Cambodian Catholic Catechesis Center (CCCC) organised a first of its kind seminar on “artistic forms of Khmer poems”. The seminar was headed by the Apostolic Prefect of Kampong Cham, Msgr. Bruno Cosme, who is also in charge of the Catechesis centre.
Twenty participants from the dioceses of Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham participated in the seminar. Professor Yan Borin, advisor to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and Seyha Uddom, head teacher of the Khmer Poetry Heritage Preservation Club and the director of the School for the Preservation of Khmer Ancient Arts Heritage were the guest speakers.
Msgr. Bruno said at the seminar: “All art forms are the means for us to use and show our beliefs. We use all arts daily to show the beauty to get attention from others. We want to express testimonial witness about our beliefs and what is related to God.”
He further said: “Especially today, we organise this seminar on poems and psalms for the first time this morning because we read the Bible without much understanding. But the way we recite it, it is not so easy. It means that everything we want to show about the Word of God through Khmer culture, can lead the Cambodian people to understand God’s Word because culture and arts go deeply into human hearts.”
Prof. Borin admired the Catholic Church for organising the seminar. The seminar highlighted the way of chanting and writing Khmer poems so that it can be used in Khmer language.
He said that the seminar had disseminated the artistic form to encourage readers mentally and physically. Hopefully, they will have the sense of respect and love for the poems, especially expressing the gratitude for God who gave good poem chanting skills in different forms. “Some brothers and sisters asked me, which artistic form we can use at a wedding ceremony and other functions.” In fact, it depends on contents and harmony of chanting.
A youth, Lim Sambath, a member of the choir of St. Joseph’s Church in Phsar Toich Church, said: “The seminar did make me be interested in relationships between the Catholic Church, the people and Khmer culture. The professors who are good at chanting poems were invited to the seminar. This is the opportunity that the Church could connect its faith to Khmer culture and tradition. This is the step making it easy for sharing our faith according to Khmer culture. It can help the Cambodian people who have not yet become Catholics can learn about the Word of God through this culture.
The youth further said: “This seminar helped me learn more about the characteristics of Khmer tradition and culture and know how to share the method of chanting and recitation. It is especially so that I can know the way of chanting each poem and take it home to be practiced in
Church.”
