Sacred architecture was the focus of the most recent meeting of the national Hindu-Catholic Dialogue at the Ram Mandir in Mississauga, Ontario.
According to a statement issued by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) April 15, Bishop Daniel Miehm of Peterborough and Brian Butcher, adviser on ecumenical and interfaith relations for the CCCB, attended the mid-March meeting.
Uday Lohakare, co-chair of the Hindu-Catholic Dialogue, presented the history and symbolism of both Northern and Southern Indian styles of Hindu temple architecture. Butcher, a subdeacon in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, gave a presentation on Catholic church architecture in the Eastern and Western traditions, focusing particularly on the Hagia Sophia in Turkey and Our Lady of Chartres Cathedral in France.
The presentations prompted discussion regarding architectural traditions and other theological themes “including worship, soteriology and eschatology.”
The Ram Mandir, which serves as a central gathering location for the Hindu Federation of Canada, has hosted several sessions of the dialogue group. The next meeting, Sept. 12, will be hosted at a Catholic church, reflecting the group’s commitment to hosting reciprocity.
Catholics interested in attending future sessions as observers may contact Butcher at b.butcher@cccb.ca.
At the end of the statement, the CCCB expressed its gratitude for its dialogue with the Hindu Federation, emphasizing the importance of interfaith collaboration in the current sociocultural and political landscape.
