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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Protestant Bibles	Jesse	Thursday, November 18, 2004
Question: Does a Bible have to be published by a Catholic organization or have a Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur to be blessed by a priest? I have a Bible published by an Anglican organization but it is the NRSV translation, which is a translation approved by the Church and it contains the Deutercanonical books. Also, I can find no ‘extras’ like introductions and such that contradict the Catholic Faith. Was I right to have it blessed?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Jesse: To my understanding, anything that is proper for a blessing can be blessed per se. As far as the NRSV the Church's approval of that edition has been revoked for reasons such as the improper use of inclusive language. It is not approved for liturgy. Bibles cannot be used for liturgy or in teaching of the faith in elementary, middle, or higher schools, etc. unless they are approved by the Holy See (either in original languages or in translations) or other applicable ecclesiastical authority. (i.e. Canon Law 825-827) In private devotion and study a person can use any edition of the Bible, but the primary editions that one uses to compare to any others should be one approved by the Church with imprimatur. The RSV-CE (Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition), and NOT the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), is the choice of most orthodox and loyal theologians and teachers for a modern language Bible, followed by perhaps the Jerusalem Bible (the old one from 1966, NOT the new one). Of course the Challoner Douay Rheims Version always remains a standard for pre-modern language editions. As a general rule any edition that has a prefix of "new", such as the New Revised Standard, the New Jerusalem Bible, etc. is probably a Bible to stay away from as tainted in by politics in its choice of some words and phrases. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Protestant Bibles

Jesse

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Question:

Does a Bible have to be published by a Catholic organization or have a Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur to be blessed by a priest?

I have a Bible published by an Anglican organization but it is the NRSV translation, which is a translation approved by the Church and it contains the Deutercanonical books.

Also, I can find no ‘extras’ like introductions and such that contradict the Catholic Faith. Was I right to have it blessed?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Jesse:

To my understanding, anything that is proper for a blessing can be blessed per se.

As far as the NRSV the Church's approval of that edition has been revoked for reasons such as the improper use of inclusive language. It is not approved for liturgy.

Bibles cannot be used for liturgy or in teaching of the faith in elementary, middle, or higher schools, etc. unless they are approved by the Holy See (either in original languages or in translations) or other applicable ecclesiastical authority. (i.e. Canon Law 825-827)

In private devotion and study a person can use any edition of the Bible, but the primary editions that one uses to compare to any others should be one approved by the Church with imprimatur.

The RSV-CE (Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition), and NOT the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), is the choice of most orthodox and loyal theologians and teachers for a modern language Bible, followed by perhaps the Jerusalem Bible (the old one from 1966, NOT the new one). Of course the Challoner Douay Rheims Version always remains a standard for pre-modern language editions.

As a general rule any edition that has a prefix of "new", such as the New Revised Standard, the New Jerusalem Bible, etc. is probably a Bible to stay away from as tainted in by politics in its choice of some words and phrases.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum