austraLasia #3064
SEOUL: 5 May 2012 - The Provincial of Korea Province, Fr Stephen Nam, has issued a formal statement on behalf of the Province in the light of a growing concern that the life and spirituality of the recently deceased Fr John Tae-Seok Lee SDB, Korean Salesian missionary in what is now South Sudan, has given rise to much interest, devotion and inspiration on the one hand, but which on the other hand is clearly being misused and misdirected by commercial interests, especially in his homeland, and with inevitable difficulties for the Church, the Congregation and indeed the mission which he lived and died for.
The letter begins by pointing out the key facts relating to John Lee's life as a Salesians:
"Fr Lee, a member of the Salesians of St John Bosco, was a great gift to the Korean Church and to the poor youth of South Sudan. We thank God for having sent him to us. We also thank all those who, after the death of Fr Lee, have striven to remember him in various ways and take example from his life.
As young Fr Lee, who was born and raised in a faithful Catholic family of Pusan, was finishing his military duty as a medical officer, he felt a strong and concrete calling of God. He decided to become a companion of the young leading them to God according to the spirituality of St John Bosco and entered the Salesian Society in 1991. At his Ordination as a Salesian Priest in 2001 he volunteered for the missions. The Salesian Society sent him as a missionary to the Salesian Mission of Southern Sudan in Africa.
He exercised his ministry by offering medical services at the poorly equipped clinic run by the mission of the place and he enjoyed going to treat those afflicted by Hansen’s disease living in the surrounding area. However, his first love was that of the playground, classroom and church where he could be with young people. The source of his joy was the morning assembly, the evening rosary while sitting outside in a circle around the mango tree, the direction of the brass band and the monitoring of evening study until late at night. He was a true Salesian who faithfully followed and practiced St John Bosco’s spirituality of love for young people. However, the life that God had provided for him was a short one of 48 years. “Give me souls. Take Away the rest.” “Da mihi animas cetera tolle!” was the one motto that summarized his whole life. He sacrificed it as priest, religious, friend, teacher and father who works for the salvation of the young who are poor and in difficulty".
The problem now, however, is that "the life and spirituality of Fr Lee is being sacrificed to business interests. The study of his roots and foundation is omitted and a one-sided fragmentary appraisal is put forward. Through exaggerations and by making him a secular hero his life and spirituality are being distorted. His use as dramatic and emotional material also clouds his real identity and makes him into a social entrepreneur. It also leads to the defamation of his good name". Without citing precise names of bodies involved, Fr Nam points out that a number of public bodies have gone ahead with films, broadcasts, pamphlets and the like, all without consultation and certainly without permission of the Salesians. Fr Nam reminds readers of his letter that John Lee was in the very first instance a "priest of the Catholic Church and a religious of the Salesian Society", then outlines in five clear points which he wishes these public bodies and others to follow:
"1. As Fr Lee did in his lifetime, all activities and remembrances of Fr Lee must have the objective of building up the Church and showing forth the Love of God. They must be in accordance with Canon Law and the teachings of the Church.
2. All activities and remembrances in Fr Lee’s name must help in expressing his spirituality and virtue; that is, they must express the Love that God, through Fr Lee, has for poor young people.
3. All activities and remembrances in Fr Lee’s name must show forth the missionary dimension of the Church. Also they must not disparage the honor of Tonj and South Sudan and must respect the past, present and future missionary pastoral activity of the religious community of the place.
4. We also make clear that all the corporate entities and groups that have come into existence after the death of Fr Lee, on January 14, 2010, and are using the name of Fr Lee Tae Seok, were neither intended by him nor have any association with him. We announce that all the commemorative activities in his name were never approved by Fr Lee nor have any of their activities ever had the consent of the Salesian Society. Presently, the Salesians of St John Bosco have no connection whatsoever with the planning and execution of these activities, especially those activities of collecting money. If anyone wishes to participate in fund-raising activities in memory of Fr Lee, we ask that they exclude explicitly any connection with the Salesian Society.
