Canonical Visitation

to the Korea Delegation

(October 13-28, 2003)

October 27, 2003

My dear Missionaries,

This is the first visitation to your Delegation following the Institute’s traditional procedures for visitations. In the past a member of the General Directorate would conduct visitation in conjunction with some other special event – the annual retreat or an extended period of permanent formation. During the visitation, personal encounters with each member of the Delegation, living in the communities and a lengthy meeting with the Council allowed us to consider your personal and apostolic lives at length. We spent a day and a half reviewing together the brief but eventful history of our fifteen years in Korea – a time filled with accomplishments, challenges and difficulties. This exercise was of great help in the preparation of this report.  It gave me an insight into your present situation and provided a meaningful context for discernment.  When brothers gather in fraternal communion and prayer in Jesus’ name, when brothers reflect together, the presence of the Spirit is most effective.

A necessary premise

For a given mission area to be  comprehensible to far-off readers we must first describe the mission’s context – the life of the country and Church of which it is a part. In this first part of my report I will outline the world in which you live and work – today’s Korea. I am taking full advantage of the information gathered for your first Regional Conference three years ago.

Korean Culture and Society

South Korea is going through a period of political, societal and religious transition that is revolutionizing its centuries old culture and having a profound effect on its way of life. Korea up to the beginning of the last century was called a “hermit state”, because it was hermetically sealed off from outside influences. Nowadays it is rapidly opening up to the world – there is extensive cultural and commercial exchange with other countries and a large influx of foreign workers. South Korea has made noteworthy efforts to achieve peace with North Korea. There are still enormous obstacles to any reunification of the Korean peninsula – North Korea presents particular difficulties. The whole population longs for an end to this anomalous and anachronistic division with its unfortunate consequences: separated families and excessive military expenditure.

South Korea covers some 99,000 sq.km. and hosts a population of 48,000,000 for the most part concentrated in large and mid-sized urban centers.  There is significant migration from the countryside to the cities. In 1960 28% of the population lived in cities – it is now 79%.

Prosperity is widespread and growing. The 1997 financial crisis put an end to a period of exceptional growth and gave rise to a hitherto unknown phenomenon: widespread unemployment. Growth in construction along with extensive modernization of the infrastructure is attracting foreign capital. A serious problem hindering the country’s development is corruption among politicians and financial conglomerates.

Several factors have had a profound influence on traditional family structures: migration from the countryside, new urban rhythms of work and a merciless competition to maintain living standards. While the Korean family founded on Confucian principles continues to play an important role in society it is beginning to show fissures: fewer children, work separating sons and daughters from their parents, divorces increasing disproportionately.

The Korean people have a strong sense of group identity, organization and work.  People feel strongly that they belong to a collective entity – there is such a thing as “Koreanness.” This collective identity in no way eliminates class or gender discrimination, or the violence born of alcoholism and compulsive gambling.

Korean education is at a high level – far superior to the mass education of its “hermetic” and conformist past. There is ruthless competition for places in the best schools – good schools will guarantee one’s future career.  hile young people are to a large extent still focused on study other life-styles are beginning to appear;  acceptance of foreign cultural ideas and a rebellion against traditional education are evidence of widespread dissatisfaction. The young copy western fashions but still maintain their own peculiar habits of respect for authority, dedication to study and a sense of responsibility. The government is trying to foster the English language as a second idiom for the country, but such a plan will take a long time to materialize, while information technology pervades already every area of endeavor.

The Church and Other Religions

Centuries old religious traditions – Shamanism, Buddhism and Confucianism – continue to exert widespread influence on the Korean people.  Christianity has been present for 200 years and is growing continually. In recent years new religious movements inspired by New Age thinking or Taoism have emerged.  There is enormous diversity of religious expression. n the whole there are good relations between the various religions although the Protestant sects are heavily engaged in proselytism. 

