Korea's Politicized Priests

"Catholic priests and believers are planning to hold daily life and peace masses calling for an end to the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project at Myeong-dong Cathedral starting on Monday," reports South Korea's main leftist organ, hinting at their efficacy by suggesting these "masses... are expected to have a significant impact on the movement against the Four Rivers project" — Daily Catholic masses to be held in protest of Four Rivers project.

I oppose this and other massive governmental projects as much as the next guy, but this strikes me as a liturgical abuse of the highest order.The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project was not started when I wrote this article two years ago, but it could be included among the trendy causes I mentioned then — Have Korea's Protesting Priests Chosen the Right Fights? I wrote:

There is a much greater existential threat facing Korea than Samsung, Mad Cow Disease, the Grand Canal. Every year in Korea, between 1.5 and 2 million Koreans are murdered in the womb by "doctors" at their own parents consent. This holocaust occurs in a country where abortion is illegal, but where authorities and it often seems even Catholic priests, turn a blind eye. For every Korean baby born, three are denied the right to life. Korea aborts more of its babies than does America, a country with six times the population and where legal abortion is the law of the land. Where are the demonstrations in front of Korea's abortuaries?

This or that government project can (and sometimes should) be opposed (or supported) by this or that Catholic, including priests, using Catholic arguments, but turning the Sacrifice of the Mass into guerrilla street theater borders on sacrilege and blasphemy. Also, these Works Progress Administration style projects, wrong as they may be from an economic standpoint, are not intrinsically evil, as is abortion.