PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic bishop who helped fund the construction of a Buddha statue, a pagoda, and a Buddhist school in Cambodia has received a senior honorary title from a Buddhist order.
On June 13 Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, received the honorary title “Elder Great Lay Supporter and Upholder of the Buddha’s Dispensation” during a pagan ceremony. The distinction was conferred by Supreme Patriarch Nun Nget of Cambodia’s Mohanikaya Buddhist order. Buddhist leaders said the honor recognized the bishop’s “long-standing” cooperation with Buddhist institutions through educational, humanitarian, and community initiatives.
Schmitthaeusler, a French missionary belonging to the Paris Foreign Missions Society, has for years directed funds to support Buddhist projects, including a primary school where students receive instruction in Buddhist – not Christian – subjects. His assistance has also included funding for Buddhist teachers, provisions for young Buddhist monks, construction of a pagoda, the Buddhist abbot’s residence, and even a Buddha statue. It is possible the funds used by the bishop came from the church donations of the local Catholic faithful, but this has not been confirmed.
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“This is a powerful signal: when religions journey together, the world will witness true peace,” Schmitthaeusler said during the ceremony.
The bishop also described the award as an important milestone in the relationship between the Catholic Church and Cambodia’s Buddhist community, framing the recognition as reflecting years of collaboration undertaken for the benefit of the Cambodian people.
Schmitthaeusler previously received another distinction from Cambodia’s Buddhist authorities in 2022, when he was named a “Great Lay Benefactor” in recognition of his economic support for Buddhist communities.
The bishop was also present at a January 19, 2023, Vatican audience in which Pope Francis met with a Cambodian Buddhist delegation. During the meeting, Francis restated his view that the “environmental crisis” has “human roots,” urging what he calls ecological conversion. Francis also highlighted points of convergence with Buddhist teaching, and encouraged further collaboration with the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue to advance joint ecological initiatives in Cambodia and the region.