Catholic Press Association Award Winner!  In order to promote the Church's ongoing efforts to share the boundless riches of the divine Word with the faithful entrusted to its care" (Dei Verbum 25), The Scripture Documents reproduces in one volume key documents that record Catholic teaching on the interpretation of the Bible. Intended as a reference work, this collection of conciliar, papal, and curial documents on sacred Scripture includes for each official document a brief historical introduction that facilitates a contextual understanding of each document, a running annotation, and a select bibliography of available commentaries and related works. Like the Canon of Scriptures itself, this collection includes various kinds of documents authored by different Roman ecclesiastical authorities within the Church's Teaching Office and expressed in several different literary forms. Each document addresses issues and problems peculiar to the historical situation in which it was written. The Scripture Documents provides easy access to those official documents that record some of the Church's efforts to promote and guide the study of the Bible among the faithful. The teaching these instructions convey is helpful for all who seek to read and interpret the Scriptures in the light of faith. Dean P. Bechard, SJ, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Theology at Fordham University.

Table of Contents:
Contents Foreword   vii Preface   ix Abbreviations   xi ________ Part One ________ Conciliar Documents 1. Council of Trent   3      Fourth Session, First Decree   3      Fourth Session, Second Decree   4      Fifth Session, Second Decree   6 2. First Vatican Council   14      Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Dei Filius   14 3. Second Vatican Council   19      Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum   19 ______ Part Two ______ Papal Documents   1.   Leo XIII. Encyclical Letter on the Study of Scripture, Providentissimus Deus   37   2.   Leo XIII. Apostolic Letter Instituting a Commission for Biblical Studies, Vigilantiae studiique   62   3.   Pius X. Apostolic Letter on the Study of Scripture in Seminaries, Quoniam in re biblica   67   4.   Pius X. Encyclical Letter on the Doctrine of the Modernists, Pascendi dominici gregis   71   5.   Pius X. Apostolic Letter Issued motu proprio on the Decisions of the Biblical Commission, Praestantia Scripturae Sacrae   78   6.   Benedict XV. Encyclical Letter Commemorating the Fifteenth Centenary of the Death of St. Jerome, Spiritus Paraclitus   81   7.   Pius XI. Apostolic Letter Issued motu proprio on Academic Standards for Teachers of Scripture, Bibliorum scientiam   112    8.   Pius XII. Encyclical Letter Promoting Biblical Studies, Divino afflante Spiritu   115   9.   Pius XII. Encyclical Letter on Certain False Opinions Threatening to Undermine the Foundations of Catholic Doctrine, Humani generis   140 10.   Paul VI. Apostolic Letter Issued motu proprio on New Laws Regulating the Pontifical Biblical Commission, Sedula cura   147 11.   Paul VI. Address to the Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission on the Ecclesial Role of Biblical Studies   151 12.   John Paul II. Apostolic Constitution Promulgating the Neo-Vulgate Edition of the Bible, Scripturarum thesaurus   157 13.   John Paul II. Address to the Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission on the Biblical Sciences and the Teaching Office of the Church   160 14.   John Paul II. Address Commemorating the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Dei Verbum   163 15.   John Paul II. Address to the Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission on the Nature of Catholic Interpretation of the Bible   167 16.   John Paul II. Address on the Interpretation of the Bible in the Church   170 _____ Part Three _____ Curial Documents 1.   Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. Decree Condemning Certain Errors of the Modernists, Lamentabili sane   183 2.   Responses of the Pontifical Biblical Commission   187      I. On Implied Quotations Contained in Sacred Scripture   187      II. Concerning Historical Narratives   188      III. On the Mosaic Authorship of the Pentateuch   188      IV. On the Authorship and Historicity of the Fourth Gospel   190      V. On the Character and Authorship of the Book of Isaiah   191      VI. On the Historicity of Genesis 1–3   192      VII. On the Authorship and Time of Composition of the Psalms   195       VIII. On the Authorship, Date of Composition, and Historicity of the Gospel of Matthew   197      IX. On the Authorship, Time of Composition, and Historicity of the Gospels of Mark and Luke   199      X. On the Synoptic Question or the Mutual Relations Among the First Three Gospels   201      XI. On the Authorship, Time of Composition, and Historicity of Acts   202      XII. On the Authorship, Integrity, and Time of Composition of the Pastoral Epistles of the Apostle Paul   204      XIII. On the Authorship and Manner of Composition of the Letter to the Hebrews   205      XIV. On the Parousia or the Second Coming of Our Lord in the Letters of St. Paul the Apostle   207      XV. Declaration on Certain Added Verses in Editions of the Vulgate   208      XVI. On the False Interpretation of Two Texts   209 3. Pontifical Biblical Commission. Letter to the Archbishops and Bishops of Italy   212 4. Pontifical Biblical Commission. Letter to Cardinal Suhard   221 5. Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. Warning to Those Who Expound the Scriptures   225 6. Pontifical Biblical Commission. Instruction on the Historical Truth of the Gospels, Sancta Mater Ecclesia   227 7. Interdicasterial Commission for the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church   236 8. Pontifical Biblical Commission. Document on the Interpretation of the Bible in the Church   244 Appendix. The Early Responsa of the Pontifical Biblical Commission   318 Index of Citations   330 Index of Topics   347