Separation of church and state

Seoul Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk said in an Easter message ahead of the April 11 general elections, “Since a church could cause serious disintegration of a community, it shall refrain from endorsing or rejecting a party or candidate.” His message is targeted at the Catholic Church. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, headed by Jeju Island Bishop Gang Woo-il, has opposed the four-river restoration project, the construction of a naval base in Jeju, and the free trade agreement with the U.S. since the launch of the Lee Myung-bak administration. Certain Catholic churches have supported or criticized a party during Mass, raising eyebrows among Catholic followers.

In the run-up to the referendum on free school lunches June 2 last year and the by-election for Seoul mayor Oct. 26, ministers of large churches in the affluent Gangnam district of Seoul have urged endorsement of the ruling Saenuri Party in their sermons. Liberal-minded ministers in turn have spoken against President Lee and voiced support for opposition parties. Buddhists are no exception, with certain monks encouraging the backing of opposition candidates with antipathy toward the Christian president. Other monks support a candidate with personal relations regardless of party affiliation.

The general elections begin three days after Easter. Many candidates are expected to appeal to voters at Protestant or Catholic churches. As seen in the past, certain ministers and priests implicitly mention a certain candidate visited them or ask the candidate to greet their congregations during service.

Acting ruling Saenuri Party chief Park Geun-hye and adviser to the main opposition Democratic United Party Chung Sye-kyun sat next to each other at a Buddhist service last Wednesday. Believers dislike seeing politicians at their church or temple service. A religious group is different from other interest groups. Politicians should not take advantage of religion to allow believers to keep them at a distance.

As Archbishop Cheong said, one should be able to discern “deeply thinking about what is the best choice to make for the future and the happiness of Korea based on a cool-headed and rational decision” from “delivering one’s personal political views to the congregation.” The Constitution defines the separation of church and state. Just as the government should stay neutral toward religion, religion should do the same toward political parties and politicians. Cheong`s comment is worth considering: an endorsement of a specific party or politician could significantly undermine a community.