Vatican Holds First Christian‑Confucian Dialogue in Seoul

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue announced the inaugural Christian‑Confucian colloquium, to be held on 4‑5 August 2026 at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. The event, chaired by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, brings together the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Korean Confucian Academy and leading religious scholars under the theme “New Heaven, New Earth and Datong (Great Harmony, Great Unity).”

Participants will examine shared concerns such as human dignity, moral integrity, responsible leadership and the common good, and will address contemporary challenges including social fragmentation, moral uncertainty, environmental degradation and threats to peace. Organisers aim to produce a joint call for cooperation in education, ethical formation and peace‑building, hoping the colloquium marks the start of a lasting tradition of dialogue between Christianity and Confucianism.