http://www.cbck.or.kr/bbs/zboard.php?id=bbs8

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http://www.cbck.or.kr/bbs/zboard.php?id=bb...desc=asc&no=197

* Church to Help the Train Blast Victims in North Korea

For the victims of the recent train blast around Ryongcheon Station in North Korea, the Catholic Church in Korea is gearing up to help the victims and give aid to the relief and reconstruction work.

The Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, issued a statement on April 26 titled "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" and called on the faithful to practice charity to North Korean brethren who are deeply suffering from the tragic accident.

Saying that, "To share the suffering of our brothers and sisters is the essential mission of the Church," he ordered an extra collection to be made for this purpose in parishes in the Archdiocese of Seoul on May 9, the fifth Sunday of Easter. Earlier, the Archdiocese of Seoul sent USD $ 80,000 to North Korea as emergency relief aid via the Diocesan Committee for the Reconciliation of Korean People.

In addition, the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana" has been promoting nationwide donation from April 27, in collaboration with the Caritas International, which on behalf of the entire Catholic Church promotes relief work in North Korea. The Caritas International already spent a fund of USD $ 200,000 in helping the damaged Ryongcheon area as the first step.

The CBCK Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People also held an ad-hoc meeting on April 27 and decided to request dioceses and the conferences of major superiors of religious to make contributions. The official channel of aid shall be the CBCK Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People and the Association of North Korean Catholics (Chairperson: Mr. Samuel Jang Jae-eon).

On April 26, on the other hand, Mr. Paul Kang Ji-young, Vice Chairperson of the Association of North Korean Catholics, sent a reply to the April 24 letter of consolation by the Most Rev. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe, President of the CBCK Committee for the Reconciliation of Korean People, and appreciated the "fraternal support" of the Church in South Korea.

The CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana" also envisions long-term aid plans such as the reconstruction of educational or medical facilities, its Secretary said.

* Diocese of Andong Dedicates Its New Cathedral Church

On April 25, the Most Rev. John Chrysostom Kwon Hyok-ju, Bishop of Andong, dedicated the newly remodeled church of Mokseong-dong Cathedral of Andong.

Some 1,000 people attended the dedication Mass, including the Most Rev. John Choi Young-soo, Auxiliary Bishop of Taegu, and the Rev. Bernard Tschang In-san, Vicar General of the Diocese of Cheongju and diocesan priests of Andong.

The old building was established in 1927 and relocated to the current site in 1949. However, it was deteriorated with the passage of time and came to need more space to play role as a Cathedral.

The new premises include a chapel, a grand hall, meeting rooms, residence for priests and a house of sisters and the chapel can accommodate some 600 persons. There are also a socializing place for the elderly and free funeral facilities for the local community.

Bishop Kwon said at the dedication Mass, "The Cathedral is now newly dressed. Therefore, it should try harder to become the center for diocesans as well as for local community and to proclaim the Gospel values to them." He also stressed that they should make the Cathedral a living church for all those who visit the church.

* Descendents of a French Martyr Saint Visit Korea and Experience the Culture and Church in Korea

Twenty five Catholics from the Diocese of Amiens, France, made a ten-day visit to Seoul from April 20 to 29, at the invitation of the Galhyeon-dong parish in Archdiocese of Seoul (Pastor: Rev. Paul Yong Dong-jin).

On April 21, in particular, the pilgrims led by the Most Rev. Jean Luc Bouilleret, Bishop of Amiens, visited Galmaemot Shrine in the Diocese of Daejeon, the martyrdom place of St. Daveluy, who was from the Diocese of Amiens and served as the fifth Vicar Apostolic of Joseon until he was martyred in 1866 during the persecution in Joseon Dynasty.

The Most Rev. Joseph Kyeong Gap-ryong, Bishop of Daejeon, presiding Mass at Galmaemot, said, "Martyrs are like a mirror reflecting Jesus Christ who shines as light." At the Mass, there was a benediction ceremony of the bronze statue of St. Daveluy and then Bishop Bouilleret presented the surplice of St. Daveluy to the Shrine.

Besides, they visited places of other Korean traditional religions, for example, famous Buddhist temples in Korea and looked on the parochial meetings such as those of Basic Christian Community or the Legion of Mary. Bishop Bouilleret said, "I think Korea is very spiritual country and has a unique origin of Catholic community because it combines the wisdom of the traditional religions with the Catholic faith."

During the visit, the French visitors could personally experience the Christian life of Korean families by staying at homes of Galhyeon-dong parishioners and the Korean hosts in turn had very good impression by the courteous and pious attitudes of the visitors from a traditional Catholic country.

Code: ZE04050308

Date: 2004-05-03

Papal Message to North Korea After Railway Disaster

South Korean Catholics Mobilize to Help

SEOUL, South Korea, MAY 3, 2004 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II was "deeply struck" upon learning about the tragic loss of so many lives after the deadly train explosion in the North Korean town of Ryongchon.

The Pope sent two messages to express his condolences. The first went to Archbishop Andrew Choi Chang-mou, president of the Korean bishops' conference, in which the Pontiff assured that he was close in thought to the suffering victims and their families, and prayed for God's mercy for the deceased.

The second, addressed to Kim Yong-nam, president of the North Korean Parliamentary Standing Committee, expressed the Pope's closeness and sympathy to all those affected by the catastrophe.

Both telegrams were sent on behalf of the Holy Father by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican secretary of state.

The April 22 explosion in Ryongchon, near the Chinese border, killed 161 people and injured 1,300.

AsiaNews reported that Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, who is also apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, the diocese where the accident took place, invited Catholics to collect funds to help the famine-struck North.

The archbishop noted that normally North Korea is tight-lipped about what goes on in the country, but that on this occasion Pyongyang has officially asked for help from the international community.

Archbishop Cheong Jin-suk added that the "easing of people's suffering is the real reason the Church exists."

