Communication on July 16
* Symposium Participants Confirm the Importance of Basic Ecclesial Community
The 2004 Symposium of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) was held from July 12-13, 2004 at St. J. Hasang Education Center in Daejeon under the theme "Evaluation and Prospect of BECs in Korea."
Some 250 participants, including the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, Bishop of Cheju, and the Most Rev. Joseph Kyeong Kap-ryong, Bishop of Daejeon, priests and lay faithful, assessed the BECs from the theological and practical perspectives and discussed pending issues, such as the BECs and leadership, the BECs and apostolate, and the BECs and spirituality.
While BEC still tends to be considered simply as a neighborhood gathering, participants reaffirmed that the BECs is an integral pastoral principle and system toward a new image of the Church and is a new way to carry out the mission of evangelization and realize the ecclesiology of communion. In this regard, the symposium laid the theoretical and objective framework for BECs in Korea.
Participants also suggested that specialized research institutes be established on national or diocesan level so that the BECs can be reborn as the agent of evangelization in the Catholic Church in Korea and called for positive participation of lay faithful for the animation of BECs.
“The fact that a parish is renewed by BECs means the shift of paradigm in the Church", "If we understand that the movement of BEC is the attempt to restore the image of the Church in contemporary society while being faithful to the source of Gospel, the relationship between BECs and associations of the apostolate can be easily established," participants said.
* Message Issued for the Ninth Farmers' Sunday
On the occasion of the 9th Farmers' Sunday on July 18, 2004, the Most Rev. Gabriel Chang Bong-hun, Bishop of Cheongju and President of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana," issued a message and urged the faithful "to show affection to the rural community as the place of life and to help farmers, who are the workers of life but marginalized in our society."
Titled "Rice Is Our Life and Stands for the Sovereignty of Our Country," the message read, "We have this year the 10th anniversary of the 'Movement to Save Our Farm.' For last ten years, the Movement has made much effort to find a way of enlivening Korean agricultural industry and to preserve the creation order of God and it has born much fruit."
He continued, "Despite the successful activities of the Movement, the reality in rural community got worsened than ten years ago. Hence, the Movement needs to be more expanded and attract more interest inside the Church."
Mentioning that the UN declared the year 2004 as the "International Year of Rice" to awaken the interest in rice, Bishop Chang stressed that, "Rice is the lifeline of our country to become an independent state in the full sense," and asked lawmakers to take into consideration national security, environment and the health of people in making agricultural policies and to provide for policies enabling small-scale farmers to continue to engage in farming industry in stability."
*A Specialized Committee Established for Renewal of the Legion of Mary
The Episcopal Commission for Mission & Pastoral Care (Chairman: Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il) held a meeting on July 7, 2004 to discuss the question of the renewal of the Legion of Mary with some 30 lay leaders and spiritual directors of the movement attending.
With the meeting, the participants formed a specialized committee and a national conference of spiritual directors of the Legion of Mary for its reform.
The specialized committee, composed of seven members, was established on a temporary basis and will explore the question of renewal in a multifaceted manner, including the examination of its educational material, and set up renewal plans accordingly. The renewal plan will be confirmed by the national conference of spiritual directors and presidents of senatus and regia in Korea.
In fact, during the 2004 Spring General Assembly of the CBCK the Bishops decided to form a specialized committee of its spiritual directors, which will prepare measures and plans for its renewal through discussion with the Concilium, the international center of the Legion of Mary. If the committee presents the study result to the Episcopal Commission for Mission & Pastoral Care, after being reviewed, it will be presented to the General Assembly of the CBCK.
By the way, for the newly formed national conference of the spiritual directors, the Rev. Julius Kim Hyeon-jun (Spiritual Director of the Regia of Chunchon) was elected as Chairman and the Rev. Joseph Jang Kwang-min (Spiritual Director of the Senatus of Seoul), as Executive Secretary.
The 2004 Symposium of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) was held from July 12-13, 2004 at St. J. Hasang Education Center in Daejeon under the theme "Evaluation and Prospect of BECs in Korea."
Some 250 participants, including the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, Bishop of Cheju, and the Most Rev. Joseph Kyeong Kap-ryong, Bishop of Daejeon, priests and lay faithful, assessed the BECs from the theological and practical perspectives and discussed pending issues, such as the BECs and leadership, the BECs and apostolate, and the BECs and spirituality.
While BEC still tends to be considered simply as a neighborhood gathering, participants reaffirmed that the BECs is an integral pastoral principle and system toward a new image of the Church and is a new way to carry out the mission of evangelization and realize the ecclesiology of communion. In this regard, the symposium laid the theoretical and objective framework for BECs in Korea.
Participants also suggested that specialized research institutes be established on national or diocesan level so that the BECs can be reborn as the agent of evangelization in the Catholic Church in Korea and called for positive participation of lay faithful for the animation of BECs.
“The fact that a parish is renewed by BECs means the shift of paradigm in the Church", "If we understand that the movement of BEC is the attempt to restore the image of the Church in contemporary society while being faithful to the source of Gospel, the relationship between BECs and associations of the apostolate can be easily established," participants said.
* Message Issued for the Ninth Farmers' Sunday
On the occasion of the 9th Farmers' Sunday on July 18, 2004, the Most Rev. Gabriel Chang Bong-hun, Bishop of Cheongju and President of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Coreana," issued a message and urged the faithful "to show affection to the rural community as the place of life and to help farmers, who are the workers of life but marginalized in our society."
Titled "Rice Is Our Life and Stands for the Sovereignty of Our Country," the message read, "We have this year the 10th anniversary of the 'Movement to Save Our Farm.' For last ten years, the Movement has made much effort to find a way of enlivening Korean agricultural industry and to preserve the creation order of God and it has born much fruit."
He continued, "Despite the successful activities of the Movement, the reality in rural community got worsened than ten years ago. Hence, the Movement needs to be more expanded and attract more interest inside the Church."
Mentioning that the UN declared the year 2004 as the "International Year of Rice" to awaken the interest in rice, Bishop Chang stressed that, "Rice is the lifeline of our country to become an independent state in the full sense," and asked lawmakers to take into consideration national security, environment and the health of people in making agricultural policies and to provide for policies enabling small-scale farmers to continue to engage in farming industry in stability."
*A Specialized Committee Established for Renewal of the Legion of Mary
The Episcopal Commission for Mission & Pastoral Care (Chairman: Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il) held a meeting on July 7, 2004 to discuss the question of the renewal of the Legion of Mary with some 30 lay leaders and spiritual directors of the movement attending.
With the meeting, the participants formed a specialized committee and a national conference of spiritual directors of the Legion of Mary for its reform.
The specialized committee, composed of seven members, was established on a temporary basis and will explore the question of renewal in a multifaceted manner, including the examination of its educational material, and set up renewal plans accordingly. The renewal plan will be confirmed by the national conference of spiritual directors and presidents of senatus and regia in Korea.
In fact, during the 2004 Spring General Assembly of the CBCK the Bishops decided to form a specialized committee of its spiritual directors, which will prepare measures and plans for its renewal through discussion with the Concilium, the international center of the Legion of Mary. If the committee presents the study result to the Episcopal Commission for Mission & Pastoral Care, after being reviewed, it will be presented to the General Assembly of the CBCK.
By the way, for the newly formed national conference of the spiritual directors, the Rev. Julius Kim Hyeon-jun (Spiritual Director of the Regia of Chunchon) was elected as Chairman and the Rev. Joseph Jang Kwang-min (Spiritual Director of the Senatus of Seoul), as Executive Secretary.