Pope thanks United Bible Societies for their work
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday thanked members of the United Bible Societies for their "patient, attentive, fraternal, competent and faithful" work.
The Pope was receiving them in audience in the Vatican after having been presented with the new Italian version of the Bible, an inter-confessional translation in current Italian, fruit of the collaboration between the United Bible Societies Italian branch, and the ELLEDICI Publishing House.
In his discourse, the Pope expressed his desire that "all Christians be able to get to know 'Jesus Christ's sublime science' through the reading of the Word of God, because the sacred text is the nutrient of the soul and the pure and eternal source of our spiritual life".
The United Bible Societies is made up of 146 Bible Societies operating in over 200 countries and territories. Together, they are the biggest translator, publisher and distributor of the Bible in the world. They are also active in areas such as literacy training, HIV and AIDS prevention and disaster relief. Bible Societies work with all Christian Churches and many international non-governmental organisations.
Please find below Vatican Radio's translation of the Pope's discourse:
Dear Brothers in Christ,
I thank you for having come here to present me with the new Italian version of the Bible Word of God, an inter-confessional translation in current Italian, fruit of the collaboration between the United Bible Societies and the ELLEDICI Publishing House.
The preparation of an inter-confessional version is a particularly significant effort, if one thinks of how many debates on the Scriptures have influenced division, especially in the West. This inter-confessional project, that has given you the opportunity to walk together over a couple of decades, has allowed you to entrust your hearts to your companions on this journey, overcoming suspicion and diffidence, with the trust that is born from common love for the Word of God.
Your work is the fruit of patience, attentiveness, fraternity, competency and, above all, faith. If you do not believe you do not understand; "unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm" (Is 7, 9). I hope that this text, that we receive with the blessing of the Conference of Italian Bishops and the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, may incite all Christians of Italian language to meditate, to live, to bear witness and to celebrate God's message.
It is my wish that all Christians be able to get to know 'Jesus Christ's sublime science' (Phil 3, 8) through the reading of the Word of God, because the sacred text is the nutrient of the soul and the pure and eternal source of our spiritual life. So we must make every effort so that each believer may read God's Word, because as Saint Jerome says "ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ".
I offer all of you my heartfelt thanks, because what you have done together is precious in realizing this objective and I encourage you to continue in the journey you have undertaken, so as to allow for the better and deeper comprehension of the Word of the living God.
May my blessing accompany you, a blessing I impart also on your collaborators.
(from Vatican Radio) : http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-thanks-united-bible-societies-for-their-work
2014-09-29 Vatican Radio
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday thanked members of the United Bible Societies for their "patient, attentive, fraternal, competent and faithful" work.
The Pope was receiving them in audience in the Vatican after having been presented with the new Italian version of the Bible, an inter-confessional translation in current Italian, fruit of the collaboration between the United Bible Societies Italian branch, and the ELLEDICI Publishing House.
In his discourse, the Pope expressed his desire that "all Christians be able to get to know 'Jesus Christ's sublime science' through the reading of the Word of God, because the sacred text is the nutrient of the soul and the pure and eternal source of our spiritual life".
The United Bible Societies is made up of 146 Bible Societies operating in over 200 countries and territories. Together, they are the biggest translator, publisher and distributor of the Bible in the world. They are also active in areas such as literacy training, HIV and AIDS prevention and disaster relief. Bible Societies work with all Christian Churches and many international non-governmental organisations.
Please find below Vatican Radio's translation of the Pope's discourse:
Dear Brothers in Christ,
I thank you for having come here to present me with the new Italian version of the Bible Word of God, an inter-confessional translation in current Italian, fruit of the collaboration between the United Bible Societies and the ELLEDICI Publishing House.
The preparation of an inter-confessional version is a particularly significant effort, if one thinks of how many debates on the Scriptures have influenced division, especially in the West. This inter-confessional project, that has given you the opportunity to walk together over a couple of decades, has allowed you to entrust your hearts to your companions on this journey, overcoming suspicion and diffidence, with the trust that is born from common love for the Word of God.
Your work is the fruit of patience, attentiveness, fraternity, competency and, above all, faith. If you do not believe you do not understand; "unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm" (Is 7, 9). I hope that this text, that we receive with the blessing of the Conference of Italian Bishops and the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, may incite all Christians of Italian language to meditate, to live, to bear witness and to celebrate God's message.
It is my wish that all Christians be able to get to know 'Jesus Christ's sublime science' (Phil 3, 8) through the reading of the Word of God, because the sacred text is the nutrient of the soul and the pure and eternal source of our spiritual life. So we must make every effort so that each believer may read God's Word, because as Saint Jerome says "ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ".
I offer all of you my heartfelt thanks, because what you have done together is precious in realizing this objective and I encourage you to continue in the journey you have undertaken, so as to allow for the better and deeper comprehension of the Word of the living God.
May my blessing accompany you, a blessing I impart also on your collaborators.
(from Vatican Radio) : http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-thanks-united-bible-societies-for-their-work