Catholic vs Protestant Names for Books in the Bible

[Asperges_Me]

My old Catholic Bibles have the “Book of the Apocalypse” instead of the “Book of Revelation” and “1-4 Kings” instead of “1-2 Samuel” and “1-2 Kings”. However, we recently received a new Catholic Bible as a gift and it uses the latter names. I was always under the impression the latter names were Protestant in origin and not the proper Catholic names for these books. I heard one sermon where the priest attempted to address the issue. He was saying it was a Catholic ecumenical gesture to adopt the Protestant names. But I can’t even find anything on the internet about it. Does anyone know when the Protestant names were first allowed to be used? Is there a specific document that directed or authorized this change? Also, is it mandatory to use the revised names during Mass for example, or could a lector revert to the previous Catholic names?

 

[MarkThompson]

I’m not immediately sure of the answers to several of your questions, but I can tell you that “Revelation” and “Apocalypse” mean the same thing. The Greek word Ἀποκάλυψις doesn’t mean “doomsday”; it can be transliterated as Apocalypse or translated as Revelation.

 

[japhy]

I heard [a] priest … saying it was a Catholic ecumenical gesture to adopt the Protestant names.

Let’s assume for a moment it this is true. Is there any doctrinal issue at stake here? If not, I feel that there is nothing wrong with this gesture. It’s not like we’re excising the seven books the Protestants don’t accept.

In the Confraternity Bible my family has from the late 1950’s (I think), the books of Chronicles are called by their Greek name, Paralipomenon (“Of things passed over”).

Does anyone know when the Protestant names were first allowed to be used? Is there a specific document that directed or authorized this change?

Not a clue. Might be better asked in the Scripture sub-forum.

Also, is it mandatory to use the revised names during Mass for example, or could a lector revert to the previous Catholic names?

“No other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 22.3)

The names are to be read as they are found in the Lectionary.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Asp,

I am not aware that there was ever a formal decisions on this; When it was obligatory, or thought obligatory, to translate from the Vulgate, Catholics followed the names used therein. When they translated from the original texts, they used the names used in the original texts. As far as Samuel and Kings is concerned, it is all to the good, for the old names gave rise to a lot of confusion. As for Apocalypse, the Greek name, it means Revelation.

The Nova Vulgata uses Samuel and Kings but keeps Apocalypse.

Verbum