At a Poor Clares convent in Paris, the nuns take part in a prayer service that mixes Zen practices and Catholic prayer. In the picture above, barefoot nuns in secular clothes and taking meditative postures make a circular procession in front of a large crucifix.

At the base of the crucifix in a place of prominence is a photo of master Narita of Zen Buddhism and an open Bible - see detail below. A burning candle to the side and a pot of incense on a mat pay homage indiscriminately to the Zen master and Christ.

The five nuns practice zazen, a Japanese form of Zen Buddhism. The meditation begins with them sitting in lotus position for a long period of silence and ends with a reading from one of the Gospels.

Applying the criteria of Vatican II, which wrongly affirmed that spiritual values can be found in non-Catholic religions, many religious orders are turning to Buddhism to look for new mystical experiences. It is known, however, that the Buddhism is fundamentally Pantheist, which is irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine.




Le Monde des Religions, August-September 2006

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