Korea’s Catholic cardinal Kim Sou-hwan recently said that, when it comes to the next presidential election, "a change of power could be more important than who wins." The meaning of his words is simple: the current ruling camp should not be in power again. He went on to ask that "the people be made to believe the only place they can have confidence in is the Grand National Party," meaning that it is the Grand National Party (GNP) that should achieve that change of government. His comments are unbecoming of a man of the cloth. You would expect to hear such talk from a GNP campaign manager instead.
It is nothing particularly new for cardinal Kim to be the subject of controversy for political comments. In recent years, he has been issuing statements and putting himself in the spotlight right about the time you had nearly forgotten him. And his comments always reach out to support the GNP. In 2004, when GNP chairwoman Park Geun-hye called on the cardinal, he told her he is opposed to abolishing the National Security Law (NSL). Last year, he backed up the GNP by saying he opposed revising the Private School Law. Back during the presidential impeachment episode, he called for people to refrain from joining candlelight vigils in support of President Roh.
There is no need for clergy to stay quiet about important questions. Clergy are the ones who need to put their lives on the line against institutions, systems, and the powers that be when they are oppressive. They must maintain the "righteousness of Heaven." However, opposing the abolishment of the NSL and revisions to the Private School Law that would prevent corruption cannot be called the "righteousness of Heaven."
His latest comments just make you think of him as "Kim Sou-hwan the politician."
"It’s unnerving that there are several presidential hopefuls in the GNP," he said. "During the last election, there was a problem when one refused to submit to the results of the primary. [This time around,] each potential nominee needs to place greater importance on achieving a change of government."
Worried that what Cardinal Kim said would incite controversy, the Archdiocese of Seoul quickly issued a statement expressing strong displeasure with the fact that "well-wishing remarks made at a private meeting were taken and used for political purposes," and the GNP apologized. However, the practice has always been for disclosure of formal visits by the cardinal.
When asked whether people had to pay taxes to Rome the invader, Jesus pointed to the image of Caesar stamped on Roman coins and said, "Give Caesar what is Caesar’s." It was because of the principle of the separation of church and state that when secular law collided with church law, church law was respected. The church will not be respected when one of its clergy is playing the role of spokesman for a political party. It will not be able to preach about saving the world.
The GNP’s full-time spokesman said, "In our country, religion and politics are strictly separate, so a religious leader must not and should not support any one party." He was trying to offer the party’s position on the situation, but it is the cardinal who needs to hear it.
[Editorial] Separation of church and state is the basis of democracy |
