SEOUL (UCAN) -- Catholic bishops in Korea have warned that some popular systems of training which incorporate physical exercises with meditation can be harmful to Catholics' faith.

The Korean bishops' Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith issued April 21 the document "Movements and Currents That Are Harmful to Orthodox Faith Life II." The committee published the first document on the that topic in 1997.

The new document observes rapid recent growth in the number of "centers that teach 'ki-gong,' abdomen breathing and zen that blend physical movement, breathing and concentration." It then warns, "We have to be cautious that many religious groups are using mental and physical exercises to preach their religion in their centers."

According to the 23-page document, the three practices are among what sociologists and religion scholars call "New Spirituality Movements" that aim to help individuals attain self-perfection through spiritual experience based on the pursuit of mental and physical health and peace.

It acknowledges that New Spirituality Movements have contributed greatly toward enhancing respect for life and the natural environment.

"To practice the 'ki-gong' exercise itself is not a problem for the faith," the bishops say, but if the practice goes "beyond the exercise dimension for health, it will affect negatively the Christian faith."

Ki-gong, or "chi-gong" in Chinese, is a system of training that incorporates physical and mental exercises with meditation. "Ki" refers to energy and "gong" to discipline. The practice, which involves lower abdominal breathing along with special postures and aims to improve the autonomic nervous system, is regarded as in the Taoist stream.

Zen is a school of Buddhism that emphasizes the practice of meditation to bring about insight and manifest inborn enlightenment.

The bishops point out that the new movements are "seriously" in conflict "with the essence of Christianity" on matters such as the understanding of God, Christology and ecclesiology.

They say these movements reject the fundamental Christian understanding of God in favor of "panentheism," which holds that God is in everything and everything in the universe is part of God.

Father Basilius Cho Kyu-man, secretary of the doctrine committee, told UCA News the bishops' committee "sees no difference" between panentheism and pantheism, which present God not as a personality but as the laws, forces and manifestations of a self-existing universe.

Father Cho explained May 21 that while the committee's 1997 document "comprehensively" warned of various phenomena in society, the new document focuses on "the issues that the Church faces and has to address relevantly."

Father Nobert Cha Dong-yeob, director of the Inchon Diocesan Future Pastoral Institute, practiced ki-gong and yoga for some 15 years. He told UCA News, "Principally, I do not want Catholics to contact those movements," noting that most ki-gong experts tend to follow the country's "indigenous" religions.

"If a Catholic reaches the high-level exercise of ki-gong, it is highly probable that he or she will leave Catholicism," the priest said. "In the high-level exercise, religious notions are strongly put in," he explained.

However, Father Silvester Chun Hun-ho, professor of ecotheology at the Catholic University of Taegu, says the movements "also have many positive things" and have spread among the younger generation's culture.

He cited "positive" influences on Christians through music, movies, TV shows and books. "All those movements should not be denounced," Father Chun said, suggesting the Church "has to develop spiritual programs to attract people who try to find solace in those movements."

Father Cho similarly commented that "nowadays many people are trying to find spiritual solace in these movements" because traditional religions "do not meet their spiritual demands." As established religions have become large and "hierarchy-centered institutions," they hardly pay due attention to the spiritual demands of their followers, he said.

END