Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Agenzia Fides) - The Word of God should be at the centre of the life of Christians in the Philippines. This will be the central theme of a Bible Forum organised for 19 and 20 November in Manila by the Philippines Bible Society.
Theologians, scholars, bishops, Catholic and other Christian pastoral workers will discuss the theme “The Bible in the 21st Century in the context of the Philippines” and reflect on how the Word of God is lived, prayed, explained among lay people, lay movements, in families and among young people.The Forum will propose Lectio Divina to help communities discover the centrality of the Word of God.
Speakers will include Prof. Takamitsu Muraoka, who teachers Hebrew language and literature at Leiden University in Holland; former Philippines ambassador to the Holy See Henrietta de Villa; anthropolgist Melba Maggay; vice president of a Catholic association DAWN Disciplining A Whole Nation, Agustin B. Vencer.
For the occasion the Philippines Bible Society will give a second presentation a new ecumenical Bible in Tagalog, first presented a year ago and already distributed and used in Basic Ecclesial Communities all over the country, especially in remote areas where priests only go periodically. The Bible, sold at 150 Philippines pesos (3.4 Euro) is in simple language in order to reach as many people as possible, even those with little schooling. The Bible in Tagalog was requested by many priests and missionaries on the large islands of Mindanao and Luzon.
The Bible was translated in fidelity to the original text, in simple language to make the Word of God available to the people of the third millennium: the Word of God, the Philippines Bishops say, "should be an essential point of reference for every Christian”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/10/2007 righe 29 parole 291)
