Catholic sisters visit Buddhist temple in Vietnam

Approximately 100 sisters from the Theological Institute of the Inter-Congregations of Lovers of the Holy Cross visited the Minh Dang Quang Buddhist Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City on Oct. 26. The sisters learned basic principles of Buddhist prayer and practiced seated meditation during the visit.

The visit has prompted debate among Vietnamese Catholics after photographs of the event circulated online. Redemptorist Father Peter Nguyen Van Khai criticized the sisters for offering incense and praying before a Buddhist statue. He stated that these actions are incompatible with the Catholic faith and that good intentions do not justify actions that are objectively inconsistent with Church teaching.