| |
|
The International Catholic Charismatic Leaders’ Conference held in Kkottongnae, South Korea from 2 to 9 June, 2009 was a |
|
|
|
moving experience for all participants from 43 countries across the globe. Prior to commencement of the Conference, a visit was organized on 2 June to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the North-South Korean border situated in UlJeong Bu Diocese to pray for peace and reunification of both Koreas. A1000-strong faithful had assembled there to join one coach-full of representatives of the worldwide Catholic Charismatic Renewal who had traveled to DMZ to join the Eucharistic Celebration and prayer for reunification. After the main Conference there was an Open Rally on 7 |
|
|
| June to which the public were invited. We were amazed to witness a 50,000+ crowd that had assembled in the Kkottongnae open ground in the morning itself. What touched me were the openness, sincerity and simple faith of the people of Korea. One could feel their religious fervour and thirst for the Lord throughout these events. |
| |
During the two days of post-Conference tour organised on 8 and 9 June, visits were organized mainly to the tombs of the martyrs of Korea. The first site we visited was the Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul where the relics of nine martyrs including that of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, killed between 1839 and 1866 are preserved. After being baptized at the age of 15, Kim Taegon studied at a seminary in the Portuguese colony of Macau, now a special administrative region of China. He was ordained a priest in Shanghai, China in 1845. He then returned to Korea to preach and evangelize. During the Joseon Dynasty, Christianity was heavily suppressed and many Christians were persecuted and executed. Catholics had to covertly practise their faith. Kim Taegon was one of the several thousands of Christians who were executed during this time. In 1846, at the age of 25, he was tortured and beheaded near Seoul on the Han River. His last words were "This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively : if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him." |
| |
We had the Holy Eucharist that day at the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine and Museum. It was at this site that thousands of Roman Catholic believers were tortured and brutally killed during the Byeonin Persecution in 1866. Showing the little-known dark side of Korean history, in the Museum there are displays of torture methods and memorial sculptures for the pilgrims to get a glimpse of the intensity of persecution the early believers of Christian faith in Korea underwent. On 9 June the participants of the Conference traveled to Cheonjin Am to venerate 5 early martyrs of the Korean Church. Cheonjin Am is the birthplace of the Catholic Church in Korea where first spark of faith was reported to have been experienced in 1780. We were greeted by a 7,000 strong faithful gathered there to listen to the Word of God and to join the Eucharistic Celebration. Rt Rev. Mattias Ri, Bishop of Su Won Diocese in which Cheonjin Am is situated presided at the Eucharistic Celebration. |
| |
| Officially the Catholic Church in Korea traces its origin to the year 1784, when Yi Seung-Hun, a layman, was baptized in Peking of China as the first Korean Christian. The founders of the Korean Church were all lay people. In the absence of priests, they even elected lay people responsible for celebrating Mass and administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is something very unique in the history of the Catholic Church. It only shows the level of simplicity and fervor of the people who were joining the Catholic faith. Although the Sacraments presided by the lay people were not valid according to the Canon Law, they certainly helped in strengthening the faith of the people at that time. Since they had some doubt if what was being done was valid, they wrote to the Bishop of Peking about it and received a reply in 1789 stating that Sacraments could be administered only by duly ordained ministers. They complied with the instructions and stopped celebrating the Sacraments. However, it caused a steady decline in the faith level of the people. The lay people then tried to identify youngsters for priesthood. It was difficult because most of the Koreans at that time used to get married at a very young age. In was only in 1836 that three young people were sent to Macao to be trained as priests. The foundation of the Church, the creation of the diocese of Choseon and the formation of priests, etc. were the contributions of Korean lay people. It is reported by historians that this was all done with great enthusiasm and fervour, something unique in the whole history of the Catholic Church. |
|
|
| |
| |
Yes, I was overwhelmed by what I experienced in South Korea. Nevertheless, it forced me to introspect a bit about us, Christians in India. In Korea, the Christian faith had its first spark only 225 years ago. In the early days it did not make much headway. However, according to the World Christian Database, in South Korea today Christians comprise of about 40% of the population of which 10% are Catholics, and a vibrant Christian expression is found everywhere. The country has recorded a phenomenal growth of Christianity over the years. There were only 20.7% Christians in South Korea in 1985 which increased to 26.3% in 1995. As on today South Korea has the largest percentage of Christians in East Asia. What is notable is that not only are the numbers growing, but also the level of religious intensity of South Korean Christians is much higher than that of other religious groups in the country. This has been greatly attributed to Catholic and Protestant Pentecostalism that are registering phenomenal growth in that country. Approximately 37% of Christians and 12% of Catholics in South Korea have been influenced by the Renewal movements in their own churches. Whereas Seminaries in many parts of the world are struggling to survive because of decline in priestly vocations, South Korea had to expand the infrastructure in seminaries to accommodate the number of young people joining for priesthood. A survey has revealed that 77% of Christians in South Korea attend church at least once a week. As a result of this, the Korean Church is also an evangelizing Church. It has emerged that 33% of South Korean Christians share their faith with non-believers at least once a week and another 36% share their faith at least several times a year. This strong evangelistic impulse does not stop at the Korean boarder, but extends abroad as well. In fact, the Korean Christians are making a growing impact on global Christianity. |
| |
The mission of St. Thomas to India traditionally dated back to 52 AD. As such, the Christian faith arrived in India about 2000 years ago, brought by none other than one of Jesus’ own disciples. The faith has been alive in India for about 2000 years now as compared to about 200 years in South Korea. However, we note with considerable anguish that the percentage of Christians in India that was 2.4% in 1961 in fact reduced to 2.3% in 2001. After the recent phase of persecution of Christians in Gujarat, Orissa and other places in India, it remains to be seen as to what would be the percentage of Christians emerging from the official Census of India in 2011. |
| |
I sense that there are three very important and glaring differences between Christianity in India and South Korea. Firstly, the Christian faith in South Korea was soaked with the blood of martyrs in the first century of its origin. We in India are yet to witness persecution in the true sense. Hundreds of thousands of Christians were massacred in Korea between 1860 and 1900. Many were executed without any trial. The country has the fourth largest number of saints in the world - 103 Korean Martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in June, 1984 consisting of 92 laypeople, 3 bishops and 8 priests. Presently the process of beatification of 125 more martyrs who died between 1791 and 1884, majority of whom were lay people, is under the consideration of Vatican. |
| |
Secondly, a major factor responsible for the growth of the Korean Church was the lay initiative. The lay people, who were the ‘founders of the Church’ in Korea spread the Gospel in their homeland for 55 years from 1780 to 1835 without the assistance of priests until the arrival of French missionaries in 1836. According to Msgr Byon Ki-Young, Vicar General of Su Won Diocese, who hosted a dinner for us at his residence, lay initiatives in the Korean Church are still being encouraged by the hierarchy: “We observe this spirit also at the time of the creation of parishes. Frequently, lay people establish first a community and then ask for a priest. In the same way in the Korean Diaspora, lay people first form a community then ask for a chaplain. For the catechumens too, in general it is lay people who find candidates who then come and knock at the door of the Church institution.” The fact remains that the Indian Church is still far behind as far as empowering of the laity is concerned. |
| |
Thirdly, I was impressed by the simplicity, openness, docility and discipline of the people of God in South Korea. In contrast, what we witness among us in India, both among the laity and the clergy, is arrogance, complacency and isolation. Our pride and disunity are really killing us! “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24). May we, the Christians in India imbibe the words of the Master in the true sense and respond with utmost sincerity! |
| |
Cyril John
National Service Team of the CCR in India |
| |
| |
|