The Korean people are profoundly religious even though 50% claim they do not belong to any organized religion. Above all Koreans seek “peace of heart” and are willing to accept anything that will contribute to achieving that goal.  Relations with one’s ancestors remain an important part of Korean religiosity. ncestors continue to play an important role in family and individual relations. 

The Catholic Church includes 10% of the population and is growing constantly. It is based on a highly centralized, classically Confucian, parish structure.  The laity plays a very active role. It is believed that 30% attend Sunday Mass.  Religious life – especially male religious life – has not yet found its place in the local Church.  Religious institutes have difficulty in expressing their peculiar charisma.  The idea of the foreign missions is only beginning to take root – there are still many obstacles to overcome. The need for interreligious dialogue is not felt strongly and the few structures dedicated to this sort of dialogue  have had little impact on the Church’s life.

The Catholic Church has exerted great influence on Korean society in recent decades: during the 50’s and 60’s there were social welfare projects;  in the 70’s and 80’s the Church promoted freedom and democracy inside the country. The Church is asking itself what role it should play now. It seems to have found this role in the field of education, training and its efforts to provide a response to the growing demand for deeper spirituality.

An inspiration to guide and support us

Our foundation in Korea was launched in 1988. There are now eleven missionaries from seven different countries; another two young men will arrive next year. On December 22, 1994, the Korea Group became a Delegation under the protection of the Korean Martyrs, and consists of three communities. The Superior Delegate has his headquarters at Yokkok. Confreres studying Korean, young people in formation and other mission projects are located there. The building is solid and adequate for our current needs. At Okkildong also in the diocese of Inchon there is a center for interreligious dialogue – it was opened in 1999 and is called “Source of Consolation.” It consists of two small houses on the edge of a wood and is ideal for its purpose. Two years ago we opened a community among the poor of Kuryon – an invasion village – in the archdiocese of Seoul. This replaced our community in Mansokdong where we had worked for seven years. There is a small house for three missionaries and an adjacent hall used for services to the local community.

These are the simple and essential structures that permit the Delegation to offer the Korean Church services that derive from our charisma. During the visitation we joined you in reflection and discernment on what has been accomplished in the past sixteen years.  We recognized that each decision you made had a clear objective born of careful and lengthy community discussion.  We were also aware that your path has been enlightened and supported by “inspiration” or “grace.” This has been true from the very beginning – even when your efforts were tentative or unsure. I would like to discuss this “inspiration” in detail.  It must be your guide for the present and future progress of our mission in Korea.

A mission in communion

Communion-community has taken on a special meaning in past years. It has become the basic and fundamental dimension of the Delegation. It reflects an effort to achieve unity of purpose through intense and constant communication, discernment and community planning on the local and Delegation level.

This family spirit finds expression in the fraternal hospitality you show each other and especially to those newly arrived missionaries who are confronting the special difficulties of language, culture and mission work.   This constitutes genuine witnessing in a society where all communities reflect a pyramidal pattern. Our community is international;  there is constant dialogue and fraternal openness;  there is a respect for diversity and an appreciation of each person’s particular gifts.  All of this presents an impressive example of the fraternity inspired by the Gospel that finds its realization in mutual love.

Our missionary work in Korea is on a very small scale – we are few, and this will probably be true of all the missions we undertake in Asia. Faced with so complex a social and cultural world we could be easily discouraged were it not for the effective support and encouragement of our brothers. This first characteristic – communion – is the secret of success and perseverance in our Korean mission.

Fidelity to our charisma

You came to Korea to perform a service in harmony with our specific charisma. The first of our confreres who arrived in Korea instantly realized that the Korean Church was blessed with enough diocesan clergy to  care for the growing number of parishes. Their attention was not attracted by pastoral needs of the Christian community, and they readily concentrated their attention on work that conformed to our charisma, i.e. towards the missio ad gentes.

