In anticipation of the "International Confucian-Christian Colloquium," an event intended to promote interfaith dialogue between Catholicism and Confucianism, scheduled for August 4, a delegation from the Holy See, including a Catholic cardinal, visited Jingwansa Temple in Seoul. The visit aimed to foster interfaith understanding.

On August 3, Jingwansa Temple in Seoul (Abbess: Ven. Beophae) welcomed a 35-person delegation from the Holy See, who had arrived in Korea to attend the 1st International Confucian-Christian Colloquium. The delegation included Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Monsignor Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, Secretary of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. Ven. Beophae gave the delegation a tour of the thousand-year-old Jingwansa Temple as they headed towards the Main Dharma Hall together, where Cardinal Koovakad presented a gift from the Holy See to Jingwansa Temple.

“At Jingwansa, the Garden of the Mind, we love world peace beyond religion,” chanted the delegation together with the members of Jingwansa’s monastic sangha in front of the Main Dharma Hall. Then, they took a commemorative photo and moved to the Jingwansa Traditional Culture Education Center, where they watched videos on various aspects of the temple’s traditional culture, including temple cuisine and Suryukjae (Water and Land Ceremony), participated in a Seon meditation experience, and engaged in interfaith dialogue.

“While the love of Catholicism and the compassion of Buddhism are expressed in different languages, the heart that seeks the dignity of all life and peace is the same,” said Ven. Beophae, the abbess of Jingwansa Temple. “I sincerely hope that today’s meeting will serve as a new starting point for cooperation between the Holy See, Korean Buddhism, and the world’s religions to promote human peace and harmony.”

In his reply, Cardinal Koovakad said, “I would like to sincerely thank the monastic community, led by the esteemed Ven. Beophae, for their warm welcome to the beautiful Jingwansa Temple.”