PILGRIMS TO NAJU NEED
NOT WORRY ABOUT THE THREAT OF EXCOMMUNICATION
The Kwangju Archdiocese’s Declaration
issued on January 1, 1998
The Declaration on Naju issued in the name of Archbishop Victorinus Yoon
of the Kwangju Archdiocese in Korea condemned the reported supernatural
revelations in Naju, (1) because the alleged miraculous changes of the
Eucharistic species of bread and wine into lumps of bleeding flesh
contradicted the Church teaching that says that the species of bread and
wine must remain unchanged even after the priest’s consecration and
(2) also because the alleged miraculous descents of the Eucharist from
above violated the Church teaching that says that the Eucharist can begin
to exist only through the consecration by the validly-ordained priests.
That the above-mentioned doctrinal assertions by the Kwangju Archdiocese
in its Declaration were incorrect and were distortions of the true Church
teachings has been pointed out by many priests and laypeople inside and
outside Korea. These are also understood to be among the key doctrinal
and theological issues concerning Naju that are being examined by the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican. The arguments
raised against the Kwangju Archdiocese’s doctrinal presentations are
summarized as follows:
(1)
The official Church doctrine on the Eucharist only says that the
priest’s consecration of bread and wine accomplishes changes in the
substances of bread and wine into the substances of the Body and Blood of
Our Lord without causing any changes in the external appearances of bread
and wine (Council of Trent, DS #1652). This teaching is not the same as
saying that the species of bread and wine must (continue to) remain
unchanged even after the priest’s consecration. The authentic Church
doctrine says nothing that precludes God’s special and miraculous
intervention to remove the cover of the appearances of bread and wine to
reveal the inner reality of the Eucharist, which is the Real Presence of
Our resurrected, living Lord. If the Church doctrine really meant that
the Eucharistic species of bread and wine must remain unchanged even after
the consecration, even the natural changes in the Eucharist in the
communicant’s body and the gradual loss of freshness of the consecrated
hosts during the preservation inside tabernacles would have to be
condemned as violations of the Church teaching. The distorted versions
of the Church teaching presented by the Kwangju Archdiocese rule out the
possibility of God’s working miracles for the purpose of strengthening our
faith, violating the teaching on the miracles by the First Vatican Council
in 1869-1870 (DS #3009 & 3034), and also condemn all of the Eucharistic
miracles in Church history.
(2)
The authentic Church doctrine on the exclusivity of the priests’
power of Eucharistic consecration simply teaches that the validly-ordained
priests only, to the exclusion of the lay people and the clergy of other
communities without valid ordination, have been entrusted with the power
to consecrate bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord during
the Mass (Lateran Council VI, DS #802). This doctrine was promulgated to
counter the Waldensian heresy in the 13th Century, which rejected the
ordained priesthood and advocated the general priesthood. If the Kwangju
Archdiocese’s doctrinal assertion were correct, all of the miraculous
Communions in Church history would have to be condemned.
Based on these incorrect doctrinal assertions, the Kwangju Archdiocese’s
Declaration prohibited promotion of the information about Naju and the
religious celebrations at any places associated with Julia Kim.
The Kwangju Archdiocese’s Decree
issued on January 21, 2008
In 2001, Archbishop Andrew Choi was installed as the successor to
Archbishop Victorinus Yoon in the Kwangju Archdiocese. As the new
Ordinary of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Choi issued several additional
Declarations and pastoral letters to persuade and coerce the faithful to
accept and obey the first Declaration on Naju issued by his predecessor.
His repeated efforts, however, did not stop the flow of pilgrims to Naju
or the propagation of information about Naju. During the Korean Bishops’
recent ad limina visit to the Holy See (November/December, 2008),
Archbishop Choi was advised by the Bishops and priests at the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith to accept Naju and was also strongly urged
to accept Naju by Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples, according to Archbishop Choi’s own testimony to
several priests after his return from Rome. The infamous video tape
produced by MBC TV, a commercial TV network in Seoul, filled with false
rumors and accusations against Naju and Julia, was presented to the Holy
See by Archbishop Andrew Choi during the ad limina visit, but the
officials at the Holy See were unimpressed by this prejudiced video made
by a secular company at the instigation and assistance of the radical
liberal priests in the Kwangju Archdiocese. After the ad limina
visit, there was some hope that Archbishop Choi might begin taking
measures to comply with the guidance of the Holy See, but soon he was
again overwhelmed by the powerful liberal priests in his diocese. On
January 21, 2008, less than two months after the Archbishop’s return from
the Vatican, the Decree on Naju was issued in the name of Archbishop Choi.