-         “The poor have the Gospel preached to them”. From the very beginning it was clear that this would be the hallmark of our mission in Korea – as it was the hallmark of Jesus’ own mission. Attraction to the poor came immediately to the fore, not just because of their extreme poverty but also because of the need to express solidarity and give witness to an essential dimension of Christ’s Church. This was not an easy choice nor was it a response to an invitation of the local Church.  It was something outside the mainstream. The Korean Church is to a large extent made up of upper-middle class people. First Mansokdong and now Kuryon are a “sign” for the poor without the  Gospel and for the local Church. It is a sign of the choice made by Christ Jesus, a choice to be reaffirmed by his disciples in every time and place. Living in the midst of the poor we too are evangelized. The poor reveal the liberating power of God’s Word which calls us to conversion, authenticity and solidarity with all men. This is the obligatory road for all disciples of the Teacher from Nazareth.

-         Christian faith increases when we share it with others or present it to those who have not yet encountered it. You have accepted this statement of John Paul II from the beginning and have understood its particular relevance to the Korean Church – a Church with so many resources but closed in on itself, reinforcing the faith of those who already believe. Hence your need to tell Korean Christians that their faith must force them out into the highways and byways to proclaim the faith they received 200 years ago to those who do not know Christ. Mission and  vocation promotion are two essential elements in your vocation. In the context of the Korean Church they assume a particular importance and urgency.  We have encountered problems and resistance but this should not deter us. We must embrace this challenge with enthusiasm, otherwise our own missionary vocation suffers.

-         Because of the objective difficulties involved,  the decision to take part in interreligious dialogue was the last one we reached.  This is why you have established the “Source of Consolation” Center at Okkildong and why you are preparing personnel to staff it. This project came also to an abrupt halt but then was started up again and seems to be making excellent progress. In conformity with Church teaching we believe that this work is not something on the side but rather an integral part of our mission in Korea. An integral part that is at the same time extremely demanding; dialogue begins with our life and then our words. We must share with believers in other religious traditions the faith that has made us a new creation. We want to share the spirituality that derives its strength from the Word, the Eucharist and prayerful silence. It is indeed appropriate that you begin this work again with certain fundamental principles:  community life with a commitment to prayer;  a serious effort to know and understand the culture and religion of this people; openness and fraternal hospitality at the center towards everyone interested in sharing our faith and prayer.

Poverty of resources and simplicity of life

With Korea the Institute has reached a new missionary frontier: Asia. The four first missionaries who arrived in 1988 became immediately aware that missionary work in Asia was something totally different from what we had done traditionally on other continents. In Asia especially one always feels a foreigner in spite of the warm welcome extended by the people. In spite of a missionary’s best efforts he can never achieve complete inculturation, learn the language thoroughly or fully fit into the local Church. A missionary to Asia must be endowed with intense passion for the apostolate. He must be able to empty himself entirely and endure forced inactivity or long periods of waiting.  Only by accepting this willingly can he witness within himself the miracle of the  mustard seed that falls to the ground, dies and generates new life.

Certain attitudes will help you reach this goal, e.g.

-         Discretion, which suggests proclaiming the Gospel with great sensitivity for local culture and respect for indigenous traditions and religious genius.  To paraphrase a Pauline passage, the missionary must understand all things, respect everything, wait patiently, propose always and impose never.

-         Concentrate on the essential. This is the subtext of all missionary work.  We must use means and methods that are poor and modest so the value of our sign may appear undisguised in all its eloquence. This is genuine evangelical poverty which emphasizes being over doing.

-         A spirit of service. A missionary must never disdain the role of helper.  His presence must be one of service and modesty, seeking the last place as befits his vocation.

The requirements of an Asian spirituality should not lead us to believe that missionary work on this continent is not needed. Nor should they prompt a mistaken passivity or dangerous inactivity. It is a question of faith put to the test and purified, faith that is always ready to move forward, faith which becomes hope in adversity and perseverance in time of trial.  It is like Mary’s faith – it gives birth to Christ and presents him to others.

