Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of the Seoul Archdiocese sent a congratulatory message to Buddhists Wednesday ahead of the Buddha’s birthday next Friday.

In the message, Yeom said that he sincerely hoped the Buddha’s mercy will spread to the whole world and the Buddhist philosophy of sharing and helping will take deep root across Korean society.

The archbishop said that Catholics and Buddhists' respect for each other has been a good example to those who are in conflict, and urged religious figures to work together to resolve social conflicts and become a symbol of hope.