The Seoul Diocesan Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People announced plans to begin a fund-raising program that will get under way next week, with the help of the Catholic press.

At the request of the Church in North Korea, the committee is immediately sending $80,000 worth of food, clothing and construction materials.

Monsignor Gabriel Chang, president of Korean Charities, has launched a national campaign to raise emergency funds for the victims, and is working in collaboration with Caritas International, which has already sent $200,000 in aid to North Korea.

Chang Jae-eon, chairman of the North Korean Catholic Association, thanked all South Korean Catholics for their generous and thoughtful solidarity and asked them to send anything they could to alleviate the victims' suffering, such as food, clothing, and construction material and equipment.

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=745

May, 2004
SOUTH KOREA-CHINA
South Korean group helps Church in China

“Priests of the Underground Church live a wretched life”


Seoul (AsiaNews/Ucan) – A lay-run Korean group is raising money to help the “official” and “underground” Catholic Church in China. The wretched living conditions of clergy particularly of the underground Church in China led Korean businessman, Francisco Chung, to establish Nazareth China Mission Society (NCMS) in 2000, after a chance meeting with an underground Chinese bishop.

“Priests of the underground Church, even a bishop, live a wretched life,” Mr. Chung said. They survive on “about 100 Yuan (US 12 dollars) a month” and they do not have “ warm clothes for the cold winter.” He remarked how “painful” it was to see the Chinese clerics not receive proper treatment when they are sick. Inspired by them, Chung remarked that, despite their pains, they have “faithfully walked the way entrusted to them by God.”

Chung spoke April 27th at Peace Gallery, an exhibition hall run by the Seoul Archdiocese, just before the opening of an art exhibition designed to raise funds for a home for elderly priests and religious in China. It is just one of NCMS’ projects.

The construction on the two-story home which will eventually house dozens, will begin in the middle of this year, with money for construction and maintenance costs coming in part from the sale of the 51 painting donated by Korean artists. Other resources will come from financial contributions of NCMS members, and Chung’s own business profits.

Francisco Chung has not always used his financial resources to help the underground Church. He recalled that when he first went to China in 1995, he discovered excellent raw materials for making sacred objects, and began producing rosaries and selling them in the Korean market. The profits went into providing Bibles, clothes and money to ethnic Koreans in China, and also to help seminarians, priests and nuns of the Official Church. Then, after meeting an underground Chinese bishop, he turned his attention to the underground Church which, he says, “faces more difficulties.” Chung refuses to disclose the details about his contribution to the persecuted Church, but he visits China around 10 times a year. His convictions allowed him to overcome original opposition from his family and South Korean priests who suspected he was supporting the Chinese Church for his own advantage. Now, he said, Korean Catholic lay people and priests, as well as his family, ardently support him and the work of NCMS.

Father Barnabas Kim Tjuekng-Nam, spiritual director of the service, says, “it is time” for the Korean Church to support the Chinese Church. He pointed out that it was the Chinese Church that first introduced Catholicism to Koreans more than 200 years ago.

Chung recently registered NCMS with the Seoul archdiocese to receive official support and guidance.

Despite its difficulties, the 'unofficial' Catholic church in China is believed to have 12 million followers, compared with some 4 million for the country’s officially sanctioned church.

http://www.cbck.or.kr/pds/period/newslette...8/news_24_2.htm
Experience of Conversion of Paul Chang, a North Korean Defector:
"In Jesus, I Found True Freedom and Love"...

Many people have the impression that the North Korean people believe that freedom is more precious than life. In fact North Koreans risk their lives to come to the South to find freedom. However what Paul Chang Young-jin(40), a defector found in the South was love. Paul Chang reached the South in dramatic fashion by crossing the military demarcation line in April, 1997 after having failed in several attempts to escape from NK via China. He is now helping 15 mentally retarded and handicapped people at the Little Family of Jesus in Yokgok, Inchoon. Unlike many defectors from the North who are preoccupied with making money, Chang has dedicated his life to helping handicapped.

Paul Chang is from Ch'ongjin, Hamkyongbuk-do, northern part of North Korea. He wanted to escape from NK to seek freedom and tried on March 20th, 1996 leaving his mother(70) and wife behind. He succeeded in crossing the Tuman River on the border by swimming it and reached Beijing. He asked the help of the S. Korean Embassy in Beijing in order to go to the South but he was refused. He often had to beg for rice and money and at times helped Chinese farmers in order to get food. After a year of wandering he was completely exhausted and decided that death was better. He bought rat poison and sleeping pills to commit suicide. As he was about to swallow the pills the thought struck him that if he struggled all this time only to die and if he had the courage to take his own life then that must mean he had courage to do many more things. This led him to decide to make one more effort to cross the divide to the South.

He came back to his hometown but headed immediately South without even stopping at home... He was crying. He took the train part of the way but he walked most of the way by day and night. One night in April 1997 he finally got to the border, near the 38th parallel that divides the North and South.

What welcomed him there was a triple iron railing carrying 10,000 volts of electricity, North Korean soldiers, a ground dotted with mines and fear ... Everything there was a threat to his life. He found himself alone in a deserted area with not even one tree in sight. In the darkness he saw two NK soldiers approaching. "This is the end. I'm destined to perish," he said to himself. He called on God instinctively and made the sign of the cross, a gesture that he saw once in a movie. He called to that unknown being and cried; "Lord, I want to live." Then he ran and ran to the South with all his might. He suddenly realized that he was at the DMZ. He was on South Korean territory!

"Thank you God. You rescued my life. Thanks to your protection I am here alive. I was able to escape the mine field unhurt because you protected me ..." That was his first experience of God. He remembered his mother who occasionally mentioned God but he never thought that this "God" of his mother would save his life. He had vague memories of his mother speaking about God, Jesus and Mary, but he never asked her who they were or what she had to do with people with such strange names. However when his life was in danger he remembered them and prayed, and his prayers were heard.

Later on, in Seoul, he decided to seek the Catholic Church and to become a catholic.

