The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue will hold on the upcoming 4th and 5th of August at Sogang University in Seoul (South Korea) the colloquium “Dialogue on the Contribution of Christianity and Confucianism to an Ideal Society: New Heaven, New Earth and Great Unity”, an event organized in collaboration with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
The prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, is expected to participate, along with other officials from the Vatican body and specialists from various countries. According to the organizers, the meeting will bring together representatives from twelve nations to reflect on different aspects of Christian and Confucian thought.
Continuity of a Process Begun in 2024
The colloquium is part of a series of initiatives promoted by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue concerning Confucianism.
In January 2024, the body gathered for the first time a study group with the aim of developing guidelines for dialogue between Catholics and Confucians. Subsequently, in 2025, it promoted an international workshop in Taiwan dedicated to those guidelines and the future prospects of this relationship.
The Seoul meeting represents a new step within that process and will be the first international colloquium organized by the Dicastery specifically focused on dialogue between Christianity and Confucianism.
The Topics of the Meeting
The program includes sessions dedicated to fraternity, the exercise of authority, and responsibility toward creation, taking as a starting point the Christian vision of the “new heaven and new earth” from the Book of Revelation and the Confucian ideal of “Great Unity” (Datong), present in the Book of Rites.
Among the participants, in addition to Cardinal Koovakad, are the Secretary of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, Bishop Indunil Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, and the Undersecretary, Father Paulin Batairwa Kubuya.
The Vision of the Dicastery
During the workshop held in Taiwan in 2025, Father Paulin Batairwa Kubuya maintained that certain aspects of Confucian ethics constitute a meeting point for dialogue with Christianity.
“Christianity and Confucianism are wisdom traditions. Confucian ethics is very strong in aspects such as personal conduct, the formation of good citizens, and the organization of social life. We find that these aspects correspond to Christianity,” he stated at that time.
Confucianism
Confucianism originates from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (Kong Qiu) and emphasizes the moral formation of the person, filial piety, respect for ancestors, and the harmony of social relationships.
According to the World Religion Database, in 2025 there were approximately 8.75 million people who identified with this tradition, concentrated mainly in South Korea, China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan.