words, even if they are orthodox, is not enough. Our faith must be expressed in a way that modern people can understand in their language, culture, and experience."

In particular, the 'contextual theology' established and systematized by Father Bevans was dealt with significantly in the motu proprio "For the Advancement of Theology." Contextual theology is a theological method that interprets the traditional wisdom of the Church while considering the experience of each believer or faith community in the cultural and historical situation that can be called the current' situation.' In the motu proprio, the Pope emphasized that "contextual theology must be prioritized" while discussing theology consistent with the synodal and missionary Church.

Father Bevans said: "Contextualization goes beyond the concept of inculturation and also includes the realities of modern secularity, technology, and the struggle for human social and ecological justice." He added, "As Pope Francis puts it, only by doing contextual theology can we' advance theology' in today's world."

"I think Korean theology is a treasure little known to the universal Church. There have been many writings and theological conferences held regularly. Still, they have not been translated into other languages, such as Western European or Asian. Hence, they are not easily accessible to other Christians."

Father Bevans, who visited Korea at the invitation of the Institute for Korean Christian Thought, gave various lectures for believers and held symposiums with Korean theologians during his visit. He hoped that the excellence of Korean theology he experienced would be widely known worldwide.

Father Bevans especially praised Monsignor Sim Sang-tae's theology (John the Baptist, Suwon Diocese ).  "I hope Monsignor Sim's collection of essays will be translated so that more Christians worldwide can access his profound thoughts and scholarship."

Father Bevans plans to continue interacting with Korean believers through his writings. "Contextual Theology" and "Mission of Prophetic Dialogue" have been introduced in Korea, and his new book, "Community of Missionary Discipleship," is about to be published in Korea.

"One of my great hopes is that my book will help the Korean church practice synodality. The synod is under suspicion in many countries, especially among the clergy. I hope my book, which emphasizes missionary ecclesiology, will help Korean believers and other Christians trust each other more deeply within and among churches."

The 'Compassionate Heart

The distance Jesus keeps in the Gospels allows us to understand what kind of love he has. The priest columnist in the 'Preciousness of Faith' gives us a meditation on this issue...

From the beginning of his public ministry, large crowds came to Jesus. So many people even tried to touch him that Jesus told them to prepare a boat for him to board (cf. Mark 3:7-10). This was to keep his distance from the crowds. 

Early in the morning, Jesus left the crowds and went to a solitary place to pray (cf. Mark 1:35). He even withdrew to the mountains alone to escape the crowds who wanted to make him king (cf. John 6:15). In Caesarea Philippi, following the confession of faith by the Apostle Peter, Jesus foretold his future suffering, death, and resurrection. When Peter strongly resisted, Jesus rebuked him harshly: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:33)

All of this was a necessary distance because the salvation that the crowd expected was so different from the salvation he planned.

But that distance was ultimately to become one with us. The best expression of this is ‘compassion.’ Compassion is an expression that often appears in the parables. 

Jesus felt compassion when he saw the crowds, who were like sheep without a shepherd, and he taught them many things (see Mark 6:34). He felt compassion when he saw a leper who desperately begged for healing. He healed him (see Mark 1:41). He felt ‘compassion’ when he saw a widow who had lost her only son and was holding a funeral. He restored her son to life (see Luke 7:13). Jesus’ compassionate heart was a heart that sympathized so much with the plight of others that it made him feel their suffering as if it were his own.

Jesus made not only the painful lives of humans but also their fates of death his own. On the eve of his Passion, when he was overcome with agony before death, he felt such extreme pain that he shed blood and sweat. On the cross, Jesus became one with all the abandoned of the world by crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk 15:34), and by breathing his last on the cross, he became one with all the dying of the world (cf. Jn 19:30).

All of this stemmed from Jesus’ mercy and love for humanity. Only in mercy and love did Jesus overcome all distances to become one with us. This is the way Jesus loves. Jesus distanced himself from our thoughts, and at the same time, he went beyond that distance to become one with us. By distancing himself, Jesus allowed us to seek, ponder, and find his will. 

Sometimes, his thoughts are so different from ours that they seem too unrealistic, so we turn away from him. However, in life, trials and crises come, and in painful moments, there comes a moment when we realize that he is already within us. When I was sick, tired, exhausted, and lonely, he was already in pain with me.

When we look back on our lives and realize that He has always been with us in every twist and turn, we open our hearts wide, face Him, and find that our hearts are transformed like unto His. In this way, we become like Him and become one with Him in love.

Welfare's Blind Spots

In her article in the Catholic Peace Weekly, a professor emeritus at a Catholic University examines what some young people are experiencing in society.