He was introduced to the Church by a friend. He decided to dedicate his life to the poor, weak and marginalized people. This decision was influenced by his experience while he was in China. One day in China he was sitting in a train that was passing a country village. Through the window of the train he saw a little child beggar sitting on the ground crying... The little boy was looking at the train and asking for food. Chang felt helpless and frustrated because he could do nothing for that poor little creature.

"China, this immense country, is incapable of filling that small stomach ..." he muttered to himself.

That little boy reminded him of the innumerable "Kotjaebi" (children beggars) in North Korea. "When I get to South Korea, I will work for those poor children," he said to himself.

He spent 6 months getting to know South Korean society. One day he went to Kottongnae or the Flower Village, in Umsong, Kyongki-do, which is a sprawling complex that houses some 3,000 homeless elderly, handicapped, beggars and orphans who have been rejected by their families and society. There he found many poor people to whom he wished to give his love. He felt at home. He knew that that was what he longed for deep in his heart. He wanted to do something for the God who saved his life by helping them.

Many people promised to help him find a good job and advised him on how to have a good life in South Korean society. However he could not get the word "love" out of his mind. Many of his friends and particularly the defectors, did not understand his choice of such a hard life.

One day he got a telephone call from a defector who had became a Catholic asking him to meet him at Mansudae Catholic Church. His intuition told him that he would find something he wanted there. He went to meet his friend and decided to become a Catholic. He was baptized on July 23rd and became a child of God. As a Christian he wanted to dedicate his life to the poor. He decided to join the Little Family of Jesus on last Aug. 1st, a religious men's community dedicated to mentally handicapped.

"I am very happy to be living with them. I hope other defectors find true freedom, true love, true life, true value... As for myself I want to work as a missionary for North Korea," he said.

His greatest wish is to help the poor especially those little beggars(Kotjaebi) in North Korea and China.

"The scenes of starving children on the streets in NK are still vivid in my mind. I want to help them... I think that it is God's providence that led me to this point. All that I saw and heard in North Korea and in China, all that I experienced there, my family back ground, my mother, my hard life ... are graces from God.

Chang wants people to be aware of the real situation in North Korea so that they can help them.

His plan is to work for the evangelizaton of the North with the Brothers of the Little Family of Jesus beginning next year.

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=964
12 June, 2004
SOUTH KOREA
Education and child care facilities in parishes to help working parents


Seoul (AsiaNews) – Catholic education, child care and assistance to the working parents are the key points of a project announced by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK), which testifies the commitment of the Catholic Church in the educational and social fields.

The Episcopal Council of the Archdiocese of Seoul decided to support some part of the cost of child care facilities established in parishes, in order to offer a Christian education in childhood and to give assistance to working couples with their parenting. "This decision reflects the concern of the Archdiocese for families and working parents. If the Church wants to encourage parents to give birth to more children, it should first take care of the realistic difficulties they face in bringing up children," said a source of the Archdiocese. The Rev. Thomas Aquinas Choi Chang-hwa, chancellor of the Archdiocese, also wished this plan help to offer education of quality for children in local community."

In South Korea, the falling birth rate, due to the social changes related to the emancipation of women and the economic welfare (which has increased the cost of living) prevent couples from having children, because of pursuing a career and lack of money. According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world. The average woman has 1.17 children, significantly below the 2.3 rate needed to keep the population at its current level. This compares to Japan’s 1.32 figure , and their well-documented problem with an old population. In these days, the CBCK published the 2003 Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea, showing the Catholic population growing, but also ageing. (MR)

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=961
11 June, 2004
SOUTH KOREA
2003 Statistics: Catholic population growing, but also ageing

Many new baptized among soldiers

Seoul (AsiaNews/CBCK) - The 2003 Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea, published June 7, 2004 by the Catholic Conference of Korea, clearly showed the aging of Catholic population in Korea, calling for multifaceted pastoral programs for the elderly and at the same time for the youth.

According to the Statistics, the number of faithful aged 50-59 and 60-69 increased 22.9% and 36.7%, respectively, while the number of those aged under 40 decreased as a whole. In particular, those aged 6 and under and aged 7-19 showed rapid drop of 18.4% and 9.1% and age groups of 20-29 and of 30-39 also decreased by 7.7% and 7.2%.
The total number of the Catholics in Korea was 4,430,791 or 9.1% of the total population (48,823,837) as of December 31, 2003. Compared to the previous year, it increased 83,186 or 1.9%. However, the increasing rate of the number of Catholics dropped from 2.8% in 2002 to 1.9%. The rate has constantly decreased since 1994 and finally lowered to under 2.0%.

The rate of the newly baptized also decreased; the number of those baptized in 2003 was 135,379, 1.7% decreased from 137,723 in 2002. However, for the Military Ordinariate, 18,912 persons were baptized, showing 11.9% of increase. In fact, among the 21,183 newly baptized men in their 20s, 17,815 persons belong to the Military Ordinariate.
The rate of Sunday Mass attendants was not changed much as 26.9% and the rate of lethargic faithful was still high as 35.7%.
The number of faithful was highest in the Archdiocese of Seoul as 1,428,993, followed by Suwon (599,044), Taegu (402,958), Pusan (379,030) and Inchoen (375,313).

The Statistics also indicated that the number of parishes was 1,359, increased by 56 places and that of secondary stations was 989, decreased by 53 places from the year of 2002. Besides, in the Catholic Church in Korea there is one cardinal, four archbishops, 26 bishops (including two foreigners), 19 monsignors, and 3,584 priests (3,396 Koreans and 188 foreigners). The number of men and women religious was 1,352 and 9,343, respectively.

http://www.cbck.or.kr/bbs/zboard.php?id=bb...desc=asc&no=204

* Government to Support Research on Adult Stem Cells Led by a Catholic Medical Institute

The Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea announced on May 31, 2004 that the Institute of Cell and Gene Therapy of the Catholic Medical Center (CMC), a general hospital affiliated with the Medical School of the Catholic University in Korea, was selected as the government-supported research institute on cell therapy and will be granted 12 billion won (USD 10 million) for six years.

