Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The Church's life and mission necessarily rest upon the Word of God, which is the soul of theology and, at the same time, the inspiration of all of Christian life,” the Holy Father Benedict XVI emphasized in the audience he held on April 23 with participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, which reflected on the inspiration and truth of the Bible. This theme responds to a deep concern of the Holy Father, as he expressed in the audience, because “the interpretation of Sacred Scripture is of vital importance for Christian faith and for the life of the Church.”
The Pope recalled the “great impulse given to Biblical studies” given by Popes Leo XIII and Pius XII, with further developments in the Second Vatican Council, especially the Conciliar Constitution “Dei Verbum” that “today continues to illumine the work of Catholic exegetes and invites Pastors and faithful to nourish themselves more frequently from the table of the Word of God.” The Pope then mentioned that “from a correct approach to the concept of divine inspiration and truth in Sacred Scripture derive certain norms that directly concern its interpretation.” The Constitution Dei Verbum, having affirmed that God is the author of the Bible, reminds us that in Sacred Scripture God speaks to mankind in a human manner. Benedict XVI also highlighted that “for a correct interpretation of Scripture we must, then, carefully examine what the hagiographers really sought to say and what God was pleased to reveal with their words.”
The Holy Father then named three criteria from the Second Vatican Council that are “perennially-valid for interpreting Sacred Scripture in accordance with the Spirit that inspired it. In the first place, great attention must be given to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture... In the second place", he added, "Scripture must be read in the context of the living Tradition of the entire Church. ... In her Tradition the Church carries the living memory of the Word of God, and it is the Holy Spirit Who provides her with the interpretation thereof in accordance with its spiritual meaning. The third criterion concerns the need to pay attention to the analogy of the faith; that is, to the cohesion of the individual truths of faith, both with one another and with the overall plan of Revelation and the fullness of the divine economy enclosed in that plan.”
Addressing the task of scholars who study the various systems of Sacred Scripture, Benedict XVI affirmed: “The academic study of the sacred texts is not by itself sufficient. In order to respect the coherence of the Church's faith, Catholic exegetes must be careful to perceive the Word of God in these texts, within the faith of the Church. If this fundamental point is missing from exegetical research, it would remain incomplete, losing sight of its ultimate purpose, with the danger of being reduced to a purely literary work, in which the real Author – God – no longer appears. The interpretation of Sacred Scriptures cannot be a merely an individual academic undertaking, but must always be compared with, inserted into, and authenticated by the living Tradition of the Church. This norm is essential in order to ensure a correct and reciprocal exchange between exegesis and Church Magisterium. Catholic exegetes do not nourish the individualistic illusion that biblical texts can be better understood outside the community of believers. The opposite is true, because these texts were not given to individual scholars 'to satisfy their curiosity or to provide them with material for study and research'. The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the community of believers, to the Church of Christ, to nourish the faith and to guide the life of charity. The respect of this end denotes the validity and efficacy of Biblical hermeneutics.”
In concluding his address, the Pope highlighted once more the “indispensable union between Sacred Scripture and Tradition, as both come forth from the same source” and “Only within the ecclesial context can Sacred Scripture be understood as the authentic Word of God which is guide, norm and rule for the life of the Church and the spiritual development of believers. This means rejecting all interpretations that are subjective or limited to mere analysis [and hence] incapable of accepting the global meaning which, over the course of the centuries, has guided the Tradition of the entire People of God.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 24/4/2009)
