* Message Issued for 2006 Day for the Environment
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san, President of the CBCK Committee for Justice & Peace, issued a message for the Day for the Environment on June 5, 2006 and appealed to the faithful to renew their awareness on energy problem and to participate actively in the efforts for making the earth greener.
In the message entitled "Time of Great Transition in the Use of Energy: From Fossil Fuel to New & Renewable Energy," Bishop Choi said, "With the gradual exhaustion of fossil fuel, the human community faces a great crisis but at the same time has an opportunity to leap up into a new world."
"Now we should abandon the fossil fuel which is the main cause for desertification, typhoons, drought, hunger, epidemics and global warming. If we turn our eyes to new and renewable energy, instead, we can make the earth more beautiful and greener where the chorus of life echoes," he stressed.
He continued, "Therefore, the government, companies and academic circles should cooperate in the research of new and renewable energy. Meanwhile, the Catholics should be good examples in the practice of energy saving in their parishes and in daily life."
* An Exhibition of Diocesan Publications in the Archdiocese of
On the occasion of the 40th World Communications Day on May 28, 2006, the Archdiocese of Kwangju held an exhibition of Sunday bulletins and other publications of the archdiocese at the
This exhibition, which also celebrates the 70th anniversary of establishment of the archdiocese next year, displayed 62 kinds of publications, including the Sunday bulletins Bitgoeul (meaning "town of light" or Gwangju). It was a good opportunity for the faithful to look back on the history of the archdiocese.
The diocesan bulletin was first published in 1974 as a monthly and then became a weekly in 1978 with the name of "Bitgoeul," which has been published total 1,372 issues up to now. In 1980, Bitgoeul once suffered 12-week suspension during the pro-democracy movement in Gwangju.
The Rev. Anthony Hwang Yang-ju, Pastoral Director of the archdiocese, said, "We intended to show through this exhibition that the publications from the Church always follow the directions of the Church and convey her teachings and thus are of great value as historical materials and means of publicity as well."
* Catholic Church in Korea Joins in Providing Relief Aid to Quake
To help the victims of the earthquake which hit
The CBCK Committee for "Caritas Corea" (President: Most Rev. Lazzaro You Heung-sik) announced in a letter dated May 30 that it would promote a donation campaign in collaboration with Caritas in other countries and called on the faithful to take part in this practice of charity, sharing the suffering of victims and practicing the spirit of solidarity. It also asked each diocese to make a special offering during Mass for relief aid.
The One Body One Spirit Movement of the Archdiocese of Seoul (Chairman: Rev. Joseph Kim Yong-tae) also promptly sent emergency relief aid of USD 50,000 via Caritas Internationalis and is developing a fund-raising campaign to send another donation.
The headquarters of the movement also issued a letter and urged the faithful to help the 200,000 victims "who are living in makeshift residences made of tents or boards under the fear for any after tremor or volcanic eruption." It already decided to send medical supplies and the necessities of life, and is now examining the dispatch of medical workers.
* Research Report on the Charismatic Renewal Movement
The
As for the reason to participate in charismatic renewal movements, about half of the respondents said "to attain spiritual growth" (43.8%), while others said "to restore the faith through the experience of the Spirit" (19.3%), "to solve family problems" (12.2%), "for healing" (8.3%), "by the recommendation of other Catholics" (7.2%) and "to overcome the skepticism in faith" (2.9%).
Many of the respondents answered that what they need most for their movements is "the parish priests' interest in the charismatic prayer meetings and seminars" (49.3%), and that the greatest benefit they can get from such movements is "the conviction in the presence of God" (49%).
According to the report, the participants of charismatic movements generally tend to lead a Christian life more fervently than other Catholics, that is to say, in praying, in experiencing the spiritual joy, in reading the Bible, in reciting rosary and in attending weekday Mass.
The purpose of this research was to grasp the situation of charismatic renewal movements in a comprehensive manner and to analyze their achievements and limits in order to look for ways of proper development and to overcome related problems.
* Korean Translation of "Deus Caritas Est" Published
The Catholic Conference of Korea recently published two important books to help the Christian life of the faithful: the Korean translation of Deus Caritas Est, the first encyclical letter of the Pope Benedict XVI on the theme of "love," and Proper Marian Devotion, a guide for the faithful to practice Marian devotion properly, which was prepared by the CBCK Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith for three years.