The “Bible for children” translated in Ottoman language to evangelize in
Turkey
KONIGSTEIN, Germany, December 13 2004 (CNA) – Turkish-speaking Christians
now have access to a Bible for children printed in Turkish published by the
international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The 1st edition of the Bible, entitled “God speaks to his children,”
comprises 15,000 copies, 5,000 of which are to be distributed in Turkey,
while 10,000 are destined for being given to Turkish native speakers in
Western Europe.
“There are about 100,000 Christians” among the country’s population of about
66 million, said Father Lorenzo Piretto, O. P., an Italian priest based in
Istanbul.
The majority of Christians in the Western Asian country “are Apostolic
Armenians. The Catholics are Latins, Chaldeans, Armenians and Syrians. There
are also Greek and Syrian Orthodox, as well as various Protestant groups,”
said Fr Piretto.
“The Catechists are very content to have excerpts from the Bible in
Turkish…At the entrance of churches, where the books are displayed, Muslims
are free to take a copy,” the Dominican priest added.