With this government grants, the Institute is likely to be more dedicated in a leading position to the research on stem cells and cell therapy, which is one of the ten main projects of the Health Ministry. It is also expected to animate the research on adult stem cells, thereby casting new light on regenerative medicine. In fact, the Catholic Church has constantly proposed adult stem cell study as an alternative to embryonic stem cell study.

Recognizing the gravity of ethical problems related to embryonic stem cell study, the CMC has concentrated on adult stem cell study and made positive effort, such as hosting international symposiums on stem cells and opening a cell therapy center.

Prof. Oh Il-hwan, Director of the Institute, will lead this big-scale project in cooperation with many medical doctors from diverse spheres, including hematology, cardioangiology, neurology, autoimmunity-related diseases, diabetes and hepatism.

Prof. Oh said, "Even though the government on some occasions supported the study on embryonic stem cells or the cloning of somatic cells, this is the first support for study on adult stem cells. Through this project, I hope to propose alternative answers to ethical and social controversies related to stem cell study conducted home and abroad."

This project was planned by the Health Ministry to make Korea a hub of cell therapy in Northeast Asia, so the Institute will strive to develop more improved cell therapy products and, in particular, to study medical approaches using adult stem cells.

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=1010

21 June, 2004
SOUTH KOREA - NORTH KOREA
Prayer and charity for reconciling the two Koreas
by Monica Romano

Seoul (AsiaNews) - Talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis have not left Catholic South Koreans indifferent. Despite threats of invasion, the nuclear crisis and pressure of refugees from the North, the South Korean Church has always shown its strong desire for reconciliation and peace for 70 million Koreans, by helping the North Korean population through prayer and charity. Parishes, members of the faithful and religious communities, and organizations continue to raise funds and emergency supplies to send to North Korea, in response to the conditions of poverty afflicting the country. "This is a first and important concrete step which shows our care and concern for our North Korean brothers, as we are not yet able to send personnel to deal with matters directly on the ground," Suor Maria Yim, a South Korean religious of the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepard in Seoul tells AsiaNews. Prayer too is fundamental. "Each year," Sr. Maria Yim adds, "the entire Church organizes a prayer novena for the reconciliation of the Korean people. This year the novena will be prayed from the 18th to the 27th of June." Since 1965, the Sunday closest to June 25th -- the day in which the Korean War (1950-53) broke out -- is dedicated to "the day of prayer for reconciliation and unity" with Masses and meetings in every diocese of South Korea. Since 1989, a Mass is celebrated once a year in the demilitarized zone along the border between the two Koreas. Since 1993, a novena with rosaries, prayers and Masses is held in every South Korean parish and diocese. "The South Korean Catholic Church has changed its mediation role in society, by avoiding political discussion. Nevertheless our commitment is total, in terms of prayer and charity, the means typical to Christians. In terms of relations with North Korea, we have chosen the fraternal way in concretely and spritually helping the North Korean people of God," continues Sister Maria Yim. Following the railway disasater of Ryongchon last April 23rd, Monsignor Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, issued a message entitled "You shall love your neighbour as yourself", affirming that "to share the suffering of our brothers and sisters is the Church's mission": The Archbishop also asks parishes of his diocese to raise extra funds. The Committe for Korean Reconciliation has already sent some 80,000 dollars to North Korea. The Seoul Diocese is not new to such initiatives. The Committee for Korean reconciliation, founded in 1995, raises funds for sending out emergency supplies such as flour, maize, potato, rice, powdered milk, fertilizer, clothing and medicine. In 1996, the Archdiocese of Seoul also financed the construction of a spaghetti factory near the church of Jangchung in Pyongyang and a hospital in the Rajin-Seonbong area, in the country's north. Since 1992, every parish of South Korea decided to offer 3% of budgets to a Unification Fund, while at the initiative of the Korean Bishops' Conference, some dioceses have set up special relations with provinces and cities in the North. However, the commitment to North Koreans involves Catholics from around the world: between 1995 and 2002, Caritas Internationalis sent 2,700 million dollars in aid, which included 220 milion dollars provided by the South Korean Caritas.

Code: ZE04070706

Date: 2004-07-07

A Step Forward for North Korean Diocese

Episcopal Vicar Appointed for Pyongyang

PYONGYANG, North Korea, JULY 7, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The appointment of a new episcopal vicar for Pyongyang by the diocese's South Korea-based apostolic administrator is seen as a historic step.

Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul, who is also apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, named Father Matthew Hwang in-kuk the episcopal vicar for the diocese corresponding to the North Korean capital.

The Holy See's missionary agency Fides says the appointment gives new strength and hope to "the Church in South Korea to be able to evangelize again and make the faith flower in North Korea," which "has never been extinguished, not even in difficult times."

Ever since the Communist regime expelled the ecclesiastical hierarchy, the archbishop of Seoul has also had to be the apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, a role which until now, in fact, he has been unable to carry out, given that the North Korean diocese is deprived, at least officially, of priests, said the Italian newspaper Avvenire.

Yet, Christianity has survived in North Korea, where Catholics live the faith in a family context, receiving periodic visits from representatives of Catholic Action. Estimates say there are 3,000 faithful in North Korea.

Since 1989 the Communist regime has tried to apply the Chinese model of the state-controlled "patriotic association," establishing the North Korean Catholic Association.

The decision to appoint Father Hwang vicar for Pyongyang was communicated by the South Korean episcopal conference and was preceded in Seoul by the meeting of Archbishop Cheong with 10 South Korean priests who expressed their willingness to work in the North's diocese.

"Concrete efforts to make the Church grow in North Korea cannot be postponed any longer," Archbishop Cheong said.

The archbishop hopes that Father Hwang will have "greater freedom of movements to be able to work, especially in the area of formation."

