EUROPE/FRANCE – A film about the priests of the Paris Foreign Missions, “adventurers of Christ”

Rome – The adventure of faith is alive in the 21st century. The mission of Christ and the Church is alive. This is attested by the documentary “Adventurers of Christ,” presented and sponsored by the Paris Foreign Missions Society . The docu-film was screened for the first time on October 21 in Rome, at the Saint Louis-de-Français Institute, on the occasion of World Mission Sunday and Missionary Month. The documentary narrates, through images, the experience of five priests in five different countries, all united by one single passion: to bring God’s love to the ends of the earth. They are Father Will Conquer in Cambodia, Father Philippe Blot in South Korea, Father Yves Moal in Taiwan, Father Laurent Bissara in India, and Father Gabriel De Lepinau in Madagascar. All of them left everything and left Europe to live the Gospel in the peripheries of the world, alongside the rejected, marginalized, poor, disabled, and displaced people. The film’s narrative of current events is intertwined with historical events that marked the past of the MEP, a congregation founded 360 years ago and which today has more than 4,100 missionaries, mainly in Asia. Designed for a broad audience, including non-believers, the film combines evocative photography with testimonies that highlight the missionaries’ total dedication to the communities they serve, immersing themselves without prejudice in local cultures. The missionaries are not presented as “supermen,” but rather show their fragility, loneliness, and emotional and psychological difficulties. However, in these human weaknesses, the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit are evident. By placing their humanity at the service of others and proclaiming God’s love, they fight for the most vulnerable, welcome people with disabilities, help North Korean refugees, and translate their faith into local art. These “adventurers of Christ” invite us to look beyond: What does “giving oneself” mean today? Why leave? Can they maintain their vocation in hostile contexts? Why sacrifice everything for the mission? With their courage and dedication, they embody a radical and meaningful response to the search for meaning in our time. The film, the organizers explain, aims to “awaken the missionary spirit,” recalling that “the mission is a universal call and remains relevant today.” Furthermore, it seeks to respond to young people’s search for meaning and adventure, resonating with a “thirst for authenticity” that pervades the stories told. Another objective is to revalue the figure of the priest, an object of criticism and attacks, obscured in the collective imagination; and, finally, to rehabilitate the figure of the missionary, which is often associated with stories of cultural domination or proselytism. Today’s missionaries walk a completely different path: that of service, donation, welcome, and inculturation. Damien Boyer, director and founder of Orawa Production, worked for four years on the film. Boyer, passionate about spirituality, had previously directed the film “Sacerdoce,” , which focused on the vocation of French priests in the 21st century.

Read original article