The constants of a consolidated presence

Up to now I have been talking about the missionary world and ideals with which you are engaged. I would now like to analyze your concrete missionary plan which has always been a strong point. It has allowed you to travel a great distance in spite of occasional uncertainties and problems. The visitation has given us a chance to look closely and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses you have chosen to discuss. I won’t speak on each of these but there are some recurring aspects that merit closer attention in the future. There is no specific logic or order of importance in the subjects listed here.

1.       The Delegation remains small – less than the optimum 15 members you determined in your Regional Conference.  There are three local communities with numerically sufficient personnel, but because of language limitations not all of them are yet prepared to tackle the specific work of each community. While the General Directorate will do all it can to provide the necessary personnel, it is advisable for you to keep the present number of presences, to avoid sacrificing the personnel preparation to eventual pastoral needs that further developments might require.

2.       Each new missionary should spend two years studying the language, culture, traditions and history of Korea.  Experience has taught us that language and culture study is something that never ends. There should be individual and community projects to promote ongoing interest in cultural studies; unfortunately as time goes by interest often flags. Take advantage of those situations that already exist and seek to create new ones. This may help you to understand the sometimes puzzling reality of this country.

3.       Spirituality plays a role of fundamental importance in your life.  You need a strong spirituality to endure apparently arid missionary work that provides few pastoral satisfactions. Those projects that promote your spirituality can be helpful to others as well. On many occasions I heard that people nowadays thirst after genuine spirituality. Offer them spiritual direction that will lead them to encounter Christ and discover the divine absolute in their lives.  This is one of the most precious services your mission can provide. If necessary devise ad hoc projects that will respond to the needs and demands of the people.  This sort of work fits right in with our efforts to act as stimulus and missionary ferment in the Korean Church and society.

4.       At this point you must do more to promote vocations and the missions.  There are signs of a growing awareness of the missio ad gentes in the Korean Church. More priests and religious are open to the missions. The World Mission Day is having a greater impact on the people of God. Beyond his specific assignment each missionary should feel it his personal responsibility to  increase mission awareness in the local Church. This is something to which he should devote his free time. When he is not occupied with his own assignment he should seek out contact with parishes. Our Periodical can play an important role in this area. Local Sisters can be important agents of vocation and mission promotion. We must work with them willingly providing formation and support for their mission efforts.

5.       As I said earlier, a strong and fraternal community life is one your most precious possessions. You must never take it for granted.  It requires constant attention. It must be nourished in so many different ways. Lack of time or becoming accustomed to it  can cause it to deteriorate. You must look on certain things as indispensable for promoting community life and fraternal communion: a weekly day free of pastoral commitments devoted to yourselves; periodic reviews of community plans and programs; yearly periods of permanent formation, prayer and community vacation.

6.       The fact that your three communities are close to one another makes it possible to maintain an intense community style. At the same time you must practice discernment to define the nature and working methods of each community. Do not deprive the local community formation moments, relying solely on those common to all the Delegation. The Delegation grows and prospers when it respects the individuality of each community which, in its turn, will offer the fruit of its particular experience to everyone else.

7.       One of your strong points is the attempt to create a precise missionary plan that corresponds to the charisma of our Institute. You have resisted the temptation to dilute it with work that is not – strictly speaking – part of your vocation. This should not impede you from offering pastoral assistance to parishes and local communities in your free time. In these initial stages of our work in this Church we must cultivate a network of acquaintances. A wide circle of friends will make it easier to promote vocations and the missions.

8.       Permanent formation and care for our missionary personnel must remain high on your list of priorities. You admitted that lack of time can make active participation in these common activities problematic. I would make bold to ask you not to abandon these traditional commitments, although I realize that over time you might feel the need to diversify some of your initiatives. Certainly the young people who are coming to your Delegation need appropriate periods of formation that corresponds to their special needs.

