The Bible and the Church

In the early Church, the Scriptures were revered and passed down orally and through the written word. These stories and accounts of Jesus connected them to Jesus and allowed them to spread his teachings. As time went on, the Bible became less and less important.

During the Protestant Reformation, the Protestant denominations became focused on Scripture, while the Catholic Church became more focused on the Sacraments.

Catholics were discouraged from reading the Bible. In fact, in many convents, not even the nuns read the Bible. Catholics received their biblical knowledge from reading the translated readings in their missals and by hearing the sermons of the priest. Many Catholics were told that if they read the Bible they wouldn’t understand it. I think much of the Church’s concern was that the laity wouldn’t be able to differentiate between the truth and myth in Scripture.

Things began to change in 1943 when Pope Pius XII wrote the encyclical “Divino Afflante Spiritu”. In this encyclical, Pope Pius XII encouraged the scholarly study of Scripture. He advised scholars to study the writings in their original languages. While this was a great advancement for the Church, it fell short of inviting the average Catholic to read and study the Bible.

Vatican Council II was a turning point in the Church. In 1965, Pope Paul VI promulgated the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation “Dei Verbum”.(Word of God)
Dei Verbum declares that Scripture is integral to the Magisterium of the Church. It says,

“It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.”

Later in the document all Catholics are encouraged to study the Bible. It says,

“Easy access to Sacred Scripture should be provided for all the Christian faithful. That is why the Church from the very beginning accepted as her own that very ancient Greek translation; of the Old Testament which is called the septuagint; and she has always given a place of honor to other Eastern translations and Latin ones especially the Latin translation known as the vulgate. But since the word of God should be accessible at all times, the Church by her authority and with maternal concern sees to it that suitable and correct translations are made into different languages, especially from the original texts of the sacred books. And should the opportunity arise and the Church authorities approve, if these translations are produced in cooperation with the separated brethren as well, all Christians will be able to use them.”

Since Vatican II, more and more Catholics have been reading and studying the Bible both formally and informally. Many parishes have Bible studies lead by either a priest or a layperson trained in Scripture. There are also Church groups, such as RENEW, where Catholics gather in small groups to read Scripture, share faith and discuss how what is written in the Bible applies to everyday life. Most Liturgical music, especially new music, is based on Scripture passages, especially the psalms. While Catholics are learning about the Bible in many traditional as well as new and different ways, but I think we still have a long way to go.