WITHHOLDING THE BIBLE FROM THE PEOPLE.--THE READER WILL RECOGNIZE THAT THE TEXT OF THIS VOLUME WAS WRITTEN PRIOR TO VATICAN COUNCIL II, WITH ITS SOMEWHAT ALTERED POLICIES IN REGARD TO THE READING OF THE SCRIPTURES.

THROUGH THE CENTURIES, THE ATTITUDE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TOWARD CIRCULATION OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES IN VERNACULAR VERSIONS AMONG THE LAITY SHOWS UP AS NEGATIVE. SEE FOR EXAMPLE G. P. FISHER, THE REFORMATION, CH. 15, PAR. 16 (1873 ED., PP. 530-532); J. CARDINAL GIBBONS, THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS, CH. 8 (49TH ED., 1897), PP. 98-117; JOHN DOWLING, HISTORY OF ROMANISM, B. 7, CH. 2, SEC. 14; AND B. 9, CH. 3, SECS. 24-27 (1871 ED., PP. 491-496, 621-625); L. F. BUNGENER, HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, PP. 101-110 (2D EDINBURGH ED., 1853, TRANSLATED BY D. D. SCOTT); G. H. PUTNAM, BOOKS AND THEIR MAKERS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES, VOL. 1, PT. 2, CH. 2, PARS. 49, 54-56. SEE ALSO INDEX OF PROHIBITED BOOKS (VATICAN POLYGLOT PRESS, 1930), PP. IX, X; TIMOTHY HURLEY, A COMMENTARY ON THE PRESENT INDEX LEGISLATION (NEW YORK: BENZIGER BROTHERS, 1908), P. 71; TRANSLATION OF THE GREAT ENCYCLICAL LETTERS OF LEO XIII (NEW YORK: BENZIGER BROTHERS, 1903), P. 413.

BUT IN RECENT YEARS A DRAMATIC AND POSITIVE CHANGE HAS OCCURRED IN THIS RESPECT. ON THE ONE HAND, THE CHURCH HAS APPROVED SEVERAL VERSIONS PREPARED ON THE BASIS OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES; ON THE OTHER, IT HAS PROMOTED THE STUDY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES BY MEANS OF FREE DISTRIBUTION AND BIBLE INSTITUTES. THE CHURCH, HOWEVER, CONTINUES TO RESERVE FOR HERSELF THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE IN THE LIGHT OF HER OWN TRADITION, THUS JUSTIFYING THOSE DOCTRINES THAT DO NOT HARMONIZE WITH BIBLICAL TEACHINGS.

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