What Is the Catholic Version of the Bible?
Catholics don't normally take a Bible with them to Sunday Mass. Instead, they receive the Word of God in readings given by lectors from the pulpit. While the King James version of the Bible is universally-known, Catholic versions of the Bible are not as famous.
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Various Versions
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According to the Rev. Ronald D. Witherup, Catholics can use one of several versions of the Bible. These are the Revised Standard Version, Catholic version, the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic version and the New American Bible, which is the standard Catholic edition of the Bible. The New Testament and Psalms have been revised in this edition. The New Jerusalem Bible is also a Catholic Bible which contains footnotes and informative background material. The Good News Translation, Catholic edition is also considered to be a Catholic Bible. The Douay-Rheims version, while an older Catholic Bible, is still in use today. Rev. Witherup describes this Bible as " out of date", with Old Testament names which "may be confusing". This Bible is based upon the Latin (Vulgate) translation, which was, at one time, the only official Catholic version of the Bible.
What Bible Will be Used For
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Reverend Witherup points out that what a Catholic family intends to use their Bible for should influence which Bible they choose. He further stresses that the person using the Bible has to be comfortable with the version she is using it for. The Bible does not have to be used only at Mass on Sunday. It can be used during Bible study, prayer groups and at home. If she will be helping her child prepare for First Holy Communion or for Confirmation, the Bible is a very good companion. Catholics should use the version of the Bible which they are most comfortable with; if this is the Douay-Rheims or the New Revised Standard Version, both are good choices.
Use the Bible Outside of Mass
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For the Catholic who wants to learn more about his faith, a good Catholic version Bible can help him grow in his knowledge and faith. Catholics can pray with the Bible outside of Sunday Mass and become stronger in their faith as well. The Revised Standard Edition, 1966, Catholic edition has been given the imprimatur (official approval) of Cardinal Cushing, who was the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. Other good Catholic version Bibles to use outside of Mass would be The New American Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
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The New American Bible is the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD), 1991. This is the version most Catholics hear from the pulpit on Sundays. It is a popular choice for Catholics because they are familiar with the language within this Bible. Each section contains accurate, easily understood language, according to Rev. Witherup.
Look Out For
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The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Language Version has gender-inclusive language which makes it clumsy to read. For instance, the Lord's Prayer (The Our Father) begins with "Father-Mother", where the traditional version begins, "Our Father, . . ." "The Son of Man" has been changed to "child of the human one". Another Bible to be careful of is the Living Bible (Tyndale, 1971). This contains paraphrases rather than translations. Paraphrases have editorial judgment and attempt to clarify ambiguity within the Bible. The Bible is, and should be, open to interpretation. A later version is the New Living Translation (Tyndale, 1996). This version does translate rather than paraphrase -- but it still attempts to make a "predetermined judgment" about the text's meaning, according to Rev. Witherup.
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Comments
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There isn't a true Catholic church out there that would say, "Our Father/ Our other." That is blasphemy, and the church makes it clear that Jesus is the son. That He was born in God's perfect time, and that God chose Mary as His mother and Joseph to be His step-father. Marriage is a sacrament. The church is clear on God's plan, on why God created us male and female, and why two become one flesh. This is crucial, where others have distorted God's word, rationalized, or justified self goals, desires, and wants, the Catholic Church has been steadfast in understanding the eternal significance of marriage: Jesus's first miracle and His mother's influence, God as the groom and Israel as an adulterer (OT), Jesus as our bridegroom and His church as the bride, heaven as the wedding feast... It truly is a slippery slope when the word is distorted for personal fleshly desires. To quote Chesterton, "we don't want areligion that is right where we are right. We want a religion that is right where we are wrong." The church is returning more to Latin, understanding the abuses of politically correct interpretations that are sweeping through society with tragic outcomes. Also, Latin helps us unite (e.g., spanish/ english bilingual masses are better served with latin). Latin in mass helps all especially young children learn foreign language more readily as well. Given all of this, I find the above to be deceptive. Lastly, our priests have been sharing with us to read our Bibles at home before they are taken from us and burned as they have witnessed across the world. They have also been teaching us to read out loud because the spoken Word is more readily taken in.
