Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Matt's New American Bible Question


Fr. John Echert, left, performed a noon mass in Latin at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Assisting him are acolytes Joe Manders, center, and David Dvorak, right.


From EWTN.com:

Wow...I just read Matt's question regarding Christ's predictions of his own passion and the note mitigating it in the New American Bible, which I also own. You are right that the note does seem heretical. Could this be...A Bible with an imprimatur is teaching heresy? Is this part of the "smoke of Satan entering the Church"? I am stunned. Please tell us what study bible we should be using. I have always found this bible to be helpful in my reading of scripture and had not noticed this note or anything heretical previously. Thanks to Matt for being such an astute reader. And bravo on his conversion to the one true faith. Please help!

God bless you all.

Peter

Answer by Fr. John Echert on 9/19/2004:

I suspect the note, which denied the historicity of the Passion Predictions of our Lord in advance of His Passion, arises out of the modernist view which denies the prophetic knowledge of Christ. Such an heretical approach claims that the Gospels put words into the mouth of our Lord after the fact. This view is common among modernists, which is incompatible with the Faith.

The RSV-CE Study Edition (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition) published by Ignatius Press is much more orthodox in its notes, but it is only available in part--several volumes of the New Testament are currently sold, for about ten dollars per work. The Navarre series is another generally reliable source, though I regret that they follow the so-called "source theory" of the authorship and composition of the Pentateuch. A classic work which is complete and rock solid is the Haydock Commentary on the Douay Rheims, which can be viewed at:

http://leafletonline.com/catalog/the_douay-rheims_haydock_934546.htm

http://www.catholictreasures.com/cartdescrip/11050.html

Thanks, Peter

Father Echert

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