NEWS

Thai Buddhist Order Finds Itself at Home in Dutch Catholic Church

By Justin Whitaker | | Buddhistdoor Global

In 2017, a Catholic church in the village of Afferden in the Netherlands was sold to Buddhist monastics from the Dhammakaya movement in Thailand and converted into a Buddhist temple. The sale followed a trend of closing Catholic churches in the country, but it is the first to be transferred to a Buddhist group. Today, the Buddhist and non-Buddhist communities of the area have found harmony. While many mourn the decline of Catholic and other Christian practices in the Netherlands, others speak of commonalities in the spiritual traditions and note their gratitude that the building will not go to secular use as offices or apartments. Van Dinteren, interviewed by the Dutch newspaper, De Gelderlander, said that he often went to church and misses the weekly Masses. Yet he said he is happy with the newcomers. “The Buddhists are friendly people and already completely accepted by the villagers. I am happy that the church is still being used by people who have its best interest at heart,” he said. (Crux)

Several Catholic churches in the area have been closed, with just one church, in the nearby village of Druten, remaining open to serve parishioners. Ton Perlo, the vice president of the local parish board, oversaw the process of closures. Discussing the Dhammakaya movement’s wish to purchase the church in Afferden, he said that Dutch Catholic Church guidelines normally do not allow non-Catholics to purchase a church. However, after much consideration, the fact that the building would remain in the hands of a religious group helped convince him and others, “It remains a spiritual building. It’s better to have Buddhists in it than apartments,” he said. (Crux) Venerable Sander Oudenampsen, a Dutch-speaking monk in the Dhammakaya movement, help secure the church for the Buddhists. “Originally, we were looking for a location in Amsterdam,” he said. “But it’s much quieter here. Ideal for meditation.” (Crux) When asked about the Buddhist use of a Christian building, Ven. Oudenampsen continued: “They’re both focused on prayer, on meditation. That’s also what I hear from the people who visit the meditation evenings.” He added that many of the meditators he sees used to attend the church before the handover. Many of them visit him as they would have a Catholic priest in the past, asking him questions about life: “I think Buddhism can provide many answers to these questions.” (Crux)