Cambodia’s Buddhist leadership has conferred a high honorary title on Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, celebrating more than two decades of cooperation between Buddhist and Catholic communities in the majority-Buddhist country.
Bishop Schmitthaeusler received the title “Akka Mahāupāsakabuddhasāsanūpatthambhakr,” roughly translated as “Elder Great Lay Supporter and Upholder of the Buddha’s Dispensation,” during a ceremony held on 13 June at Wat Botum Vatey in Phnom Penh.
The title was given by Supreme Patriarch Nun Nget of Cambodia’s Mohanikaya Buddhist order and presented at a ceremony presided over by Venerable Khim Sorn, the order’s third deputy supreme patriarch.
The recognition follows an earlier distinction in 2022, when Cambodia’s Buddhist leadership named Bishop Schmitthaeusler a “Maha Upasaka,” or great lay supporter, in acknowledgement of his work supporting Buddhist communities and fostering dialogue between Cambodia’s Buddhists and its small Catholic community.
At the time, Buddhist leaders cited joint development projects, educational initiatives, and efforts to strengthen social cohesion. The new title represents a higher level of recognition from the country’s Buddhist establishment.
Speaking during the ceremony, Khim Sorn referred to Cambodia’s constitutional framework, which recognizes Buddhism as the state religion while protecting freedom of belief.
He said that the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia clearly stipulates that Buddhism is the state religion, but “it also guarantees complete freedom of religious belief without coercion” and promotes religious harmony, peaceful coexistence, and mutual respect among the different religions. (EWTN News)
Buddhist leaders said the award recognized Bishop Schmitthaeusler’s longstanding involvement in education, humanitarian work, and community-development projects carried out in cooperation with Buddhist institutions.
For Bishop Schmitthaeusler, the honor marked another stage in a relationship that began more than two decades ago.
“This is a profoundly meaningful event for me as a Catholic bishop,” he said. (EWTN News)
The French-born missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions Society traced that relationship to his years as a parish priest in Takeo Province, where Catholic and Buddhist communities worked together on local development projects. Among them was the construction of a road linking a Catholic community and a nearby pagoda, an initiative he said helped lay the foundation for deeper cooperation.
Over time, that collaboration expanded into education and social services. Bishop Schmitthaeusler noted that he supported the establishment of a primary school at Wat Ang Montrey, where students study Pali, Sanskrit, and other academic subjects.
The bishop also highlighted joint humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and assistance provided to displaced families during recent tensions along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
“Receiving the status of Akka Mahāupāsakabuddhasāsanūpatthambhakr today is a moment of profound recognition of how the Catholic Church and Buddhism walk hand-in-hand for the common good of our people and our country,” Bishop Schmitthaeusler said. (EWTN News)
He also cited recent dialogue initiatives involving Buddhist and Christian leaders from Cambodia and across Asia, focused on peacebuilding and reconciliation.
“We know that when Cambodia is full of peace, it radiates a positive influence to the rest of the world,” he said. “This is a powerful signal: when religions journey together, the world will witness true peace.” (EWTN News)
The Catholic Church in Cambodia was nearly wiped out during the Khmer Rouge era, when religious communities were persecuted and most church buildings were destroyed. Since public religious life resumed in the early 1990s, the Church has gradually rebuilt through education, healthcare, social services, and pastoral ministry, becoming a small but visible presence in Cambodian society, with as many as 75,000 adherents today, though some sources suggest as few as 25,000. Buddhism is practiced by some 97 per cent of Cambodians, with most following the Theravada tradition. Leaders from both traditions have worked to build bridges and promote peaceful coexistence over recent years.
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Cambodia’s Buddhist leaders honor Catholic bishop for decades of cooperation (EWTN News)
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