“The majority of Thais have drunk deeply from the sources of Buddhism, which have imbued their way of venerating life and their ancestors, and leading a sober lifestyle based on contemplation, detachment, hard work and discipline. These traits nurture your distinctive characteristic as a ‘smiling people’”. This is how Pope Francis greeted the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch Somdej Phra Ariyavongsagatanana IX, who greeted him and entered the Ratchabophit Wat Sathit Maha Simaram Temple with him. “Our meeting – Pope Francis stressed – takes place as part of the journey of esteem and mutual recognition initiated by our predecessors. I would like this visit to follow in their footsteps, in order to increase respect but also friendship between our communities”. “Almost fifty years have passed since the seventeenth Supreme Patriarch, Somdej Phra Wanarat (Pun Punnasiri), together with a group of distinguished Buddhist monks, visited Pope Paul VI in the Vatican”, the Pope recalled, saying the meeting was “a very significant turning point in the development of the dialogue between our religious traditions, which subsequently enabled Pope John Paul II to visit this Temple and the Supreme Patriarch, His Holiness Somdej Phra Ariyavongsagatanana (Vasana Vasano). I myself recently had the honour of welcoming a delegation of monks from the Wat Pho temple, who presented me with a translation of an ancient Buddhist manuscript in the Pali language kept in the Vatican Library”. These “small steps”, in Pope Francis’ words, “help testify that the culture of encounter is possible, not only within our communities but also in our world, so prone to creating and spreading conflict and exclusion”. “When we have the opportunity to appreciate and esteem one another in spite of our differences, we offer a word of hope to the world, which can encourage and support those who increasingly suffer the harmful effects of conflict”, Pope Francis argued, adding that “occasions like this remind us how important it is for religions to become more and more beacons of hope, as promoters and guarantors of fraternity. In this regard, I am grateful to the people of this land, because, since the arrival of Christianity in Thailand some four and a half centuries ago, Catholics have enjoyed freedom in religious practice, despite their being in a minority, and for many years have lived in harmony with their Buddhist brothers and sisters”. “On this path of mutual trust and fraternity, I wish to reiterate my personal commitment, and that of the whole Church, to furthering an open and respectful dialogue in the service of the peace and well-being of this people”, the Pope concluded: “Thanks to scholarly exchanges, which lead to greater mutual understanding, as well as the exercise of contemplation, mercy and discernment – common to both our traditions – we can grow and live together as good ‘neighbors’. We will likewise be able to promote among the followers of our religions the development of new charitable projects, capable of generating and multiplying practical initiatives on the path of fraternity, especially with regard to the poor and our much-abused common home. In this way, we will contribute to the formation of a culture of compassion, fraternity and encounter, both here and in other parts of the world”. After the exchange of gifts, a short private meeting took place. It was an opportunity to reaffirm that brotherhood between the two religions is key to fostering peace. At the end of the meeting, after the signing of the Book of Honor and the official photo, the Pope bid farewell to the Supreme Patriarch and, before leaving the premises, posed for a group photo in the central courtyard with 35 monks from the Wat Pho Monastery. He then travelled by car to the St. Louis Hospital for a meeting with the medical staff.