Pontifical Biblical Commission

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Excerpt from the Gutenberg Bible

The Pontifical Biblical Commission ( Latin : Pontificia Commisio de re biblica ) is one of Pope Leo XIII. Dicastery founded in 1902 . The commission consists of leading Catholic exegetes , it advises the Pope on questions of the Bible and carries out scientific research on his behalf. The Pontifical Biblical Commission also provides expert opinions on doctrinal objection proceedings.

history

With the Bible encyclical Providentissimus Deus Pope Leo XIII. 1893 outlined the norms for the use of Scripture . On October 30, 1902, he laid the foundation stone for the "Pontifical Biblical Commission" with the Apostolic Constitution Vigilantiae studiique . The starting point was the anti-modernism that began at the end of the 19th century . During this period there were disputes about the historical criticism of the Bible , of Bible teaching and of the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. The climax of this discussion came in 1897 with a debate with modern interpreters and the Holy Office , which was responsible for church teaching. This was one of the triggers for the establishment of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (Pontificia Commisio de re biblica).

Anti-modernism

During the pontificate of Pope Pius X., who in 1907 once again condemned the teachings of modernism with his apostolic letter in the form of a Motu Proprio Praestantia Scripturae and imposed automatic excommunication as a punishment for the modernists , a significant turning point occurred within the Biblical Commission. The previously moderate members gradually left the commission and were replaced by reactionary members. With the anti-modernist oath of September 1, 1910, Pius X issued an oath that obliged all lecturers to respect the resolutions and decisions of the Biblical Commission and to swear by the encyclical Providentissimus Deus . As a result, after the death of Pius X, under the chairmanship of the President Willem Marinus Cardinal van Rossum CSsR (1854-1932), who was also Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith , no fundamental decisions were made. Pius XI. granted the Biblical Commission the right to award doctorates and thus pursued the promotion of exegetical studies. The right to award the academic degrees licentiate and doctorate is subject to certain conditions. At the same time he set up the Pontifical Biblical Institute as a center for academic Bible studies.

After the 2nd Vatican Council

It was Pope Paul VI. who in 1971 implemented the resolutions of the Second Vatican Council and initiated a fundamental reform of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

tasks

Leo XIII. stated in its constitution that the task of the commission was to promote biblical studies and to decide in doubtful questions. Today's area of ​​responsibility includes academic work in Catholic exegesis, support for the church teaching office and maintaining contacts with biblical institutes. Since its inception, the Biblical Commission has published several documents with the character of textbooks.

organization

The Pontifical Biblical Commission is attached to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , the Prefect of which is also ex officio President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. The board consists of the president, a secretary, and twenty members who must be biblical scholars. The members of the sub-commission activated as required do not need to be biblical scholars; non-Catholic experts can also be appointed to the sub-commission. Since the reform of 1971, Cardinal Franjo Šeper (1968–1981), Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (1981–2005) and Cardinal William Joseph Levada (2005–2012) were Commission Presidents.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Gerhard Ludwig Müller as Commission President on July 2, 2012 . On December 12, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Pietro Bovati SJ as secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

Members

President

Secretaries

Technical secretaries

Members

Documents

See also

In connection with the Biblical Commission, other biblical encyclics are also significant:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ List of published documents , accessed February 5, 2015.