Monsignor
Basile Mvé, Archbishop of Libreville, Gabon, saw the Parole de Vie
Bible as a “precious instrument” for liturgy, for teaching young people
in church and for teaching literacy in French-speaking Africa.
By the Rev Christian Bonnet, General
Secretary, French Bible Society
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Parole
de Vie Focus:
December saw the official
launch of the Parole de Vie Bible
in Paris. In five articles, World Report looks at the occasion itself,
the history and the background of the project, and its importance for
the French-speaking world.
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PARIS, France — “An event for the French-speaking world” – this was how dignitaries assembled at the UNESCO building at the invitation of the French Bible Society greeted the official launch of the Parole de Vie Bible (‘Word of Life’), a translation of the entire Bible into français fondamental (‘Basic French’) in December.
Cultural attachés from the embassies of French-speaking countries, Roman Catholic and Protestant church leaders, and friends and staff of the Bible Society packed the conference hall for the occasion.
Led by Monsignor Lorenzo Frana, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to UNESCO, the ceremony allowed contributors to express the significance of a translation into such simple language.
Rosa Guerreiro, in charge of UNESCO’s interconfessional programs, thanked the UBS for its work.
“You are helping to show that the Bible is not a rigid, unchanging text,” she said, “but a living one, capable of being adapted to new cultures.” Such flexibility of the text, she added, could prevent its readers from descending into religious fanaticism or intolerance and, by publishing it, the Bible Society was helping to promote the ideal of peace contained in the Bible.
Monsignor
Basile Mvé, Archbishop of Libreville, Gabon, saw the Parole de Vie
Bible as a “precious instrument” for liturgy, for teaching young people
in church and for teaching literacy in French-speaking Africa.
“We hope that the Bible will no longer be a book for experts and become instead a living message, offering an encounter with God who, as in days of old, never ceases challenging men today,” he said. “If the Word is made flesh, it is in order to live with the human beings in every age, in every culture and of every language until the end of time.”
The Rev Christian Seytre, General Secretary of the Protestant Federation of France, pointed out that the Parole de Vie Bible was not meant exclusively for Africa. In a country like France, more than two million people cannot read a newspaper. It was urgent, he said, to be able to put the message of the Bible in the hands of such people.
But Parole de Vie was not a translation of second choice. “On the contrary, because of the level of the language it uses… it belongs on the bookshelves of anybody who wants to study the Bible.”
Dr Phil Noss, the new UBS Translation Services Coordinator, said the new translation demonstrated the vocation of the Bible Societies and the commitment of the men and women translators of the UBS. “It is a question of allowing everyone, men and women, old and young, to enter into dialogue with the Word of God, ” he said.
A Congolese choir made their ethnic songs ring out, recalling in a highly rhythmical way the African origins of the project, and two actors helped the audience appreciate the remarkable robustness of this translation into everyday language.
Earlier, at a packed press conference, journalists from the main French daily newspapers and several radio stations put technical and pastoral questions to Bible Society staff. Later their reports emphasised the originality of the new translation’s approach and said the efforts of the translators showed the respect and concern of the Bible Society for the most deprived people in society. (WR 357/18 - 1/2.01) [PHOTOS] e-122