Does the Church think that Scripture is important?

During my various apologetic endeavours I have often heard the assertion that that Catholic Church doesn’t think much of Sacred Scripture. I have been told by well-meaning non-Catholics that the Church doesn’t care about God’s word and that our clergy do everything they can to keep the Bible out of the hands of their congregations.

When meeting with these assertions, I invite my interlocutors to peruse the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the official compendium of all that we believe as Catholics. The section concerning Sacred Scripture begins at paragraph #101. It draws heavily from a Second Vatican Council constitution “Dei Verbum” (“Word of God”) and is a nice summary of that conciliar document.

So, what does the Church actually believe and teach about Sacred Scripture?

Sacrament & Word

One of the most powerful statements concerning Sacred Scripture appears early on in the catechism, towards the end of paragraph 103:

#103: …the Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the Lord’s Body. She never ceases to present to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God’s Word and Christ’s Body

That’s quite a statement! The Catechism compares the Catholic love of Scripture to the Catholic love of the Eucharist! And we all know how nuts Catholics are about the Eucharist…

This extract goes on to say that there is a unity between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, through which the Catholic faithful are fed “the bread of life”. If you attend a typical Roman-Rite Catholic Mass you will hear a considerable amount of Scripture read aloud by the Lectors. There is usually a Reading from the Old Testament, then a psalm, an extract from a New Testament epistle and finally a section from one of the Gospels. Now, that’s a lot of Scripture! Over the course of a year every Catholic will have heard a substantial portion of the Bible, covering all the major events and themes of Salvation History, and that’s even if one restricts oneself to Mass on Sundays alone…

Scripture’s Liturgical Home

A few paragraphs later the Catechism speaks specifically about the Gospels:

#127: The fourfold Gospel holds a unique place in the Church, as is evident…in the veneration which the liturgy accords it

I  mentioned above that there is a considerable amount of Scripture read at Mass. However, as this quotation points out, special attention in the liturgy is given to the Gospel Reading.

The Gospel book is typically eye-catchingly ornate. It is usually carried overhead during the opening liturgical procession. When it comes time for the Gospel proclamation, it is typically accompanied with prayers, incense, candles (and, in the East, ripidia) and is even kissed.

Why are all these things done in the liturgy? Put simply, they are done out of a love for Scripture, to demonstrate the importance of the Gospel and to prepare the congregation to hear the word of God proclaimed.

The Saint-Making Machine

The Catechism then goes on to speak about “the surpassing attraction [the Gospels have] exercised on the saints at all times” and then provides quotations from two canonized female Saints, one from St. Caesaria the Younger and another from St. Therese of Lisieux:

“…it’s the gospels that occupy my mind when I’m at prayer; my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I’m always finding fresh lights there; hidden meanings which had meant nothing to me hitherto” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux, ms. autob. A 83v

The architects of the Catechism could obviously have provided many, many more quotations from Catholics throughout the centuries who have been profoundly affected by the word of God.

Exhortation to Exploration

The closing paragraphs of this Section of the Catechism, entitled “Sacred Scripture In The Life of the Church”, are simply stellar. If the preceding paragraphs had left the reader in any doubt as to the Catholic Church’s view of Sacred Scripture, then these final sentences lay them to rest.

#131: “And such is the force and power of the Word of God that it can serve the Church as her support and vigor, and the children of the Church as strength for their faith, food for the soul, and a pure and lasting fount of spiritual life“

So, the Catechism teaches that the Bible is a crucial source for spiritual nourishment for both the Church as a whole and for individual believers. It goes on…

#131-133: … Hence “access to Sacred Scripture ought to be open wide to the Christian faithful… the study of the sacred page should be the very soul of sacred theology. …pastoral preaching, catechetics and all forms of Christian instruction, among which the liturgical homily should hold pride of place – is healthily nourished and thrives in holiness through the Word of Scripture… The Church “forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures“

The Catholic Church wants all Christians to read the Bible and use it as the basis for their teaching! Who would have thought it?! 😉 The Catechism concludes with a quotation from St. Jerome, author of the Latin Vulgate and probably one of the greatest Scripture scholars of all history:

Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ – St. Jerome

So, yes, we Catholics think Scripture is kinda important 😉