Hello Bishop, I would like to ask you if you think it would be fine for a Catholic to own and read protestant translations of the Bible such as the King James Version and the New International Version? Also, do you think it would be permitted for a Catholic to own writings from other religions such as the Quran and the Book of Mormon? — Ruben H.
I have in my library all manner of reading material which I do not subscribe to as a Christian, and the sole reason they are in my possession is for reference. Therefore, from an academic and scholarly perspective, I find no objection in the possession of such material unless you are at definite risk of being influenced by it.
It rather depends on the reason why you possess writings from other religions and scriptural translations other than the Bible published in accordance with the prescriptions of Catholic canon law, which states:
It rather depends on the reason why you possess writings from other religions and scriptural translations other than the Bible published in accordance with the prescriptions of Catholic canon law, which states:
Books of the sacred scriptures cannot be published unless the Apostolic See or the conference of bishops has approved them. For the publication of their translations into the vernacular, it is also required that they be approved by the same authority and provided with necessary and sufficient annotations.
With the permission of the conference of bishops, Catholic members of the Christian faithful in collaboration with separated brothers and sisters can prepare and publish translations of the sacred scriptures provided with appropriate annotations.
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The following are English versions of the Bible that correspond to this description:
The following are English versions of the Bible that correspond to this description:
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| DRB | Douay-Rheims Bible | 1582–1609 |
| DRC | Douay-Rheims Bible Challoner Revision | 1752 |
| WVSS | Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures | 1913–1935 |
| SPC | Spencer New Testament | 1941 |
| CCD | Confraternity Bible | 1941 |
| Knox | Knox's Translation of the Vulgate | 1955 |
| KLNT | Kleist-Lilly New Testament | 1956 |
| JB | Jerusalem Bible | 1966 |
| RSV-CE | Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition | 1965–66 |
| NAB | New American Bible | 1970 |
| TLB-CE | The Living Bible - Catholic Edition | 1971 |
| NJB | New Jerusalem Bible | 1985 |
| CCB | Christian Community Bible | 1986 |
| NRSV-CE | New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition | 1989 |
| RSV-2CE | Revised Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Version) | 2006 |
| NABRE | New American Bible Revised Edition | 2011/1986 (Old Testament and Psalms)/New Testament) |
The bible I like to read is the Douay-Rheims version. Back when I first started to read the bible back in high school, I read the New American Bible. I also own the New Jerusalem Bible. I am also thinking of buying the Latin Vulgate.
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