Joseph A. Fitzmyer

Catholic Church. Pontificia Commissio Biblica

Under date of April 15, 1993, the Pontifical Biblical Commission published in French a document on the interpretation and use of the Bible in the Church. The English translation of the original French document, "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church", appeared on November 18, 1993. The purpose of the document is "to indicate the paths most appropriate for arriving at an interpretation of the Bible as faithful as possible to its character both human and divine". The English translation of the document is published in its entirety in the present volume, together with a clarificatory commentary by Fr. Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J., a member of the Biblical Commission. A detailed bibliography is included. Also published are English translations of the address of His Holiness Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the publication of the French original on April 15, 1993, and of the preface to the document by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, President of the Biblical Commission.

Text and Commentary

The Biblical Commission's Document "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church"

For Christians, Holy Scripture is not only a source of revelation on which to ground one's faith, it is also an indispensable reference point for morality. They are convinced that in the Bible they can find indications and norms of right behaviour to attain fullness of life. This use of Scripture is not of course without its problems caused by the different times and circumstances in which people find themselves today compared with biblical times. In 2002, the Pontifical Biblical Commission, at the behest of the then-President Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, set about to examine the problem of the relationship between the Bible and morality by posing itself the question: what is the value and the significance of the inspired text for today's morality? This document seeks then to explain the context for norms of morality encountered in Scripture, and shows also that, while there remain moral questions which cannot be fully answered from Scripture, nevertheless Scripture does offer criteria which are helpful in finding solutions.

Catholic Church. Pontificia Commissio Biblica

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