What Bible is used by the Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church, with its rich history and diverse traditions, has long used various versions of the Bible to guide its followers. However, the primary Bible used by the Catholic Church is the Revised Standard Version (RSV). This translation has been widely accepted and utilized by Catholic priests, theologians, and laypeople alike.
The RSV was first published in 1952 and was later revised in 1966 to reflect the changes made by the Second Vatican Council. This revised version, known as the RSV-CE (Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition), is the one predominantly used by Catholics today. The RSV-CE aims to provide a translation that is both accurate and accessible to the average reader while maintaining the integrity of the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
The RSV-CE is based on the traditional Catholic canon, which includes the 73 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. This canon is the same as the one used by the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. However, it differs from the Protestant canon, which excludes some of the apocryphal books included in the Catholic canon.
One of the reasons the RSV-CE is widely used by Catholics is its commitment to scholarly accuracy. The translation team, which included many renowned biblical scholars, sought to produce a text that was as close as possible to the original languages while still being understandable to modern readers. This balance between accuracy and readability has made the RSV-CE a popular choice for both personal and liturgical use.
In addition to the RSV-CE, other translations are also used by Catholics, such as the New American Bible (NAB) and the Jerusalem Bible. These translations offer alternative renderings of the biblical text and are often used for personal study or in certain liturgical contexts. However, the RSV-CE remains the primary translation used by the Catholic Church.
The use of the RSV-CE and other translations within the Catholic Church reflects the ongoing dialogue between tradition and modernity. While the Church holds fast to its rich theological heritage, it also recognizes the importance of making the Bible accessible to contemporary readers. This commitment to both tradition and innovation ensures that the Word of God continues to be a source of guidance and inspiration for Catholics around the world.