Over the last years the Church in Korea, together with Caritas-Hong Kong and the U.S.-based Eugene Bell Foundation, has promoted numerous humanitarian missions beyond the 38th parallel.

The missions have enable some priests to travel to the country's interior. In 1998 it was possible to organize a visit to North Korea by Seoul's auxiliary bishop. Delegations of the Holy See and Caritas International have also been able to visit.

Foreign priests passing through the country have been allowed to celebrate Sunday Mass in Pyongyang's only Catholic church.

The Church in South Korea has requested news on the fate of Bishop Francis Hong Yong-ho, the last prelate of Pyongyang, and of the close to 50 priests who were in the North in the 1940s. Survivors would be in their 80s or 90s.

http://www.cbck.or.kr/bbs/zboard.php?id=bb...desc=asc&no=208

KO6525.1299 July 27, 2004 53 EM-lines (604 words)
KOREA New Movie On Priest Formation Expected To Boost Image of Catholicism
SEOUL (UCAN) -- A film about a seminarian showing the struggle and distress of priestly formation may raise the image of Catholics in Korean society.

"Love Shows Divine," the film dealing with priestly formation, was specially screened in Coste Hall at the Myongdong Cathedral compound by the Seoul archdiocesan Communications Office and the film's producer, Kihweck. About 400 priests, Religious and laypeople enjoyed the viewing.

An executive of the film company said the preview was meant to thank Church officials who helped in making the film. Taegu archdiocesan seminary was used for seminary scenes and seminarians played extras. Kwonson-dong parish church in Suwon diocese was where the movie's ordination footage was shot.

Choi Yoon-seok of Kihweck said, "Thanks to the Catholic Church's help, we could take detailed pictures of the sacred and magnificent Catholic images."

After the preview, Auxiliary Bishop Lucas Kim Un-hoe of Seoul told UCA News: "The movie shows many Catholic images, including the Mass, liturgy and priestly formation. It can be indirect missionary service for the Church. I hope it is a big box-office hit." He added, "Though the seminarian in the film gave up trying to become a priest before he could be ordained, the film depicts the mental conflict seminarians must endure to become priests."

The movie features an exemplary student, Peter Kim Kyu-shik, who wants to become a priest. As a seminarian, he works and prays hard for his priestly ordination. A month before ordination, however, Kyu-shik makes a "critical" mistake by breaking a chalice consecrated by the pope.

He is dispatched to a remote parish for further spiritual training and meets the parish priest's niece, Yang Bong-hee, who returns to her uncle's parish from the United States to propose marriage to her boyfriend.

Bong-hee is a reckless character, drinking holy water, catching flies with a Bible and tanning herself in the parish compound wearing a bikini swimsuit. Kyu-shik is displeased with her and the movie has various episodes in which the two are vehemently antagonistic toward each other.

However, Bong-hee's uncle, the parish priest, orders Kyu-shik to baptize Bong-hee as part of his spiritual training. In the course of catechism classes, they get to understand each other and eventually fall in love.

Bong-hee's baptism coincides with Kyu-Shik's ordination. They recognize each other's love but Kyu-shik and Bong-hee go their separate ways. As Bong-hee prepares to return to the United States, Kyu-Skik gets ready for ordination.

During the ordination ceremony, however, Kyu-shik cannot vow celibacy, so he refuses to be ordained. At the same time, Bong-hee decides not to board the plane for the United States. They reunite at the remote parish.

Taegon Andrew Yang Kyung-mo, a Seoul archdiocesan seminarian, told UCA News on Jul. 23, "The movie may help our indirect missionary work if non-Catholics see it, but the character of the seminarian is too stereotyped."

Yang elaborated: "Seminarians are almost the same as ordinary people. They drink beer and even go to nightclubs. The stereotyped seminarian's character can distort a real seminarian's image and obstruct future pastoral work."

Kwon Sang-woo, the main actor who played Kyu-shik, is to be baptized on July 30 at Kwonson-dong parish, where the ordination scene was filmed. Father John Bosco Hong and Oblate Father Bartholomew Henneken of Naksan Parish of Taegu archdiocese, the main stage of the drama, taught him catechism in intervals between filing shoots.

Father John Bosco Hong Chang-jin of Suwon diocese pointed out that Kwon, whose family is not Catholic, was interested in Catholicism previously but he was unable to attend catechism classes due to his schedule.

The film is scheduled to be released nationwide on Aug. 6.

KO6505.1298 July 23, 2004 47 EM-lines (536 words)
KOREA 'Small Christian Communities' Seen As Long-Term Motor For Pastoral Work
DAEJEON, Korea (UCAN) -- The Small Christian Community (SCC) movement, introduced 12 years ago in South Korea and now in all dioceses of the country, has become a long-term engine for pastoral work in the local Church.

"The SCC movement is the first step to achieve Church fellowship," Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Cheju explained at a recent symposium. "We need to approach it with long-term planning and perseverance, and not push it too fast."

The National Association of Small Pastoral Communities organized the July 12-15 symposium and national convention at St. J. Hasang Education Center in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. The association is the coordinating organization for SCCs in neighborhood communities throughout the country.

About 250 priests, Religious and lay SCC leaders were at the meeting. Its theme was "Evaluation and Prospects of 10 Years of the Korean Church's SCC movement." They discussed the movement's problems and future direction.

Bishop Kang introduced SCCs to Seoul archdiocese when he was one of its auxiliary bishops. SCCs are a way to build "ideal Church communities," he said, but perseverance is needed in the "long journey" to achieve that goal. He also said that before SSCs can succeed, the Church must become more lay-centered, re-orienting itself from its priest-centered tradition.

In 1992, Seoul archdiocese introduced the movement, which the fifth Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) plenary assembly proposed in 1990. The FABC encouraged laypeople to play a more active role through SCCs and to meet regularly to discuss the Gospel, Church and social problems.

