The Catholic Church in Bangladesh celebrated 'Bible Day' to further
the faithful's understanding of the Holy Scriptures and the values of the
Gospel.
The event was held on Sunday, feast day of the Immaculate Conception, across
the country, ending a course in Biblical studies that began on 8 November in
all the dioceses and parishes of Bangladesh.
"Who
created the earth? The Creator, Almighty God," said Mgr James Boiragi Romen (pictured), bishop of Khulna and head of
the Episcopal Commission for the Catechetic and Biblical Apostolate. "We must
know Him, we must listen to Him and glorify Him," he told AsiaNews.
"In order to
free ourselves from sin we must know God's truth. We crave for unknown things. We
have a lot of questions. We have a desire for God. The sacred texts help us know
God Almighty, so we should read and study the Bible."
The prelate noted
that every member of the Church of Bangladesh contributed to the month-long Sacred
Scripture study, which ended in final day of learning.
"Promoting the
Bible is the best way to discover the truth, meet God and learn to live our
lives," Bishop Boiragi said.
Rozario, a layman
of 55, took part in the initiative. "The Bible is the Word of God," he
said. "It helps us fit the Lord into our everyday life as well as understand [and
distinguish] what is right from what is wrong."
Established in
1970, the Episcopal Commission for Catechetic and Biblical Apostolate has
translated the sacred texts into the languages of Bangladesh.
It has also helped
train Christian catechists and Christian religious teachers working in Catholic
schools.