5. We also ask that all the corporate entities and groups that have come into existence after the death of Fr Lee and also those individuals that are using his name and life to produce anything of whatever kind, be they radio broadcasts, films, songs, books, performances, and the like, should obtain the proper permission and authorization from the Society of St Francis de Sales".
To all those who loved Salesian Father John Tae-Seok Lee, (1962~2010)
The letter begins by pointing out the key facts relating to John Lee's life as a Salesians:
"Fr Lee, a member of the Salesians of St John Bosco, was a great gift to the Korean Church and to the poor youth of South Sudan. We thank God for having sent him to us. We also thank all those who, after the death of Fr Lee, have striven to remember him in various ways and take example from his life.
As young Fr Lee, who was born and raised in a faithful Catholic family of Pusan, was finishing his military duty as a medical officer, he felt a strong and concrete calling of God. He decided to become a companion of the young leading them to God according to the spirituality of St John Bosco and entered the Salesian Society in 1991. At his Ordination as a Salesian Priest in 2001 he volunteered for the missions. The Salesian Society sent him as a missionary to the Salesian Mission of Southern Sudan in Africa.
He exercised his ministry by offering medical services at the poorly equipped clinic run by the mission of the place and he enjoyed going to treat those afflicted by Hansen’s disease living in the surrounding area. However, his first love was that of the playground, classroom and church where he could be with young people. The source of his joy was the morning assembly, the evening rosary while sitting outside in a circle around the mango tree, the direction of the brass band and the monitoring of evening study until late at night. He was a true Salesian who faithfully followed and practiced St John Bosco’s spirituality of love for young people. However, the life that God had provided for him was a short one of 48 years. “Give me souls. Take Away the rest.” “Da mihi animas cetera tolle!” was the one motto that summarized his whole life. He sacrificed it as priest, religious, friend, teacher and father who works for the salvation of the young who are poor and in difficulty".
The problem now, however, is that "the life and spirituality of Fr Lee is being sacrificed to business interests. The study of his roots and foundation is omitted and a one-sided fragmentary appraisal is put forward. Through exaggerations and by making him a secular hero his life and spirituality are being distorted. His use as dramatic and emotional material also clouds his real identity and makes him into a social entrepreneur. It also leads to the defamation of his good name". Without citing precise names of bodies involved, Fr Nam points out that a number of public bodies have gone ahead with films, broadcasts, pamphlets and the like, all without consultation and certainly without permission of the Salesians. Fr Nam reminds readers of his letter that John Lee was in the very first instance a "priest of the Catholic Church and a religious of the Salesian Society", then outlines in five clear points which he wishes these public bodies and others to follow:
"1. As Fr Lee did in his lifetime, all activities and remembrances of Fr Lee must have the objective of building up the Church and showing forth the Love of God. They must be in accordance with Canon Law and the teachings of the Church.
2. All activities and remembrances in Fr Lee’s name must help in expressing his spirituality and virtue; that is, they must express the Love that God, through Fr Lee, has for poor young people.
3. All activities and remembrances in Fr Lee’s name must show forth the missionary dimension of the Church. Also they must not disparage the honor of Tonj and South Sudan and must respect the past, present and future missionary pastoral activity of the religious community of the place.
4. We also make clear that all the corporate entities and groups that have come into existence after the death of Fr Lee, on January 14, 2010, and are using the name of Fr Lee Tae Seok, were neither intended by him nor have any association with him. We announce that all the commemorative activities in his name were never approved by Fr Lee nor have any of their activities ever had the consent of the Salesian Society. Presently, the Salesians of St John Bosco have no connection whatsoever with the planning and execution of these activities, especially those activities of collecting money. If anyone wishes to participate in fund-raising activities in memory of Fr Lee, we ask that they exclude explicitly any connection with the Salesian Society.
5. We also ask that all the corporate entities and groups that have come into existence after the death of Fr Lee and also those individuals that are using his name and life to produce anything of whatever kind, be they radio broadcasts, films, songs, books, performances, and the like, should obtain the proper permission and authorization from the Society of St Francis de Sales".