At that time, Bishop Kang said, each of Seoul's parishes had about 7,000 Catholics but about 90 percent lacked strong parish ties and felt alienated. "So, Seoul archdiocese chose the SCC model as the core of its evangelization in the new millennium," he explained. The archdiocese fit the SCC concept into its parish district system, with one parish district equal to one SCC.

Father Francis Cheong Wol-ki, president of the National Association of Small Pastoral Communities, told the convention that "all 14 dioceses in South Korea are adopting the movement" as a way for laypeople to assume Church leadership. There have been many trials and errors, he admitted, such as insufficient understanding of the movement's benefits and the objections of parish priests against "unilateral implementation" of the movement by dioceses.

Father Pius Kwak Seung-ryong, Taejon diocese pastoral planning director, told convention participants that pastoral institutes and lifelong education centers have to support the SCC movement and help form lay leaders. Without thorough research and preparation, he warned, SCC's could be just a fad. He insisted fully developed SCCs result from long-term planning and well-prepared practical ways for Gospel sharing, spiritual practice and service.

Father Dominic Youn Min-ku of Suwon diocese criticized the decision to base SCCs on parish districts. He said animation is hard in such a structure since parishioners remain unmotivated and meetings are haphazard.

Pastors tend to see SCCs only as parish districts for administrative convenience, Father Youn said. "Before pouring efforts into SCC animation," he asserted, "the Church must consider whether or not each SCC can survive."

SCC leaders came to the convention from eight dioceses. They shared their experiences in their respective communities and discussed their activities.

END

KO6470.1298 July 20, 2004 63 EM-lines (707 words)
KOREA Movement Of Catholic Farmers Marks 10 Years, Reiterates Its Commitment
SEOUL (UCAN) -- A movement of Catholic farmers working to protect the agricultural way of life in South Korea has marked its 10th anniversary amid concerns about the opening of the domestic rice market to foreign competition.

The 10th anniversary of the founding of Woori-nong Saligi (Save our Farmland) was celebrated in Seoul's Myongdong Cathedral on July 12. That movement and the Korean Catholic Farmers' Movement co-organized the event. About 500 people -- farmers from a dozen dioceses, clergy, Religious and government officials -- joined the daylong celebration, which featured a symposium on challenges farmers face to their livelihood due to competition from less expensive imported food.

Pius Cheong Jae-don, president of the Korean Catholic Farmers' Movement, told the symposium that Woori-nong Saligi has established its identity as a movement that protects agriculture, farmland and ecology, and its main thrust is organically grown food, normally devoid of pesticides and herbicides.

The 49-year-old lay worker noted that the movement has organized about 150 "farmland production communities" and 250 "city support communities" in all 14 dioceses of the country. Those farm and city groups work together to market agricultural products. He pointed out that their 25 billion won (about US$17 million) in total sales in 2003 had contributed to the agricultural economy.

Ever since the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea launched Woori-nong Saligi in 1994, the Church has supported the movement to help farmers affected by the influx of inexpensive imported agricultural products.

Catholic city-farmland communities have established markets for organic food at parish, diocese and national levels, Cheong said. "Having the city support communities as a market for the farmland community is very crucial," he said, since "some farmers give up organic farming because the market is so small."

Cheong told UCA News on July 14 that some farmland communities rely totally on the organic food market while others grow a combination of organic and non-organic crops. "Woori-nong Saligi has built a lot of city communities during the past 10 years, but we seriously need to do more in the future," he added.

He said the rural communities produce organically grown rice as well as various seasonal and greenhouse vegetables that are 30 percent more expensive than non-organic food. Organic food is reportedly healthier than crops produced using pesticides and herbicides but is often more expensive to grow.

Cheong observed that the agricultural industry has worsened under threat of the full opening of its rice market due to South Korea's signing of "free trade agreements" that reduce and remove tariffs on trade between countries. It ratified its first such agreement with Chile in January and is expected to sign another with Singapore later this year.

South Korea is also negotiating with rice-exporting countries to open its market. International rice prices are merely about 25 percent of the cost of rice in Korea. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, South Korea only grows 26.9 percent of the food it needs.

During the symposium, participants argued that the rate of government subsidies given to farmers for food production has fallen 27 percent since 1994, when the government began importing farm products. To secure the nation's basic food needs and deal with unexpected crises, they stressed that further opening the rice market to imports must be disallowed.

Government officials responded at the symposium by asking farmers to cooperate with them. They assured the participants that the government will invest 119 trillion won in the agricultural sector.

In a statement that Woori-nong Saligi and the Korean Catholic Farmers' Movement issued at the close of the observance, they pleaded with people from all walks-of-life to protect rice production. Their statement also asks the government and the National Assembly to set a minimum level of domestic rice production and to preserve an appropriate area of farmland that can provide a level of self-sufficiency in food for the country.

Father Paul Cho Dae-hyun, president of Seoul archdiocese's Woori-nong Saligi headquarters and a commentator at the symposium, told UCA News that opening up the domestic rice market may be unavoidable but the government should set a minimum self-sufficiency level for the country's food production. "The Church's role is hopefully to suggest reasonable alternatives so that both sides can reach an agreement," Father Cho said.

END

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/20...18001211710.htm

Temptation Stays Sweet in `Love, So Divine'



By Joon Soh
Staff Reporter
Given Korean melodramas’ penchant for forbidden loves, the romantic comedy ``Sinbu Suop (Love, So Divine)’’ may have struck upon the perfect setup. For what could be more deliciously forbidden than a love story about a woman and a catholic priest?

To be exact, it’s a priest-to-be and he’s played by the heartthrob Gwon Sang-woo, an actor known as much for his chiseled abs and good looks as for his acting ability. His romantic counterpart is Ha Ji-won, who plays a more fashion-conscious version of Sassy Girl.

But before you get all hot under the clerical collar, the film isn’t nearly the blasphemous affair it could have been. Instead, ``Love, So Divine’’ stays true to its 12-and-over rating by being a lot more tasteful than titillating.