The contents of this Decree were brief and blunt: (1) Anyone, not only
those within the Kwangju Archdiocese but any clergy, religious, or lay
people in the world, who visit Naju would be subject to automatic
excommunication, and (2) Fr. Aloysius Chang, who had been firm in
defending Naju, was excardinated from the Kwangju Archdiocese. In
other words, Fr. Chang was expelled from the Archdiocese. Then, copies of
this Decree were mailed all over the world. Numerous people became
fearful of being excommunicated, and canceled their plans to visit Naju.
It appeared as though this Decree, which apparently was the last resort
for the Kwangju Archdiocese in its effort to put an end to Naju, finally
succeeded.
Fr. Aloysius Chang appealed
to the Holy See
After receiving a
copy of the Decree from Archbishop Andrew Choi, Fr. Aloysius Chang
immediately wrote a petition to the Archbishop to reconsider his case and
remove the penalty of excardination from him. Archbishop Choi promptly
replied refusing Fr. Chang’s petition. Then, Fr. Chang prepared extensive
legal documents necessary for making an Appeal to the Apostolic Tribunal
in the Vatican with the help of a lawyer. On February 12, 2008, he was on
an airplane to Rome. At the Fiumicino International Airport in Rome, he
was joined by me, as I arrived in Rome a few hours earlier from Oregon,
the United States, to function as Fr. Chang’s interpreter.
The next day, Fr. Chang and I visite the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, the Congregation for the Clergy, and the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples. We were warmly received at all three
Congregations. It was comforting to learn that the Bishops and priests in
those Congregations had already been well informed about the situation in
Naju and were especially sympathetic to Fr. Chang who had been unjustly
punished by his Bishop. They advised us that the office in the Holy See
most competent to handle the Naju case was not the Apostolic Tribunal but
the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which is responsible
for the pastoral guidance and supervision of the Church in Korea. So, we
presented copies of the legal documents to the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for the Clergy and presented
the original documents to the Congregation for the Evangelization of
Peoples. Thus, Fr. Aloysius Chang’s Appeal against the Kwangju
Archdiocese’s Decree was formally received by the Holy See within 30 days
from the day the Decree had been issued. On February 16, 2008, Saturday,
we were allowed an audience with His Eminence Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect
of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, who had just
returned from a trip to China. During the audience, His Eminence said
that Fr. Chang’s case could be promptly resolved, but the overall Naju
question would take more time. His Eminence asked us not to worry at all,
to be patient and always happy, and to pray harder with firm trust in the
Blessed Mother so that she could remove the remaining obstacles (to the
official Church recognition of Naju). Then, His Eminence gave us a
blessing. We were so grateful and encouraged. We relayed the good news
to Julia and the volunteer helpers in Naju.
Cardinal Ivan Dias sent a letter to Archbishop
Andrew Choi suspending the application of the Archbishop’s Decree
Several months later, in July 2008, we were informed by a Bishop (We
are not at liberty to reveal his name at this time), who had visited
the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and asked about the
situation concerning Naju, and learned that Cardinal Dias had sent an
official letter to the Kwangju Archbishop regarding Naju, which contained
the following information:
As what has been happening in Naju is
considered a private revelation, the restrictions do not apply to the
pilgrims to Naju. Likewise, the penalties on Fr. Aloysius Chang should be
lifted. Fr. Chang can celebrate Mass.
Thus, the Cardinal was informing the Kwangju Archdiocese that the
penalties mentioned its Decree could not be applied. Therefore, the
faithful who consider visiting Naju need not worry about the threat of
excommunication any longer and, also, Fr. Aloysius Chang is not to be
expelled from his diocese and can continue his priestly functions. Of
course, Cardinal Dias was not making the final decision on Naju, as this
decision will be made by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
after the completion of its examination of the doctrinal and theological
issues involved in the Naju case. Nevertheless, the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples is the highest pastoral authority, under the
Pope, over all of the mission territories in the world including Korea.
There is no doubt that Cardinal Dias has the legitimate power and
authority to represent the Holy See in issuing pastoral advices and
instructions which are binding on the Bishops in Korea.
