Noel a Cizhong
Le Nord Yunnan ou se situe le village de Cizhong fait partie du Kham comme en temoigne la coiffe des femmes du village grande region historique tibetaine essentiellement influencee par la religion seculaire du bouddhisme tibetain et du controle politique des Lamas. Les fideles du village, a 80% catholique, maintiennent ici une etonnante tradition chretienne au coeur meme des anciens royaumes lamaistes.
L eglise de style sino-roman, construite il y a un siecle sa construction est decidee en 1909 et l eglise, toute en pierre et charpente de bois, sera benite en 1911 par le pere Monbeig (1876-1942) accueille de nouveau les fideles depuis 1979. Les chants qui marquent le debut de la messe ressemblent a s y meprendre a des mantras bouddhistes et contrastent avec l inscription latine plus classique « Ecce Agnus Dei » ecrite au dessus du tabernacle.
La grande messe du 25 decembre est suivie d un repas villageois sur le parvis de l eglise, ou des gateaux chinois a la creme ravissent les enfants pendant que les moins jeunes trinquent a l alcool d orge et au vin rouge des anciens pretres francais. Tradition missionnaire entretenue ici, le vin des vignes acheminees de France a l epoque est toujours presse chaque annee, en septembre. Suivent danses et chants tibetains traditionnels qui rappellent la tradition de ces chretientes tibetaines de celebrer en grande pompe les temps forts du calendrier pour resister a la toute puissance et au lustre des lamasseries rivales.
Le developpement de ces missions reculees s est en effet faite dans la violence et l opposition permanente des concurrents spirituels locaux : les monasteres de la region n ont eu de cesse de faire detruire et d eliminer ces oeuvres chretiennes deja si laborieuses. Si les deux tombes dans le clot de l eglise (les peres Ouvrard et Van Eslande) ont accueilli des missionnaires morts de maladie et de vieillesse, les autres missionnaires de la region ont plus souvent connu le martyr comme le pere Dubernard, massacre en 26 juillet 1905 par « des paiens qu avaient soudoyes les lamas ». Desormais apprecies des locaux comme des autorites chinoises, cette petite chretiente de Cizhong tente de faire perdurer l esprit de Noel.
Christmas in Cizhong
North Yunnan, where the village of Cizhong is located, is part of the Kham - as witnessed by the headdress of the village's women - a large Tibetan historical region, mainly influenced by the secular religion of Tibetan Buddhism and the political control of the Lamas. The devotees of the village, 80% Catholic, maintain here an astonishing Christian tradition in the very heart of the ancient Lamaist kingdoms.
The church, built a century ago in the Sino-Romanesque style - its construction was decided in 1909 and the church, built entirely of stone and wood frame, was blessed in 1911 by Father Monbeig (1876-1942) - has been welcoming the faithful once again since 1979. The songs that mark the beginning of the Mass resemble Buddhist mantras and contrast with the more classical Latin inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei" written above the tabernacle.
The mass on December 25th is followed by a village meal in front of the church, where Chinese cream cakes delight the children while the youngest drink barley alcohol and red wine from the former French priests. A missionary tradition maintained here, the wine of the vines sent from France at the time is always pressed every year in September. This is followed by traditional Tibetan dances and songs that recall the tradition of these Tibetan Latvians to celebrate the high points of the calendar with great pomp and ceremony to resist the sheer power and lustre of rival lamas.
The development of these remote missions was indeed carried out in the violence and permanent opposition of the local spiritual competitors: the monasteries of the region never ceased to destroy and eliminate these Christian works, which were already so laborious. While the two tombs in the church enclosure (fathers Ouvrard and Van Eslande) welcomed missionaries who died of sickness and old age, the other missionaries of the region more often experienced martyrdom like Father Dubernard, massacred on 26 July 1905 by "pagans who had been bribed by the lamas". Now appreciated by locals and Chinese authorities alike, this little Christian community in Cizhong is trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive.