Which version of the Bible does the Vatican use?
The primary version of the Bible used by the Vatican is the Latin Vulgate. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I in the late 4th century, the Vulgate was translated by St. Jerome from Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
The Vatican, as the center of the Roman Catholic Church, has a long history of preserving and disseminating sacred scripture, particularly the Bible. With numerous translations and versions available, one might wonder which version of the Bible the Vatican uses in its official documents, liturgical readings, and teachings.
The primary version of the Bible used by the Vatican is the Latin Vulgate. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I in the late 4th century, the Vulgate was translated by St. Jerome from Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
It became the official Latin version of the Bible for the Roman Catholic Church and was declared the official edition at the Council of Trent in the 16th century. The Latin Vulgate contains both the Old and New Testaments and is considered the authoritative version of the Bible for the Catholic Church.
In addition to the Latin Vulgate, the Vatican also uses the New Vulgate as the official modern translation of the Bible in Latin. Published under the supervision of the Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1979, the New Vulgate is a revision of Jerome's original Vulgate that incorporates modern scholarship and textual criticism. It is used in official Vatican documents, liturgical readings, and academic settings for the study of scripture.
While the Latin Vulgate and the New Vulgate are the primary versions of the Bible used by the Vatican, there are also other approved translations in various languages that are recognized and used by the Catholic Church. The Church encourages the faithful to read and study the Bible in their own language to better understand and apply its teachings in their lives.
One of the most widely used translations of the Bible in English by the Vatican is the New American Bible (NAB). Commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the NAB is the official translation used in liturgical celebrations in the United States and is recognized by the Vatican for its accuracy and fidelity to the original languages of the Bible.
In addition to the NAB, the Vatican also recognizes other translations in English, such as the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) and the Douay-Rheims Bible, as reliable and faithful translations of the Bible for Catholic readers. These translations have been approved by the Church for use in personal study, prayer, and reflection.
Overall, the Vatican primarily uses the Latin Vulgate and the New Vulgate as the official versions of the Bible in Latin, while also recognizing and approving various translations in other languages, such as the New American Bible in English.