The Kwangju Archdiocese, however, has not made the letter from the Holy
See public yet, leaving the priests and lay people in Korea and other
countries in darkness, unaware of the extremely important letter from
Cardinal Dias, and still believing that the Kwangju Archbishop’s Decree
against the pilgrims to Naju and Fr. Aloysius Chang remains valid. The
Kwangju Archdiocese is misleading the priests and the laity all over the
world and is being negligent and disobedient toward the instructions from
the Holy See.
Archbishop Andrew Choi of Kwangju did make a pastoral visit to the Blessed
Mother’s Chapel and Mountain in Naju on July 2, 2008, accompanied by
several priests and lay people. While visiting Naju, the Archbishop was
kind to the pilgrims and volunteer helpers and even said, “I have
not prohibited prayers,” and “Receive abundant graces from
the Holy Spirit.” Those who heard the Archbishop were surprised
and amazed, because his words were the total opposite of what was stated
in his Decree, which threatened the pilgrims with automatic
excommunication and expelled Fr. Aloysius Chang from the Archdiocese of
Kwangju. We could interpret the Archbishop’s surprise visit and remarks
as a gesture of diluting and weakening what he had said in the Decree and
appearing to be making some efforts to comply with the instructions from
the Holy See. However, this Decree is a solemn, official document signed
by the Archbishop of Kwangju and promulgated all over the world and,
therefore, can only be formally and surely changed or cancelled by another
official document signed by the Archbishop of Kwangju. Cardinal Dias’
letter and Archbishop Choi’s visit and comments in Naju have not been
reported by the Catholic media or in the Sunday bulletins in Korea, and,
therefore, most people remain unaware of the important changes that have
taken place regarding the status of the Archbishop’s Decree.
Frustrated by the lack of compliance by the Kwangju Archdiocese, the Holy
See decided that the Naju case would be handled by the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, which is the highest authority in the Church,
under the Pope, over the doctrinal and theological issues including the
case of Naju. Both the Archbishop of Kwangju and Fr. Aloysius Chang were
informed by the Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul that the work of examining
Naju began at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in April
2008. The Holy See had hoped that the Kwangju Archdiocese and the Korean
Bishops’ Conference would willingly and genuinely comply with the guidance
and instructions from the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,
but had not seen such cooperation. The expected announcement on Naju by
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will be directly binding on
the local churches. The Kwangju Archdiocese will have to make very clear
to the whole world whether they will follow and obey the Holy See or
remain defiant.
It is important to note that, even now while waiting for the announcement
by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, there already are
sufficient reasons for anyone who is thinking about a pilgrimage to Naju
not to worry about the threat of automatic excommunication and to feel
free to visit Naju as an individual or as a group of individuals. Also,
even before Fr. Chang made his Appeal against the Decree, it was
questionable that a diocesan Bishop had the authority to excommunicate
people from other dioceses in the world. A diocesan Bishop’s threat of
automatic excommunication to anyone in the world who visits Naju seems to
be a case of misuse of his ecclesiastical power.
The validity of the Declaration
is also on hold
The Canon Law of the Church says: “When there is a doubt of law,
laws do not bind even if they be nullifying and disqualifying ones”
(Can. #14) and “An appeal suspends the execution of a
sentence” (Can. #1638).
The fact that the Holy See is formally engaging itself in the
investigation of the case of Naju ten years after the local diocese in
Kwangju had already announced its negative decision on Naju implies that
the Holy See is seriously concerned about the possibility of some problems
in the local church’s investigation and judgment. This means that the
Kwangju Archdiocese’s negative statements on Naju in its Declaration are
no longer final or binding on the faithful with the normal force of the
official documents in the Church. In addition, it has already been
pointed out by numerous priests and lay people worldwide that the Kwangju
Archdiocese’s Declaration on Naju contains doctrinal errors regarding the
Holy Eucharist as already indicated above. No declarations, decrees,
pastoral letters, or anything else written or uttered by any one can be
valid, if they are in conflict with the truths and laws revealed by God
and so confirmed by the Church.