9.       In spite of four replacements and the resignation of another missionary the personnel situation has remained somewhat stable over the past years. You feel that stability is an important factor – and undoubtedly it is. The exceptional complexity of Korean society and the Korean language require continuity in our efforts. Certainly stability must be tempered by a concern for the welfare of our members. As you yourselves have pointed out the rotation of the personnel must take place, even with some prolonged terms.

10.    Financial administration is based entirely on the principle of a common fund. The Delegation became self-supporting thanks to the generosity of a growing number of benefactors and the supply work we did in parishes. The financial crisis that struck Korea five years ago was felt in every sector of society and nonetheless the Delegation was able to carry on with its program.  We have also raised funds successfully from friends of the missions for missionary work on other continents. This is one effective way of opening new horizons for local Christian communities. It is a way of sensitizing them to the needs of the poor throughout the world.

A look at the future

Our sixteen years in this Country and in this Church are barely sufficient to think of our missionary methods as definitive. Mission work here is so very different from the Institute’s traditional activity: there are challenges to our life and mission that require a constant revision of our approach. I urge you to continue doing research, practicing discernment and studying of the various dimensions of your missionary vocation.

Let me list a few aspects regarding the future of your delegation that  merit special attention. These subjects came up on various occasions during the visitation and I would like simply to list and describe them, along with the questions and challenges to which they give rise. I will make no attempt to suggest answers or solutions.

Basic Formation

For some years now we have accepted young men interested in the Institute and vocation discernment for the first two stages of the formation process: preparatory courses and philosophy. There have not been very many students – never more than five.  At present there are two.

The difficulties involved in missionary vocation recruitment are well known: a closed cultural environment, little understanding or regard for religious life, the reluctance of young people to leave their own country. These problems have a baleful influence and are a source of discouragement for many. Let me thank all of you for the generous efforts you have made for vocation promotion and formation even though results have been disappointing. 

There are two formation problems that the Delegation and the General Directorate must confront. First of all would it be a good thing to separate the seminary from Delegation headquarters in Yokkok. Up to the present the arguments in favor of keeping them both in the same place outweigh those in favor of dividing them. Something else that must be considered in the future is the possibility of having a novitiate in Korea – should there be an increase in vocations. This would minimize the problem of language and environment in so important a period in religious and missionary formation.

Evangelization of non-Christians

The three choices the Delegation has made up to now fall within the framework of our missio ad gentes. Our decision to live among the poor on the outskirts of Seoul has brought us into contact with non-Christians and given us the opportunity to join them in social welfare projects. In our personal conversations and community discussions the question came up if it was not time for the Delegation to move forward and begin initial evangelization. This move would the logical continuation of what we have been doing up to this point. Unfortunately our limited personnel does not permit any new foundations at this time. Why should we not launch this initial evangelization in Kuryon? It could be gradual and careful not to betray the nature of our work and presence among the poor. This could be planned and carried out in strict collaboration with the parish to which we belong.

Relations with Mongolia

There are many links between Mongolia and Korea – especially economic ties. The Korean Church feels close to the Mongolian Church. Korean priests and religious work in Mongolia and the Episcopal Conference has provided financial aid to this newborn Christian community. The Apostolic Nuncio to Korea represents the Holy See in Mongolia as well.

The mission our brothers and sisters are launching in Mongolia cannot fail to involve you and depend on your assistance. You have offered these missionaries hospitality for a week while they got their papers in order – now you ask yourselves what collaboration is possible to have with them.

We must wait and let their work take shape; They must begin global planning. I see the possibility of your becoming involved in their permanent formation and in promoting  the collaboration of Korean Christians in specific projects for the Mongolian Church.

Lay people and co-workers

They constitute a vital part of the Korean Church; they provide assistance for your missionary work and enjoy fraternal closeness with your three communities. After describing the various ways lay people can help in our missionary work, the Tenth General Chapter goes on to say: “This turn of events is a sign of the times – something to which the Institute must pay attention. Otherwise we would neglect genuine missionary service and deprive the mission of rich resources. The presence of lay people highlights the value of witness, strengthens our ability to work together and live the mission in communion and complementarity. It is a safeguard against loneliness and individualism in the apostolate” (Cf. Acts XGC, P.66). These affirmations of the Chapter are especially true in the case of Korea.  Your many co-workers are a true sign of the times and should be used to full advantage. They increase your impact on the local Church and Korean society and make up for the fact of your linguistic and cultural shortcomings and lack of numbers.

