Communication on June 10, 2005
* Bishops Oppose to Dr. Hwang's Research on Embryos
Amid the international clamor for producing embryonic stem cells by Korean scientists led by Prof. Hwang Woo-suk of Seoul National University, Bishops in Korea issued a statement to express explicit opposition to research on human embryos and its possible consequence to human cloning.
On June 4, the CBCK Episcopal Commission for Doctrine and the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs issued a statement titled "A Human Embryo is a Life. We Were All Embryos." in which Bishops criticized researches or experiments using human embryos as an immoral act because they exploit human beings as a mere means, disregarding human dignity and destructing human life.
The statement argued that the research of Dr. Hwang involves cloning of human embryos and destruction of human life. It denounced that this research increased the possibility of human cloning, and in the process women may be reduced to instruments for biological functions.
Although at present the whole nation is in full expectation towards effective cell therapy for patients with incurable diseases and possible economic benefit from it, the Church cannot but have concerns over the violation of the dignity of human life, the statement pointed out.
"It does not mean that the Catholic Church closes its eyes to the suffering of the patients with incurable diseases and their families," it read. "However, embryonic stem cells are not the only way of treating incurable diseases. Instead of embryonic stem cells, we can make use of adult stem cells as an alternative." It added that adult stem cells proved to be effective in clinical experiments, free from ethical controversies and excellent in safety.
* A German Priest in Pusan Diocese Named as a Prelate of Honor
The Diocese of Pusan announced that the Rev. Anthony Trauner, 83, was named a Prelate of Honor by the Pope Benedict XVI as of April 27, 2005.
Ordained a priest in 1958, the Rev. Trauner came to Korea the same year and was incardinated into the Diocese of Pusan. Since then, he was devoted to pastoral care of the faithful in Pusan, especially promoting Marian piety by organizing the Korean branch of the World Apostolate of Fatima, the Blue Army, and by founding the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Despite his advanced age, he still actively works through retreats, lectures, prayer meetings and pious functions.
The Prelate of Honor is bestowed upon priests holding significant canonical offices or having more advanced years. They are also permitted to wear distinctive dress, a purple cassock.
With this naming, the Diocese of Pusan came to have two Monsignors, including the Very Rev. Msgr. John Lee Heung-gi. The thanksgiving Mass for his elevation will be offered on July 5, with the Most Rev. Augustine Cheong Myong-jo, Bishop of Pusan, presiding.
* 2004 Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea Published
The 2004 Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea was published June 2, 2005 by the Catholic Conference of Korea, which clearly indicates that the Catholic Church in Korea faces an important turning point to set up new pastoral strategies and orientation.
According to the statistics, the total number of the Catholics in Korea exceeded 4,500,000 (4,537,844) or 9.3% of the total population (49,052,988) as of December 31, 2004. Compared to the previous year, it increased 107,053 or 2.4%. However, the number of the newly baptized (including infant baptisms) last year was 138,715, showing a small increase from the previous year (135,379).
The number of the faithful was highest in the Archdiocese of Seoul as 1,276,634, followed by the Diocese of Suwon (622,614), Daegu (410,099), and Pusan (385,294).
As for the composition of Catholics, it was noticeable that the ratio of male to female Catholics was unbalanced as almost 4:6 (41.4% to 58.6%), especially considering the ratio of male to female in total population (50.2% to 49.8%).
The rate of Sunday Mass attendants was 28.1% and of those who confess during Advent and Lent was 24.1%. From this, we can say that the proportion of practicing Catholics is only one quarter. In addition, the rate of lethargic Catholics increased from 35.7% to 36%. All of these indications require more profound measures for the re-evangelization of the faithful and the re-examination of the pastoral strategy.
In addition, according to the statistics, as 51.3% of the faithful were living in seven big cities, the concentration phenomenon was even worse than the congestion of population in civil demography (47%). To cope with this concentration on big cities, it will be necessary to make efforts to promote exchange between cities and rural areas.
Meanwhile, the statistics also indicated that the number of parishes was 1,414, increased by 55 places and that of secondary stations was 971, decreased by 18 places from the year of 2003.
* New Translation of Bible Seonggyeong to Be in Use from the Advent
Not later than the Advent, the faithful in Korea seem to meet the new translation of the Bible, Seonggyeong (Biblia Sacra), which will be in official use in the Catholic Church in Korea. It took more than 15 years to prepare the new translation.
The Rev. Basil Cho Kyu-man, Executive Secretary of the CBCK, announced at a press conference on June 2 that the CBCK Biblical Committee will finalize the translation at the end of June. After two months of proofreading, Seonggyeong will be first printed around the end of September. Considering the distribution process, the faithful can use Seonggyeong from the first Sunday of the Advent, he added.
