bishops had commissioned the Catholic Biblical Association of America to produce a new translation back in 1943, after the publication of Pope Pius XII’s encyclical, Divino Afflante Spiritu.Ī Footnote from 1943 It’s an odd footnote to biblical history that the CBA had originally been commissioned to produce a new translation from the Latin Vulgate which was scrapped after Pope Pius XII encouraged recourse to the original languages (see paragraphs 14-16).
Fortunately, for American Catholics, the U.S. But after discarding the Douay, bishops were left with a problem on their hands. Besides, the old D-R was based on the Vulgate and did not take the Greek and Hebrew witnesses seriously. The old Douay-Rheims translation (and its “Confraternity edition” followups) was discarded as antiquated after the Second Vatican Council. Not only that but bishops’ conferences in the English-speaking world have been going round and round about which translation to use at Mass. Students, Bishops and the old Douay-Rheims Catholic students of the Bible (who both read and write this blog!) have been arguing for years round and round about whether the RSV or NAB is better. (I’m not even including the simplified or quasi-paraphrase translations like the Good News Bible.) Though it takes its cues from the 1971 RSV, the ESV stands on its own with its own translation philosophy and its strong commitment to clear and meaningful English that stays truly faithful to the original languages. While we have received welcome updates on these translates like the NAB revised New Testament (1984), the New Jerusalem Bible (1985), the NRSV Catholic Edition (1991), RSV-Second Catholic Edition (2006), and the updated Old Testament in the NAB Revised Edition (2011-notice the 27-year delay between revised NT and OT), this ESVCE is a truly new Bible translation for us. The same debate has been raging since the 1960’s in the English speaking world-on the relative merits of the New American Bible (1970), Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (1966) and the Jerusalem Bible (1966).
Update : ESV Catholic Edition Now Available in the United States!Ī Breath of Fresh Air! Finally, we Catholics get a new translation in clear English with serious attention to exact fidelity to the original text: the English Standard Version Catholic Edition, just released by the bishops of India. Thankfully, these materials explain the exact texts on which the translation was based. It contains a short Foreward, a Preface, a few grayscale maps and a chart of weights and measures. It feels just right in the hand-a bit smaller in form factor than your typical Bible with smallish print throughout. The Bible is printed on thin, high quality Bible paper in a very readable font.
Through my super-secret trading channels, I was able to secure one and now will offer a review and a backstory, just for you, my faithful reader.
I got one! Yes, I think I might be the only Catholic in the United States to hold in my hands the new English Standard Version Catholic Edition Bible (ESVCE).