Bible quiz turns popular competition in India’s Catholic heartland

(September 25, 2010) Nearly half a million Catholics in Kerala will appear in the simultaneous Bible quiz that will be held on September 26 Sunday in 3200 parishes across the Kerala state, India. In the 10th year of the quiz organized by the Bible Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), 483,170 Catholics in five age groups, starting with those below 10 years to those above 60 years - will answer biblical questions in 2010. Named ‘Logos Quiz’, the participants were expected to register in advance at parish level to participate in the quiz by paying Rupees 10. after the ‘first round test’ lasting one and half hours with multiple answer questions, the three toppers from each of the five age groups from the 31 dioceses will be selected for the ‘final’ that will be held in November at KCBC headquarters at Kochi – commercial capital of Kerala. Father Joshy Mayyattil, secretary of KCBC Bible Commission said that while the winners in each category will be awarded gold medals and cash prizes, the ‘champion’ of the Logos quiz (Logos Prathibha) will be decided at the gruelling ‘final’ that will include audio, video, written, oral and Bible verse recitation tests. “Our aim is to promote interest in Bible reading and the culture of systematic study of the Bible”, pointed out Father Mayyattil.