With a soft lisp to go with his gentle demeanor, the shy and upstanding seminary student Kyu-sik is cut from the same cloth as Gwon’s previous role in last year’s ``Maljukgori Chanhoksa (Once Upon a Time in High School).’’ In ``Love, So Divine,’’ Gwon is also asked to bring a comic touch, and while he is no Jerry Lewis, he puts in an admirable effort.

Kyu-sik and his more rambunctious peer Son-dal (Kim In-kwon) are sent out from Seoul to finish their studies with a priest at a rural church. There they meet Bong-hui (Ha), the priest’s beautiful niece who flew in from the States to surprise her boyfriend _ only to have him break up with her.

``Love, So Divine’’ takes the standard approach to romantic comedies, with Kyu-sik and Bong-hui taking to each other like oil and water and constantly bickering and getting on the other’s nerves. And in a painfully transparent attempt at keeping the plot moving, Kyu-sik is forced to convince Bong-hui to get baptized as a condition for graduating seminary school.

The premise may be obvious, but the film succeeds in part because the outcome of their relationship isn’t. Unlike most romantic comedies, in which you know the lovers will end up in each other’s arms by the end, it’s never clear until the last half hour who Kyu-sik will end up choosing _ God or the girl.

``Love’’ keeps sexuality pretty much under wraps, which is how most romantic comedies are anyway. The closest thing to sacrilege here is Son-dal’s humorous comparison between convincing someone to get baptized and asking a girl out. Though some viewers might find the whole thing tasteful to the point of being bland, most should still enjoy this light and entertaining film.

another review: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/htm...00408070014.asp

'Love, So Divine' embraces light romance





Forbidden love can be the most passionate - and the most destructive. An affair between a priest and a young, beautiful girl is very likely to spark controversy in the Catholic Church. But "Love, So Divine," released nationwide yesterday, does not have such "controversial" elements.
In the film, Kyu-sik (Kwone Sang-woo) is an exemplary theological student. In a month, he will be ordained and become priest, a dream he has pursued for years. But God throws him into an embarrassing situation: Because of his trouble-making friend Sun-dal (Kim In-kwon), Kyu-sik makes a grave mistake during a formal ceremony at church.

The school authorities order the two to spend a month at a small church in a remote village, offering them a chance to restore and strengthen their commitment.

But things don't go as planned, especially when the priest-to-be in question is terribly handsome - actor Kwone is Korea's top-rated heartthrob and his popularity is literally soaring.



When Kyu-sik happens to meet Bong-hee (Ha Ji-won), a high-spirited young woman who had just returned from the United States to capture the love of her boyfriend, something mysterious is at work.

Bong-hee, it turns out, is a niece of the kind-hearted priest (Kim In-moon) who manages the small church in the countryside. At first, Kyu-sik does not have any romantic feeling toward Bong-hee. Rather they fight with each other while working for the church. But eventually they, well, develop some intimacy.

From this point on, it is awfully easy to predict where the story will go. Director Huh In-moo seems to know the danger lurking in this plot, so he opts for some comic scenes to sidestep what might be objectionable.

At a press preview, Kwone feverishly argued that the film has been well received by Catholics, suggesting that its theme and characterization are benign and even inspiring for local churchgoers.

Perhaps so. There are, of course, no provocative or sexual scenes that might anger Catholics in Korea. Compared with the controversial film, "The Crime of Father Amaro," where young Father Amaro is having sex with a local girl and helps her find an abortion, "Love, So Divine," is devoid of any such content whatsoever.

The argument about forbidden love and sacrilege is possible only when the main character is a priest, however. Kyu-sik is not a priest yet, and it is hardly surprising that some seminary students give up their intent to become priests for personal reasons. So, what's the big deal if Kyu-sik falls in love with a beautiful girl and decides to find a new path in his life?

In theory, Bong-hee is supposed to develop an infatuation for the handsome young priest-to-be, whose unavailability makes him irresistible. But the fact of the matter is that Kyu-sik seems quite available.

As a light-hearted romantic comedy, the film makes clever use of "Deo Gratias," a Latin phrase meaning "thanks be to God," Kyu-sik repeats the phrase when he prays, and explains to Bong-hee that it may well sound like a secret code. "This is how we thank God, and we do it in a sort of secret way because we tend to be shy about saying 'I love you' in front of others," Kyu-sik says.

Love, the movie implies, is a secret thing that is shared by only the couple who deeply understand each other. Bong-hee comes to realize the real meaning of Deo Gratias later in the movie, which helps bolster the otherwise dull storyline.

Is the film harmful to the church? Absolutely not. Rather, the church actively assisted in the production of the film. As many as 1,200 Catholics joined the film as extras in the scene showing a majestic ordination ceremony. The film also presents details of the Catholic Church, including upbeat performances by the choir. These elements are expected to appeal to Catholic viewers, something that apparently pleased Catholic leaders in a specially prepared preview.

The problem is that the movie is so sanitized that it's very predictable - and even boring. It avoids tackling real questions that should be asked about today's Catholic Church in Korea. Instead, it relies way too much on Kwone's popularity to promote ticket sales.

Worldly desires can cloud our minds, and it appears that the producers' worldly desire for commercial success may have clouded theirs, distracting them from more important issues.

Accordingly, Deo Gratias should be appreciated for its relatively short running time. If the film lasted more than two hours, it would be more tortuous than real forbidden love.

(insight@heraldm.com)


By Yang Sung-jin

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=1262

9 August, 2004
SOUTH KOREA
Religious leaders pray for the abolition of the death penalty


Seoul (AsiaNews/UCAN) – South Korea’s religious leaders urged believers to vigorously oppose the death sentence for a recently-arrested serial killer. They did so on August 5 at Myongdong Cathedral in Seoul. Catholic, Protestant and Won Buddhist leaders gathered together in an inter-faith ceremony for death row inmates as well as victims and their families.