He said, "After the first publication, we also plan to publish diverse versions of the Bible in order to meet various needs of the faithful, for example, English-Korean version or one with a commentary."
* Team Ministry to Be Introduced to Small Christian Communities
The Pastoral Department of the Archdiocese of Seoul recently took a first step to introduce "Team Ministry" into Small Christian Communities.
From May 23 to 25, the department arranged a team training course for 12 parishes from the Diocese of Wonju, where participants were organized into teams with mixed composition of clergy, religious and the laity. It was intended to symbolically realize the ideal of the "Church of Communion" and "Church Going Together." After the course, participants showed good responses, saying that they could vividly experience the spirit of cooperation among various members of the Church.
The Rev. Francis Cheong Wol-gi, Pastoral Director of the Archdiocese of Seoul, said, "Team ministry, along with joint ministry now being introduced in some dioceses, will be a new way for pastoral ministry. It will facilitate parishes to realize the ecclesiastical nature of communion."
* From Being a "Receiving Church" to an "Offering Church"
As various ecclesial entities, including religious institutions, parishes, and associations, plan to devote themselves to overseas volunteering this summer, it casts a bright sign that the Catholic Church in Korea is moving towards an "offering church" from a receiving church.
Gaepo-dong parish in Seoul Archdiocese plans to send a youth volunteer team to Ulan Bator on June 27. Some 30 volunteers will help agricultural and constructing work there and conduct a special educational course for the Mongolian youth.
After that, "Ttiatnuri," short-term international volunteering team of the One Body One Spirit Movement of the Archdiocese of Seoul will take their place from July 19 to August 2, also in Ulan Bator.
The Association of Youth Volunteers in Korea and the Society of St. Francis De Sales, who carried out volunteering in East Timor last year, also plans to send a team to East Timor in July.
Youth Committee of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul also plans to send a volunteer team to the Philippines in August for a week. Similarly, Sejongno parish in Seoul Archdiocese will send six youth volunteers to the Philippines from August 16.
Activation of foreign volunteering, especially of youth, is regarded as a hope for the future of the Church in Korea to become an offering church and as a good opportunity for the Catholic youth to learn the true meaning of sharing in a wider world.
Amid the international clamor for producing embryonic stem cells by Korean scientists led by Prof. Hwang Woo-suk of Seoul National University, Bishops in Korea issued a statement to express explicit opposition to research on human embryos and its possible consequence to human cloning.
On June 4, the CBCK Episcopal Commission for Doctrine and the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs issued a statement titled "A Human Embryo is a Life. We Were All Embryos." in which Bishops criticized researches or experiments using human embryos as an immoral act because they exploit human beings as a mere means, disregarding human dignity and destructing human life.
The statement argued that the research of Dr. Hwang involves cloning of human embryos and destruction of human life. It denounced that this research increased the possibility of human cloning, and in the process women may be reduced to instruments for biological functions.
Although at present the whole nation is in full expectation towards effective cell therapy for patients with incurable diseases and possible economic benefit from it, the Church cannot but have concerns over the violation of the dignity of human life, the statement pointed out.
"It does not mean that the Catholic Church closes its eyes to the suffering of the patients with incurable diseases and their families," it read. "However, embryonic stem cells are not the only way of treating incurable diseases. Instead of embryonic stem cells, we can make use of adult stem cells as an alternative." It added that adult stem cells proved to be effective in clinical experiments, free from ethical controversies and excellent in safety.
* A German Priest in Pusan Diocese Named as a Prelate of Honor
The Diocese of Pusan announced that the Rev. Anthony Trauner, 83, was named a Prelate of Honor by the Pope Benedict XVI as of April 27, 2005.
Ordained a priest in 1958, the Rev. Trauner came to Korea the same year and was incardinated into the Diocese of Pusan. Since then, he was devoted to pastoral care of the faithful in Pusan, especially promoting Marian piety by organizing the Korean branch of the World Apostolate of Fatima, the Blue Army, and by founding the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Despite his advanced age, he still actively works through retreats, lectures, prayer meetings and pious functions.
The Prelate of Honor is bestowed upon priests holding significant canonical offices or having more advanced years. They are also permitted to wear distinctive dress, a purple cassock.
With this naming, the Diocese of Pusan came to have two Monsignors, including the Very Rev. Msgr. John Lee Heung-gi. The thanksgiving Mass for his elevation will be offered on July 5, with the Most Rev. Augustine Cheong Myong-jo, Bishop of Pusan, presiding.
