Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, speaks of inculturation:
CHAPTER THREE: THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL [110]
116. … Through inculturation, the Church “introduces peoples, together with their cultures, into her own community”,[90] for “every culture offers positive values and forms which can enrich the way the Gospel is preached, understood and lived”. …Father Egermann :
- In the catacombs of Rome in the first century, the Good Shepherd is shown with the costume of the shepherds of the Roman countryside.
- In the story of the healing of the paralytic, for example, Marc speaks about Palestinian terraced houses and said that carriers are “opening” in the roof (Mk 2/4). Luke contrary, addressing people who live in Greco-Roman houses with tile roofs wrote: “they took the tiles off” (Lk 5/19).
Father François Vidil went out on Sunday, November 3rd in Versailles (France).
- It is him who launched the original idea of a catechises which redraws the Life of Jesus in images.
- Jesus, his apostles, the Virgin and any else characters belong to the world which surrounds them: they are black in an African environment.
Historical
| 1973 North Cameroun: Mafa Christian communities wish to have an African representation of the gospel. A committee is formed to work on the project. |
| The most important New Testament scenes for liturgical and catechetical use are selected and then adapted to be played by the village people. The sketches are photographed and drawn. After a careful and detailed study, JESUS MAFA paintings are executed by the artist, Bénédite de la Roncière. |
| Different size reproductions of these paintings have been sent all over the world since 1977: 62 scenes, from the Annunciation to Pentecost, illustrate the three years Sunday gospels in the Mass book. As for the church porches and the stained-glass windows in the European mediaeval cathedrals, where the environment and characters are shown belong to the mediaeval society, likewise in Jesus Mafa paintings the characters and the environment belong to Africa. Thus visual support of everyday life scenes helps the African catechist as he presents the Gospels orally. For about 40 years, more than 6 millions of these pictures have been dispatched to catechists, churches, missionaries, African communities, all kind of schools, libraries, booksellers, private people etc. |
| There is something like a miracle in the success of this job done for 40 years. by a French team that keeps up close relations with its correspondents in Africa. The artist knows how to find a simple and clear, realistic and spiritual style that touches the sensitivity of black people, a style made of grace and beauty. |
The Association Life of Jesus Mafa, through its unpaid members, look after the objects of the scheme and also carries out all the edition tasks: relation with the artist, the printers and the publishers. The organisation of the distribution channels and finally shipping of the parcels up to 30 kilos by post.
All the members of the Association are convinced of the need for solidarity between Churches. They attached as much importance to sending a few pictures to a little mission in the bush as sending big quantities to some bookseller in a big city who resell on the spot. Their goal is not commercial but strictly missionary.
To-day, VIE DE JESUS MAFA is in touch with over 3000 correspondents in 83 countries all around the world : (44 in Africa, 13 in America mostly in the USA (30 different states), 5 in the Pacific Ocean and 21 in Europe) |