About a hundred people, mostly Catholic, added a line to their prayers urging all to move “from a culture of hatred and vengeance to a practice of love and compassion”.

Such actions are an attempt to stem a rising public tide in favour of the death penalty, which two recent tragic news stories did nothing to stop.

The first one is about Yoo Young-chul, a 33-year-old man charged by the police with 21 counts of murder. Arrested on July 15 he is accused of having gone on a killing spree beginning in September 2003 during which he murdered mostly women working in strip-bars.

The second one concerns Lee Hak-man, a 35-year-old man who, on August 1, knifed to death two police officers trying to arrest him after complaints from his former girlfriend.

During the Cathedral mass, Father Thomas Lee Young-woo, president of the Social Correction Apostolate Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul, acknowledged that such crimes are behind the surge in support for the death penalty. However, “the death penalty,” he warned, “is not a solution if for no other reason that such heinous crimes are rare.” He went further and suggested that criminals do not bear all the responsibility. “In our society,” Father Lee insisted, “so-called criminals are isolated and often treated unjustly and unfairly. We should be more aware of the seriousness of the problem and try to solve it together.”

On August 1, Chosun Ilbo, a national newspaper, published the results of a survey indicatingthat for 66% of the 700 respondents “the death penalty was necessary”. Similarly, the survey showed that support for the death penalty rose over the last ten years.

Crimes such as those of Yoo Young-chul and Lee Hak-man have even had the effect of changing the minds of some death penalty opponents. According to Father Lee, “this is another sign that people are unaware of the enormity of the death sentence.”

Church knows full well that “even among Catholics attitudes are hardening. Still, the situation should be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity for the abolitionist movement because more and more people are trying to understand why someone could do such horrible things.”

During the prayer meeting that followed the mass at Myongdong Cathedral, Reverend Mun Jang-sik openly spoke of the 70 executions he attended since 1983. According to him, “as it was later revealed, many of those who were executed were innocent.”

At the end of the rally religious leaders released a document in which they reiterated that the death penalty was nothing but “an institutionalised form of murder” carried out in the name of a law and judicial system that deny the right to life. They repeated their demand that the death penalty be replaced by life sentences. They also expressed the hope that in the next session of South Korea’s National Assembly a bill abolishing the death penalty would be introduced.

There are currently 58 inmates on death row in South Korea’s prisons.

14 August, 2004
POPE - LOURDES - N KOREA - S KOREA
Korean bishops: “Pray to Mary that the country be united and at peace”
by Pino Cazzaniga


Seoul (AsiaNews) – In their messages for the Feast of the Assumption, Mgr. Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, and Mgr. John Chrisostom, Bishop of Andong, urged Christians to work for reconciliation and, with Mary’s help, God’s peace in Korea.

Their messages, respectively entitled “Love conquers all,” and “Mary sings peace in the Kingdom of God”, carry greater weight if we consider what August 15 represents for all Koreans, north and south, Christians and not. It is the day of Japan’s unconditional surrender and Korea’s freedom and independence. Thanks in part to the West it is also a day that marks a new era of suffering and division.

“As believers,” writes Archbishop Cheong Jin-suk, “we must fully commit ourselves to peace and unity between the two Koreas.” For Bishop Kwon Hyok-ju reconciliation and unification of the people of Korea must be the priority for building peace in the country. For years Catholic bishops, other Christian and Buddhist leaders have called for reconciliation as a stepping stone for national reunification.

Events in the last few months such as mass defections from the North, half-hearted but ongoing intra-Korean contacts, and the “Six-nation” talks in Beijing are signs that history might be at a turning point. Hence, the urgent need for the thoughtful participation of the people.

Devotion to Mary is intense in South Korea. One can see Marian icons, often in Korean style, in the gardens that adorn the foreground of almost every church. The oldest ones are often replicas of the grotto in Lourdes. This is easily understandable for the first parish priests in the country were French missioners sent over by the Missions étrangères de Paris.

The only officially recognised Korean sanctuary is that of Namyang, in Suwon diocese. It draws many pilgrims who come to the place where, in 1866, Christians were martyred. It was officially dedicated to Our Lady in 1999.

The Diocese of Suwon has close to 570,000 Catholics out of a total population of 6.4 million people.

16 August, 2004
SOUTH KOREA - ASIA
The family: a pastoral challenge for the Church in Asia

The 8th Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference begins tomorrow in South Korea; its theme: “The Asian Family towards a Culture of Life”.



Seoul (AsiaNews/UCAN) – The 8th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) begins tomorrow in Daejeon (120 km south of South Korea’s capital of Seoul) and will last until August 23. Entitled “The Asian Family towards a Culture of Life”, the conference will give bishops the opportunity to discuss the situation of the family in Asia and the pastoral challenges it represents for the Church.

The Assembly’s preparatory document lists several problems affecting Asian families such as poverty, migration, exploitation of women and children, and concerns related to globalisation, secularism, and traditional cultures.

An anti-family culture characterised by disrespect for life, sexual debasement, and a rising divorce rate is spreading in the more economically advanced Asian countries.

The Christian vision of the family based on love, communion, and solidarity is the Church’s response to these challenges, one that interacts with traditional religions and cultures to resist secularism, but also recognises how oppressive of women the latter can often be.

Of the 189 delegates and invited guests attending the FABC 92 will be bishops, several of whom cardinals. From India: Card. Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi and President of the Indian Bishops’ Conference, and Card. Varkey Vithayathil, Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly; from Indonesia: Card. Julius Rijadi Darmaatmadja, Archbishop of Jakarta and President of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference; from Vietnam: Card. Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City; from Taiwan: Card. Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, Bishop of Kaohsiung (Taiwan).

Among the participants there will also be 28 priests, 3 religious men, 8 religious women, 29 laymen and 27 laywomen.

Card. Fumio Hamao, President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, and Mgr. Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, will be present as Vatican representatives.