Seeking Truth With Pope’s Words
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Meeting Pope Benedict XVI may be one of the wishes many devoted Catholics have during their lifetime. In the case of Professor Jeong Jong-hyu, he has already had the honor five times, up close and personal ― by translating the revered Catholic leader's books.
Jeong, 59, a law professor at Chonnam National University Law School, has translated all five books written by the pope into Korean, and recently released the fifth, ``Truth and Tolerance ― Christian Belief and World Religions,'' last month. The Korean title is ``Faith, Truth, Tolerance.''
``When I first translated `The Ratzinger Report' in 1994, the book was barely known outside the Catholic community. As I continuously worked on more of the pope's books, people began to understand him better, and the books became a kind of warning (among Catholics). It brought faith that the church still had the ability to reform amid self-contradiction,'' Jeong said in an email interview with The Korea Times.
Jeong was a researcher in Germany when he started reading ``The Ratzinger Report,'' a book coauthored by the pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and Italian journalist Vittorio Messori.
``I was in the middle of reading the book when I got to meet (the pope) during a mass at the St. Michael Church, Munich, Germany. I asked if I could translate the book into Korean and also if he could write an introduction for Korean readers. That was the start of my relationship with him,'' he said.
``Faith, Truth, Tolerance'' addresses issues regarding truth, faith, religion, tolerance and culture in the world we live in today. The German-born pope states that communication is not intended for mediocre compromise but for seeking the truth, and only through the truth can people realize true tolerance.
The professor described the book as one that should not be read lightly.
``The answers (of our questions) cannot be found out of the range of God. Catholicism is the religion that teaches you where your words, thoughts and actions should be within the rules of the universe.
``(The book) is beyond Catholicism as it covers the questions and problems that have been lingering in the philosophy scene for a long time. When people read it, they will be enlightened by the truth,'' he said.
Jeong may be a devout Catholic, but he was never an expert in theology. It was not only difficult for him to translate word for word, but his limited amount of knowledge in the area was also a great obstacle in moving forward.
``But I believed that Catholicism was the only religion that could overcome the philosophical and cultural disorder we see now. I also believed that we had to save the Catholic Church from the damage of secularization and being unfaithful. These beliefs made me continue despite the difficulties,'' he said.
The pope is known to be theologically conservative, defending traditional Catholic doctrine and values, and this was also one of the most interesting sides of him that helped Jeong persevere with the translating.
``In his book `Truth and Tolerance,' the pope points out that we need to recover what we have lost. `Change is not food in itself. Whether it is good or bad depends on its particular content on how it relates to other things,' he wrote,'' Jeong said, adding that the pope's words were logical in a world where the ability to change is considered one of the most important virtues in life.
``Pope Benedict XVI is one of the most revered leaders in the world and I have gained great interest in other fields such as literature, music and even art, thanks to him and his books. The modern world is full of the `death culture,' which includes suicide, abortion and euthanasia, and also various problems regarding bioethics. My goal now is to publish a book of his words and wisdom on these issues in the near future,'' the professor said.
``The pope is an expert in love, life and happiness. I recommend the book to Korean readers and I hope they will feel happiness through the inspiring words offered by one of the most important leaders in the world.''