The essential role of the Blessed Mother
for our salvation
A major stumbling block that has been preventing many people from
correctly understanding and accepting the special revelations like those
in Naju has been their misconceptions about the Blessed Mother and her
essential role in God’s plan of human salvation. Of course, Mary is not
another savior or equal to the Savior. She is a creature of God like us,
but was chosen and prepared by God so that she could be worthy of the
extremely noble position and difficult role as the Mother of our Savior,
God the Son; the Mother of the Church; and the true spiritual Mother of
all the followers of her Divine Son. There are some people who call Mary
the Mother of Jesus but refuse to call her the Mother of God.
But did St. Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, not already call her “the Mother
of my Lord?” (Luke 1:43). No one other than God Himself can be our
Lord. Refusing to recognize Mary as the Mother of God is
self-contradictory, because doing so would be the same as denying that
Jesus is God the Son, Who took the human nature for the purpose of
suffering in reparation for our sins and saving us. To say that the
divine Jesus and the human Jesus can be two distinguishable
persons, is to deny the true Incarnation of God the Son in the human world
as true God and true Man. It is the most fundamental Catholic teaching
that, in Christ, there are two natures: divine and human, united in one
Divine Person. As Christ has both the true Divinity and the true
humanity, everything He did on earth had a truly human dimension as well
as a divine dimension with infinite value. Every time we call Mary the
Mother of God, we are reminding ourselves of the fact that Jesus, the
Son of God and the Son of Mary, was truly divine and human. By honoring
Mary as the Mother of God we are confirming our faith in the Divinity of
the Savior (and His Humanity). This is an example of how our honoring
Mary necessarily leads us to correctly understand and worship Jesus.
We also need to understand that God’s work of human salvation is to be
accomplished not just through the interaction between God and us as
individuals but also through the interaction between God and His people as
a group, which is the Church. Of course, we can pray to God as
individuals at any time. At the Judgment time, each of us will be judged
individually. At the same time, we necessarily belong to groups or
societies beginning with our families and, of course, the Church. In
revealing His Truths and Commandments, God does not deal with individuals
separately but to the whole of His people, even if He uses individual
agents. Only this way, the authenticity and purity of His teachings as
well as the unity and order in managing the Church affairs can be
maintained. Regarding how to interpret the revealed truths from God, how
to celebrate the liturgy of the Mass, how to administer the Sacraments,
and so on in the Church, individuals are not to rely on their own opinions
and preferences but should be obedient to the shepherds in the Church.
The hierarchy of the officially-installed shepherds in the Church provides
the Church with a coherent leadership as well as unity and stability.
Without it, the body will collapse and disperse.
The Church is also God’s Family, in which we are His children. With His
infinite Goodness and Wisdom, God gave a Mother to this Family not only
for the Savior Who would be born and grow like other human children but
also for all other children like us who are exposed to numerous dangers
and difficulties on the road to eternal salvation. We can easily imagine
how dry and desolate a family will be, if it lacks a mother. Because the
Church, God’s Family, has a Mother, who is most loving, caring, attentive,
and merciful and is most powerful as the advocate for us before God as the
Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Spouse of
the God the Holy Spirit, the probability of our attaining salvation is
immeasurably enhanced. We should give our most profound gratitude to God
the Father for giving this Mother to us, who are desperately in need of
the motherly help that is stronger than all the dangers and difficulties
that threaten us.
Some people may think that they are adults and do not need the Mother’s
help, but Our Lord said that, unless we become like a child, we cannot
enter the Kingdom of God.
The messages and miraculous signs in Naju call for
the restoration of discipline in our life in the Church
The Church is not just an assembly of believers but truly the Mystical
Body of Christ established by Christ Himself two thousand years ago and
with the full reality of Our Lord’s Real Presence, Teachings of the Truths
and Commandments, and Divine Authority as well as the Holy Spirit’s
healing, enlightening, and sanctifying power. Through Baptism, we become
members of this Church and begin growing spiritually with the graces from
God. Our duties as members of the Church are to adhere faithfully to the
Lord’s teachings and diligently put them into practice to sanctify our own
souls and help our neighbors also know and love God and be saved.
The difficulty that we often experience in carrying out our duties is
that, because of our own frailty as a consequence of the original sin,
distractions and stresses from the world, and attacks and temptations of
the devils, our intellect can become dull and confused, our will can
become weak, and our discipline can become lax, unless we make diligent
efforts to counter the negative influences. To bear good fruits, it is
essential that our efforts be aided by the supernatural graces from God,
which we receive through prayers and the Sacraments.
