Has the Church ever discouraged reading the Bible?

[Norbert]

Well it depends on what one means by "the Church"...one of the Popes of the reformation hurled a vernacular bible into the fireplace yelling that reading it would damage the faith.

Doesn't make that ok by any stretch.

[Su]

Well it depends on what one means by "the Church"...one of the Popes of the reformation hurled a vernacular bible into the fireplace yelling that reading it would damage the faith.

Doesn't make that ok by any stretch.

But it would.

Compare the plain teachings given to us versus what is written in scripture. People who replace proper instruction with a cursory read of the vernacular Bible are missing almost everything.

It is better for the Pope to say "do not use contraception" than for people to figure out where in scripture it is condemned (http://blog.fisheaters.com/uncategorized/the-sin-of-veneficia/)

[Norbert]

Well it depends on what one means by "the Church"...one of the Popes of the reformation hurled a vernacular bible into the fireplace yelling that reading it would damage the faith.

Doesn't make that ok by any stretch.

But it would.

Compare the plain teachings given to us versus what is written in scripture. People who replace proper instruction with a cursory read of the vernacular Bible are missing almost everything.

It is better for the Pope to say "do not use contraception" than for people to figure out where in scripture it is condemned (http://blog.fisheaters.com/uncategorized/the-sin-of-veneficia/)

Isn't that backfiring?  Trads read the bible way more, as do ex-protestant catholics (I am both), and they know things, among which is how to defend the Catholic faith in word and deed.

On the other hand, the Popes tell Neocaths that "Muslims are included in the plan of salvation" and suddenly people who've never read St. Paul on "the gods of the pagans are but demons" believe in universal salvation.

[SouthpawLink]

Here are some pertinent passages:

"It is useful and necessary at all times, in all places, and for every kind of person, to study and to know the spirit, the piety, and the mysteries of Sacred Scripture" -- Condemned (Pope Clement XI, Unigenitus, 8 September 1713, n. 79: Denz. 1429).

"The reading of Sacred Scripture is for all" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 80: 1430.).

"The Lord's Day ought to be sanctified by Christians with readings of pious works and above all of the Holy Scriptures. It is harmful for a Christian to wish to withdraw from this reading" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 82: Denz. 1432).

"To forbid Christians to read Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is to forbid the use of light to the sons of light, and to cause them to suffer a kind of excommunication" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 85: Denz. 1435).

http://www.catecheticsonline.com/SourcesofDogma15.php

[aquinas138]

Here are some pertinent passages:

"It is useful and necessary at all times, in all places, and for every kind of person, to study and to know the spirit, the piety, and the mysteries of Sacred Scripture" -- Condemned (Pope Clement XI, Unigenitus, 8 September 1713, n. 79: Denz. 1429).

"The reading of Sacred Scripture is for all" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 80: 1430.).

"The Lord's Day ought to be sanctified by Christians with readings of pious works and above all of the Holy Scriptures. It is harmful for a Christian to wish to withdraw from this reading" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 82: Denz. 1432).

"To forbid Christians to read Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is to forbid the use of light to the sons of light, and to cause them to suffer a kind of excommunication" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 85: Denz. 1435).

http://www.catecheticsonline.com/SourcesofDogma15.php

Pertinent passages that need to be read in the context (the condemnation of Jansenism and the corrupt translation of the NT by Quesnel) in which they were written.  These condemnations are often wrested out of context by Protestant polemicists.  It also bears mentioning that condemnations condemn the propositions in the sense they have in the work in question, not necessarily in every situation.

[SouthpawLink]

Here are some pertinent passages:

"It is useful and necessary at all times, in all places, and for every kind of person, to study and to know the spirit, the piety, and the mysteries of Sacred Scripture" -- Condemned (Pope Clement XI, Unigenitus, 8 September 1713, n. 79: Denz. 1429).

"The reading of Sacred Scripture is for all" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 80: 1430.).

"The Lord's Day ought to be sanctified by Christians with readings of pious works and above all of the Holy Scriptures. It is harmful for a Christian to wish to withdraw from this reading" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 82: Denz. 1432).

