[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-41669-en":3,"doc-seo-41669-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":90},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},41669,7971461740909,"Levi","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d",2,"Literature","Mongo Beti - The Poor Christ of Bomba","The Poor Christ of Bomba (1956) presents a satirical Catholic mission scene in which local Africans reshape religious teaching through everyday observation and communal belief. A Reverend Father publicly insists on strict forms of devotion while his authority is repeatedly undermined by crowd behavior—coughs, disruptions, and a dramatic handling of a crying baby. The narrative contrasts stern discipline with humor, highlighting how innocence, local experience, and “Providence” reinforce an unexpected merging of Christ and the Father in village interpretation.","The Poor Christ  \n# of Bomba\n\n(1956)  \nby Mongo Beti  \nDigitalized byReySocialistforSocialistStories  \nI don't wish to deceive the reader.There hasnever been a Reverend Father SuperiorDrumont in African experience,probablythere never will be one-not if I know myAfrica.That would be too much luck for us.  \nThe Africans who swarm in these pageshave been taken straight from life.And thereis no incident here which is not strictly anddemonstrably authentic.  \nM.B.  \nFIRST PART  \n-So,what happened,then?said lvanov with hissatisfied air.Don't you think it's marvellous?Hasanything more marvellous happened in all history?We tear the old skin off humanity and give it a newone.This is no job for weak nerves,but once thewhole idea filled you with enthusiasm.What hashappened to make you suddenly as fastidious as an  \nold woman?  \nCatholic Mission of Bomba  \nSunday,I February I93-  \nSurely it isn't any blasphemy...oh,no!It even flls me with joy tothink that perhaps it was Providence,the Holy Ghost himself,whowhispered this advice in the Father's ear,Tell them that Jesus Christand the Reverend Father are all one.'Especially when our villagechildren,looking at the picture of Christ surrounded by boys,wereastonished at his likeness to our Father.Same beard,same soutane,same cord around the waist.And they cried out,'But,Jesus Christ isjust like the Father!’And the Father assured them that Christ andhimself were allone.And since then allthe boys of my village call theFather 'Jesus Christ'.  \nJesus Christ!Oh,I’m sure it's no blasphemyl He really deservesthat name,that simple praise from innocent hearts.A man who hasspread faith among us;made good Christians every day,often despitethemselves.A man full of authority.A stern man.A father-JesusChrist!  \nA stern man,certainly.But when you know him well,he oftenmakes you want to laugh.It happened this very morning,atMass.  \nThe Vicar who was in charge,my friend and I who were servingthe Mass,had just sat down to hear the Father's sermon.Instead ofgoing straight up into the pulpit,the Father walked right down thenave,sweeping it with a suspicious glance.Whenever he saw a mansitting down,he said:  \n'So you are so tired,you can't wait a few seconds before sitting?Jesus carried his cross right to the end,and he wasn't tired.Get up atonce!'  \nThey know well enough that the Father hates to see them sittingwhen they should be standing,or standing when they should bekneeling.But there are always some people,especially men,who  \n3  \nnever conform if they can help it,as if they just wanted to put himinto a rage  \nThen he went back down the aisle,looking particularly at thewomen's side.At least women generally behave well.But what wasmy surprise this morning to see the Father plunge right in among thewomen,striding over the wooden benches furiously.Then he cameback up the central aisle,dragging a woman along by her left arm.He pulled her before the table and forced her down on her knees.I've no idea what she had done.Only then did the Father decide toclimb the wooden staircase to the pulpit,but very slowly,and castingheavy glances allaround the church.  \nAt last he was in the pulpit.But instead of beginning his sermonhe stood there silent,in a most unexpected manner.I was worriedand I’m sure the new Vicar,Father Le Guen,was too,for our glancesmet and I could see he was wondering what was going on.The manis terrible,sure enough,but the scene itself was comic,and I almostburst out laughing.There were the converts standing up,all turnedattentively towards the pulpit.And there was the Father,tall as a treeand quite silent.And then those coughs which began rustling hereand there.You'd have thought you were in a forest attacked by anarmy of frantic woodcutters.It's amazing how a crowd can cough!Isoon understood that only those coughs could explain the Father'sstrange behaviour,for it wasn't the first time it had happened.Thefaithful must have understood it too,for all at once the tide ofcoughs ebbed away,and the Father","cbCaibpJQ82M6moo","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibpJQ82M6moo","pdf",7561489,3,1,220,"English","en",105,"# First Part\n## Catholic Mission of Bomba\n## Mass Disruptions and the Sermon","[{\"question\":\"What causes the Reverend Father to interrupt and delay the sermon during Mass?\",\"answer\":\"Frequent coughing from the congregation repeatedly stops him from beginning. When a baby cries, the interruption becomes even more rigid, extending the delay until order is restored.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the village interpret the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Reverend Father?\",\"answer\":\"After the Father assures children that Christ and he are one, the village boys begin calling the Father “Jesus Christ.” Their astonishment comes from how closely the depicted Christ resembles the Father.\"},{\"question\":\"What announcement does the Reverend Father make in his sermon?\",\"answer\":\"He tells the congregation he is leaving the mission for two weeks to tour the Tala country, inviting Talapeople—especially catechists—to inform others so they can receive another chance to repent and return to Christ.\"}]",1783329429,339,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":85,"head_meta":87,"extra_data":89,"updated_unix":28},"mongo-beti-the-poor-christ-of-bomba","",{"@graph":36,"@context":84},[37,52,67],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,47,49],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",{"item":48,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/",{"item":50,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/mongo-beti-the-poor-christ-of-bomba/41669/",4,{"url":50,"name":13,"@type":53,"author":54,"headline":13,"publisher":56,"fileFormat":59,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":60,"datePublished":61,"encodingFormat":59,"isAccessibleForFree":62,"interactionStatistic":63},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":55},"Person",{"url":41,"name":57,"@type":58},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-14","2026-07-06",true,{"@type":64,"interactionType":65,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":66},"ViewAction",{"@type":68,"mainEntity":69},"FAQPage",[70,76,80],{"name":71,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":73},"What causes the Reverend Father to interrupt and delay the sermon during Mass?","Question",{"text":74,"@type":75},"Frequent coughing from the congregation repeatedly stops him from beginning. When a baby cries, the interruption becomes even more rigid, extending the delay until order is restored.","Answer",{"name":77,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":78},"How does the village interpret the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Reverend Father?",{"text":79,"@type":75},"After the Father assures children that Christ and he are one, the village boys begin calling the Father “Jesus Christ.” Their astonishment comes from how closely the depicted Christ resembles the Father.",{"name":81,"@type":72,"acceptedAnswer":82},"What announcement does the Reverend Father make in his sermon?",{"text":83,"@type":75},"He tells the congregation he is leaving the mission for two weeks to tour the Tala country, inviting Talapeople—especially catechists—to inform others so they can receive another chance to repent and return to Christ.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":50,"og:type":86,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":57,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":88,"canonical":50},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":25},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":91},[92,96,99,103,108,113,118,123,128,131,135],{"id":21,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},80,"literature",{"id":51,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":104,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":109,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":114,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":119,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":130},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":134},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":136,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":138},19,"General","general"]