Especially in those times when human failures in adhering to the truths
and moral uprightness accumulate and become widespread to the extent that
a major crisis develops in the Church and the world, God may send us
urgent messages and signs through the Blessed Mother, other Saints, or the
Angels to warn and assist us for the purpose of rescuing us from the
disaster.
Especially in recent years, the special interventions by God in the flow
of human history have intensified as in Guadalupe, Mexico, in 1531; to
Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque in France in the 17th Century; to Sister
Catherine Labouré in Paris, France, in 1830; to Bernadette Soubirous in
Lourdes, France, in 1858; to three children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917;
and to Sister Agnes Sasakawa in Akita, Japan in 1973.
In Naju, Korea, since 1985, powerful messages and signs from Our Lord and
Our Lady have been focused on our need for urgent conversions and
reparations for the sins that have been spreading like a terrible cancer
all over the world. More specifically, the messages and signs in Naju
call for the restoration of the Eucharistic devotion, the Marian devotion,
the unity with and obedience to the Pope, respect and prayers for the
priests, the end to abortions, love and forgiveness beginning in families,
and humility and self-denial by all. Among all these, the central focus
has been on the Holy Eucharist, as it is the center of the whole Catholic
Faith and our life in the Church. The current crisis of widespread
neglect, indifference, disbelief, and carelessness toward the Holy
Eucharist is the greatest evil jeopardizing our life in the Church.
So far, the Eucharist received by Julia Kim miraculously changed into
visible Flesh and Blood on her tongue twelve times. In addition, the
Eucharist that came down from above bled twice, not in Julia’s mouth but
in a ciborium. These repeated miracles along with the messages from Our
Lord and Our Lady are powerful calls for us to deepen our faith in the
Eucharist and amend our attitude toward the Eucharist, which is Our
Resurrected, Living Lord. Below are a few practical suggestions.
a.
The Eucharist looks and tastes like bread and wine, but is truly
Our Lord’s Body and Blood. It is not lifeless flesh and blood, but
Christ’s Real Presence in the fullest sense with His Body, Blood, Soul,
and Divinity. Our Lord in the Eucharist comes to us to be with us in the
most intimate way and to sanctify us by cleansing us from sins (Note:
Any sins more serious than venial sins need to be repented and confessed
in the Sacrament of Penance first) and all the disorderly distractions
about the world. Martin Luther said that the Eucharist was Our Lord’s
Body and Blood and real bread and wine at the same time. This was
rejected as a serious error by the Church. When we receive Communion, we
need to repel all doubts and coldness from our minds and hearts and fill
them with true contrition over our sins and with our love, obedience, and
gratitude to God.
b.
We need to be deeply aware of Our Lord’s Real Presence whenever we
are in a church where the Eucharist is preserved. If we are truly aware
of the Lord’s Presence, we will be more prayerful and respectful, will
refrain from gossiping, laughing, vainly looking around at other people,
and wearing immodest clothes, and will genuflect (or bow) most humbly and
devotedly before the tabernacle.
c.
According to the Canon Law (#919), a fasting of one hour is
required before receiving Communion. Plain water and necessary medicine
are exceptions, and the sick and the old may be exempted. It is
disturbing to know that, in some areas, this law is often ignored.
Dispensation from the Eucharistic fast can be obtained only from the
Bishop (The Code of Canon Law, A Text and Commentary, Paulist
Press, 1985, p. 655).
d.
I was baptized together with other catechumens at Kyesan Cathedral
in Taegu, Korea in 1964. Before receiving Baptism and First Communion, we
were told by the catechist not to chew the Eucharist when we receive
Communion but to hold the Eucharist in the mouth until it becomes soft and
tender with the moisture in the mouth and, then, swallow the Eucharist.
The priest is an exception, probably because the host used in the Mass is
large and will take longer to melt. I do not know of any Church law
regarding chewing the Eucharist, but it seems that, out of our respect and
care as well as adoration toward Our Lord, we should refrain from chewing
the Eucharist and humbly and lovingly pray to Him. In addition, those who
receive Communion in their hands would do well by examining if any
particles of the Eucharist remain in the hands, as the Church doctrine
says, “When either consecrated species is divided the Whole Christ is
present in each part of the species” (Council of Trent, DS: #1653)
Benedict Sang M. Lee
June 17, 2009
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