You have made great progress in this area: taking advantage of lay co-workers. Perhaps the future will reveal even more ways lay people can play a more active role in the missions both at home and abroad.

Faith in God and a spirituality of dialogue

Before closing there are two subjects I must talk about – I think they are of great importance for your personal life and the success of your mission. You are certainly aware of their importance – they were mentioned in the documents of your first Regional Conference and came up frequently during the canonical visitation. We must never tire of bringing them up especially when we examine our life and mission. Think of them as a special memento of my stay with you.

1.  Faith in God

When I speak about “Faith in God” (Cf. Acts XGC, P.34) I am referring to that centrality God should occupy in our life and apostolate. We must never think of the mission, the Gospel, the poor and the kingdom as ours – they belong to God. To speak about faith in God is to emphasize our need for holiness. Blessed Allamano wanted holiness for each of his missionaries. He considered it an indispensable precondition for missionary work.

Faith lived in your missionary context involves abandoning all guaranties – perhaps even those religious sureties to which we used to hold on to in times of trial and suffering. Faith means allowing God to purify our way of believing,  so that what is less genuine of our faith may change or disappear.

Faith is God’s support, it permits us to persevere even when our own reasons for remaining faithful fall apart, or when our own calculations no longer add uP.  How very true it is in the context of Asia: we must never take a census as the Roman emperors did! The Kingdom of God is not to be found in statistics, neither in the number of conversions nor in our success of our vocation recruiting. The Kingdom will only come if we learn to love as He did – freely and fully.

2.  Spirituality of Dialogue

The document Dialogue and Proclamation tells us that “dialogue can be understood in a variety of ways.  First of all on a purely human level it means mutual communication to achieve a common goal;  on a deeper level it refers to interpersonal communion. Secondly it can be understood as an attitude of respect and friendship that pervades every aspect of the Church’s evangelizing mission. This is rightfully called the spirit of dialogue” (n.9; Cf. also Acts XGC, p.78).

A spirituality of dialogue includes both these aspects. They are of fundamental importance for today’s missionaries.  As a matter of fact, without dialogue there is no mission. Without dialogue there is no communion in the Church nor in the evangelization of the world.  In the context of Christian faith dialogue implies accepting the Word of God, preserving it in oneself and passing it on to others.

You often feel the need of this sort of spirituality and you know that it cannot be improvised. It requires practice. First of all we must cultivate an attitude of profound humility that leads to knowing ourselves, our limitations and our need for others. Secondly we must be open so that we can both give and receive at all times. Patience is the third thing we need if we are to undergo successful conversion – a long and difficult process.

Conclusion

I cannot close this report without speaking to the three African confreres who have recently come to Korea. You are happy with your experience up to now and feel at ease both in the community and with the people. There is so much you are contributing and can continue to give in the future:  internationalism,  fraternity, diversity of missionary approach. I can only hope that your good experience augurs well for others coming from Africa in the not too distant future. There is so much they can do for the missions on this continent.

Let me thank you from the heart for the hospitality you have shown me during the visitation. Our individual and community discussions have helped me understand your life and work. Your written reports told me so much about your life, your Delegation and your individual communities. During the visitation you kindly involved me in your work and introduced me to so many friends. You made it possible for me to talk to the Apostolic Nuncio and the Bishop in Inchon. My special thanks go to Father Paco López, the Superior Delegate, who bore the burden of preparing the visitation and to his Council that made itself available for extended discussions. May Our Lady, the Consolata, and our Blessed Founder bless you and support your mission.

Father Piero Trabucco, IMC

(Father General)