"To forbid Christians to read Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is to forbid the use of light to the sons of light, and to cause them to suffer a kind of excommunication" -- Condemned (Ibid., n. 85: Denz. 1435).

http://www.catecheticsonline.com/SourcesofDogma15.php

Pertinent passages that need to be read in the context (the condemnation of Jansenism and the corrupt translation of the NT by Quesnel) in which they were written.  These condemnations are often wrested out of context by Protestant polemicists.  It also bears mentioning that condemnations condemn the propositions in the sense they have in the work in question, not necessarily in every situation.

Agreed.  The OP now knows where to look for the condemnations in question, so that he may study them in context.

[Vetus Ordo]

"Has the Church ever discouraged reading the Bible?"

Yes, in very broad terms.

The free access to Scripture by the laity is something relatively recent, only made possible after Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press in the 15th century. That was also what enabled Protestantism to flourish and take root, by the way.

The counter-reformed spirit of the Church did put enormous restraints on the free access to Scripture, given the spread of Protestantism. In fact, in countries like Portugal for instance, the first vernacular Catholic Bible only appeared in the 19th century after the abolition of the Inquisition. Similar things happened in Spain. In the 20th century, it became more normal to see Catholics reading Scripture but still in very small numbers when compared to the Protestant world. My old grandmother who died recently was a pious Catholic her whole life and I don't think she ever read the Bible. She was born in the 1920's. It was simply something not encouraged at all by the traditional Church.

[JayneK]

I have an old Catholic Bible, published around the late 1800s, that has in its introductory materials a papal letter granting an indulgence for reading the Bible.  (I can't remember many details and it's at my other house so I can't look it up.) 

As others have already said, there have been times when reading the Bible was discouraged, and with good reason.  However this has not always been the case.

[Su]

The free access to Scripture by the laity is something relatively recent, only made possible after Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press in the 15th century. That was also what enabled Protestantism to flourish and take root, by the way.

That is true, but I'd also emphasize that the mere widespread availability of scripture was not the cause of the Protestant spread. The ability to spread written texts, of all sorts, the support of political leaders eager to rid themselves of the influence of the Church, and the madness of Luther and other "reformers" are what caused it.

The removal of the authority of the Church by Luther required him to find a replacement. Interestingly, the faith of the Church, handed to us from the Apostles from Christ, is for everybody. Protestantism is only for the literate who have access to a printed book in their own language.

The counter-reformed spirit of the Church did put enormous restraints on the free access to Scripture, given the spread of Protestantism. In fact, in countries like Portugal for instance, the first vernacular Catholic Bible only appeared in the 19th century after the abolition of the Inquisition. Similar things happened in Spain. In the 20th century, it became more normal to see Catholics reading Scripture but still in very small numbers when compared to the Protestant world. My old grandmother who died recently was a pious Catholic her whole life and I don't think she ever read the Bible. She was born in the 1920's. It was simply something not encouraged at all by the traditional Church.

I think a major part of this would be the fact that many available "Bibles" were not from the Church. If the chance any given book is not from the Church is high, then caution is warranted. Also, scripture itself is profitable to study, but it is something one must study. By itself, it is very difficult to get much out of it. It is better to know what it teaches from the people entrusted (and recorded as being entrusted in Scripture itself) to teach what is handed to them.

Your old grandmother, may she rest in peace, probably knew what scripture taught in terms of the Faith and morals very well.

[kayla_veronica]

I wouldn't.  I'd shout, "The power of Christ compels you!!!" and then fling holy water in their face.  This usually causes them to hiss and pull their capes over their faces.  Works every time.

Protties.   

I’ve noticed several posts from you in the past being very uncharitable when it comes to relations with non-Catholic Christians. I was a Protestant until I met a trad Catholic family and fell in love with the Faith. No one had ever introduced me to the Faith before then. Most “Protties” grow up with false (planted) notions on Catholicism and it should be our duty to correct the misconceptions they have, not  at them.

Also, if your attitudes about Protestants are serious, then it appears you would have not welcomed me, and other converts on the this forum (not to mention potential converts) to the Faith. I very much hope that is not true.