The issue of ‘youth’ has emerged as an important topic of interest. It is becoming a core issue as it is intertwined with changes in socioeconomic conditions, the decrease in the proportion of the youth population due to low birth rates and aging, and the issue of family care. Interest and discussion on this issue are expanding as the number of young people caring for sick family members has recently increased.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare estimates that approximately 180,000 young caregivers care for sick family members. According to a survey by the Korea Social Security Information Service, the estimated population of young family caregivers is between 0.37% and 1.45% of the blind spots of welfare. In addition, young family caregivers ranked second as the type of youth that the government should focus on supporting in a survey conducted by the Youth Foundation in 2024 targeting 3,000 young people.

These responses indicate that young people perceive the difficulties of family care as a major burden in the present or future. In reality, young people caring for their families face various difficulties. These include the sudden occurrence of care situations and the resulting physical and mental burdens and livelihood burdens, situations where they cannot prepare for their future, such as dropping out of school, and the severance of social relationships due to these difficulties.

Young people find it difficult and overwhelming to even imagine that they will one day care for a sick family member. This can be confirmed by having students read “I Became My Dad’s Dad” by a Korean who published his own experience of caring for his family in a book and raised the issue of young people caring for their families in our society in the most impressive way, and then listening to their stories.

They found it difficult just to read other young people’s experiences of caring for their families. They poured out stories such as “The feeling I felt most after reading the book was helplessness,” “I was afraid that this might happen to me too,” and “I was overcome with despair that no one could help me.” At the same time, they confirmed the gap between the actual life and the system that should support this life and expressed their anger at the difficult welfare services and the inadequate role of the government.

As various youth issues are emerging as a topic of interest, it is fortunate that measures to support youth in need of family care are increasing. This year, the government decided to open ‘Youth Future Centers’ in four metropolitan cities and provinces, discover youth needing family care in local communities, closely manage them, and link them with various services. It also decided to support up to 2 million won in self-care expenses per year through selection. In addition, private and public welfare foundations and welfare organizations are carrying out various projects to support these young people.

Some local governments have enacted ‘Ordinances on Support for Youth in Need of Family Care’ to support them. However, this is only the beginning. The important thing is to substantiate and make the policies and measures in line with the needs of youth in need of family care. To do so, we must first establish a system to discover them.

The issue of care is one of the biggest tasks that our society must solve in the future. We are all vulnerable beings who need the care of others at some point in our lives. If young people who need to prepare for the future due to unavoidable circumstances are forced to mortgage their futures to take full responsibility for family care, this is a great loss to our society. It is time to face the difficulties of young people who need family care, bring them to the public forum, and take action to implement support policies for them.

Korean Birth Rate

The Eyes of Priest column in the Catholic Peace Weekly reports on an unwed couple who has made known the birth of their child. 

The news of a Korean actor and model having a baby was surprising. On the 22nd, the child's mother, a model, announced the baby's birth through her social media. The father confirmed through his agency that he is the child's biological father. He stated that although there are no plans for marriage, he will fulfill his responsibilities as a parent to raise the child.

The columnist congratulates the father and mother on their decision to raise the child. He appreciates the courage of the two of them to choose life over abortion, even though it could tarnish the image that they have built up so far. 

A child, God’s creation “just by existing,” brings joy and love to the world. He applauds the father for taking full responsibility for their child until the end. He prays that God will bless the couple and the child born.

The priest columnist is disappointed at some of the public’s evaluation of this unmarried birth. Some entertainment media and YouTubers are pouring out gossip articles about inheritance or child support. They are also forcibly linking this incident to the mother's volunteer work and using sarcasm against her. All the words poured out on them feel like stones thrown at the woman in the Gospel of John. 

If they treat famous celebrities this harshly, how much worse must it be for ordinary people who gave birth alone to protect their lives? Unfortunately, our community’s atmosphere makes people choose abortion because of the opinions of others. I hope you put aside your curiosity and pray for this child.

However, he is concerned that voices are calling for various family structures because of this incident. They say that our society’s traditional view of family through marriage is outdated. The younger generation is responding positively to the unmarried birth. The government is exploiting this atmosphere and promoting policies to diversify family structures. The birth rate is continuously falling, so they are trying to increase it this way. The National Assembly is discussing a bill that would recognize unmarried ‘couples’ and same-sex ‘groups’ as family status, like European countries like France.

However, the birth rate cannot be solved this way. As Tesla's Elon Musk recently pointed out, Korea's birth rate is falling due to structural problems in our society. The fundamental reasons for the low birth rate are long working hours compared to OECD countries, pyramid-based education as seen in the medical school entrance exam craze, materialism that believes money is the most important, and our politics that cannot solve this problem. Therefore, rather than the diversity of family composition, we need to change the reality that children face to increase the birth rate.

The Catholic Church supports all those who protect life. Like Mary's conception and Joseph's courage 2,000 years ago, I pray that the Lord's grace will be abundant for all who seek to protect life.