* 2004 Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea Published
The 2004 Statistics of the Catholic Church in Korea was published June 2, 2005 by the Catholic Conference of Korea, which clearly indicates that the Catholic Church in Korea faces an important turning point to set up new pastoral strategies and orientation.
According to the statistics, the total number of the Catholics in Korea exceeded 4,500,000 (4,537,844) or 9.3% of the total population (49,052,988) as of December 31, 2004. Compared to the previous year, it increased 107,053 or 2.4%. However, the number of the newly baptized (including infant baptisms) last year was 138,715, showing a small increase from the previous year (135,379).
The number of the faithful was highest in the Archdiocese of Seoul as 1,276,634, followed by the Diocese of Suwon (622,614), Daegu (410,099), and Pusan (385,294).
As for the composition of Catholics, it was noticeable that the ratio of male to female Catholics was unbalanced as almost 4:6 (41.4% to 58.6%), especially considering the ratio of male to female in total population (50.2% to 49.8%).
The rate of Sunday Mass attendants was 28.1% and of those who confess during Advent and Lent was 24.1%. From this, we can say that the proportion of practicing Catholics is only one quarter. In addition, the rate of lethargic Catholics increased from 35.7% to 36%. All of these indications require more profound measures for the re-evangelization of the faithful and the re-examination of the pastoral strategy.
In addition, according to the statistics, as 51.3% of the faithful were living in seven big cities, the concentration phenomenon was even worse than the congestion of population in civil demography (47%). To cope with this concentration on big cities, it will be necessary to make efforts to promote exchange between cities and rural areas.
Meanwhile, the statistics also indicated that the number of parishes was 1,414, increased by 55 places and that of secondary stations was 971, decreased by 18 places from the year of 2003.
* New Translation of Bible Seonggyeong to Be in Use from the Advent
Not later than the Advent, the faithful in Korea seem to meet the new translation of the Bible, Seonggyeong (Biblia Sacra), which will be in official use in the Catholic Church in Korea. It took more than 15 years to prepare the new translation.
The Rev. Basil Cho Kyu-man, Executive Secretary of the CBCK, announced at a press conference on June 2 that the CBCK Biblical Committee will finalize the translation at the end of June. After two months of proofreading, Seonggyeong will be first printed around the end of September. Considering the distribution process, the faithful can use Seonggyeong from the first Sunday of the Advent, he added.
He said, "After the first publication, we also plan to publish diverse versions of the Bible in order to meet various needs of the faithful, for example, English-Korean version or one with a commentary."
* Team Ministry to Be Introduced to Small Christian Communities
The Pastoral Department of the Archdiocese of Seoul recently took a first step to introduce "Team Ministry" into Small Christian Communities.
From May 23 to 25, the department arranged a team training course for 12 parishes from the Diocese of Wonju, where participants were organized into teams with mixed composition of clergy, religious and the laity. It was intended to symbolically realize the ideal of the "Church of Communion" and "Church Going Together." After the course, participants showed good responses, saying that they could vividly experience the spirit of cooperation among various members of the Church.
The Rev. Francis Cheong Wol-gi, Pastoral Director of the Archdiocese of Seoul, said, "Team ministry, along with joint ministry now being introduced in some dioceses, will be a new way for pastoral ministry. It will facilitate parishes to realize the ecclesiastical nature of communion."
* From Being a "Receiving Church" to an "Offering Church"
As various ecclesial entities, including religious institutions, parishes, and associations, plan to devote themselves to overseas volunteering this summer, it casts a bright sign that the Catholic Church in Korea is moving towards an "offering church" from a receiving church.
Gaepo-dong parish in Seoul Archdiocese plans to send a youth volunteer team to Ulan Bator on June 27. Some 30 volunteers will help agricultural and constructing work there and conduct a special educational course for the Mongolian youth.
After that, "Ttiatnuri," short-term international volunteering team of the One Body One Spirit Movement of the Archdiocese of Seoul will take their place from July 19 to August 2, also in Ulan Bator.
The Association of Youth Volunteers in Korea and the Society of St. Francis De Sales, who carried out volunteering in East Timor last year, also plans to send a team to East Timor in July.
Youth Committee of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul also plans to send a volunteer team to the Philippines in August for a week. Similarly, Sejongno parish in Seoul Archdiocese will send six youth volunteers to the Philippines from August 16.
Activation of foreign volunteering, especially of youth, is regarded as a hope for the future of the Church in Korea to become an offering church and as a good opportunity for the Catholic youth to learn the true meaning of sharing in a wider world.