As they mark the 60th anniversary of the Society of Jesus in Korea this year, the Jesuits in Korea have been reviewing and reflecting on the past and the present, and will soon be discussing the future they see for their Province.
The celebratory activities began with a mass of gratitude at the Jesuit Apostolic Center in Seoul on July 31, the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola. Then, on every first Wednesday from September to December, they held seminars to reflect on Ignatian spirituality, the Constitutions, and the Spiritual Exercises.
The latest anniversary activity was a symposium held on December 8 to coincide with the opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Approximately 120 male and female Religious gathered at the Jesuit Apostolic Center at the invitation of the Korea Jesuit Province, which showed its hospitality by offering rice cakes and cups of tea.
In his opening remarks, Korea Jesuit Provincial Fr John Che-chon Chong SJ said, “As Religious, what special calling do we have? This question prods us to see how we stand in society as responsible men and women. I hope that in this symposium you will enjoy the chance to ask this question and seek answers for the here and now.”
Fr Denis Kim SJ, who teaches sociology at Sogang University, began the talks with a discussion of religious life in modern times. He reviewed the theological thinking about religious life since Vatican Council II and stressed that religious life always asks us to live in tension between the originality of our religious charism and the social context in which we live.
Another speaker was Msgr John the Baptist Shim Sang Tae. He gave an inspirational talk about the crisis of the Korean Catholic Church and the role of the Religious at this critical moment. The profound authenticity of his words touched many in the audience. He challenged Religious to reach a turning point of mind and thought, beyond parochialism and egocentricity, and urged all members of the Catholic Church in Korea to evangelise to the highly secularised Korean society with a single heart. It is time, he said, for religious congregations, not to promote vocations among the youth, but to propagate and deepen the faith among them. He urged, moreover, that a synod of the Korean Church be held for its common mission, the evangelisation of society.
The anniversary activities culminate on Christmas Day, when all the members of the province will meet to share medium and long term plans, and all will be encouraged to envision the Province’s future.
Photo caption: Korea Jesuit Provincial Fr John Che-chon Chong SJ
