Did popes murder those who read the bible

[Roseeurekacross]

just gold!

On a serious note, tell your incredilbly uneducated Baptist Minister friend to watch the DVD Catholicism series by the then Rev Robert Barron, who is now Bishop Barron. It should be easily found in any library or ordered in.

Tell him it should dispel a few of his myths. And then another good series is that of the Popes by SBS Australia.

 

[VeryBlessed]

I’ve known so many deeply faithful beautifully committed Baptist people. It seems so antithetical that some of them would embrace and propagate such outrageous misinformation. They really are people who love Jesus and his holy word, but it’s amazing the outright lies and distortions some of them will happily propagate about the Catholic Church. It’s very sad. As guanophore said, to propagate this sort of lie is a direct violation of one of the 10 commandments. And who is the Father of lies? Is good ever served by a lie? The walls that divide Christians are built of lies.

 

[Wannano]

I’ve known so many deeply faithful beautifully committed Baptist people. It seems so antithetical that some of them would embrace and propagate such outrageous misinformation. They really are people who love Jesus and his holy word, but it’s amazing the outright lies and distortions some of them will happily propagate about the Catholic Church. It’s very sad. As guanophore said, to propagate this sort of lie is a direct violation of one of the 10 commandments. And who is the Father of lies? Is good ever served by a lie? The walls that divide Christians are built of lies.

And there are people on both sides of the wall who love it!

 

[VeryBlessed]

The walls should grieve us deeply, especially in light of Jesus high priestly prayer in John, right before going to the cross, praying over and over that we might be one as he & his Father are one. God forgive us.

 

[JerryZ]

Some people make the weirdest statements ever.

So how many people could actually read 200 years ago?
What about a 1000?
If you could read and write you probably had a title. We are familiar with it. “Scribes” these were wealthy people. Did you know that they still exist? In India they are still in business.
Even Jesus spoke about them.
So is your friend asserting that the Pope murdered scribes?

Also check out the Bible, Acts of the Apostles Verse 8:26 and forward.
Philip finds this non Jew reading scripture (the Old Testament). Did he murder the poor fellow who could not understand the passage?
Nope he preached to him the Gospels.
As others said let him bring forth proof of his assertion. No Pope would kill any one for reading the Bible. They would be betraying Philip and Jesus.

 

[Roguish]

[…] before the Protestant reformation the church murdered anyone who read a bible. Is this true? If not where did the story originate.

It’s true that in the Middle Ages it was forbidden for laity to read or possess the bible. I hope that’s not shocking news to you. Back then the RCC did not intend for the bible to be a publicly accessible book, and certainly not the exclusive scriptural basis for its teachings. Anyway, laity could still get access to the bible by getting special permission to study it. (Laity would need access to their parish’ copy of the bible anyway, since bibles in private possession were practically non-existent.)

As far as we know though, the penalty for possessing a private copy, or reading the bible without permission, was never death but simply exclusion from the sacraments, which was the penalty for most forms of disobedience. Only if you launched a schismatic movement, perhaps based on your own deviant interpretation of a bible passage, would you be in danger of capital punishment.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Evidence please. Most laity couldn’t even afford a Bible, much less read it.

 

[angel12]

Back then the RCC did not intend for the bible to be a publicly accessible book

The fact that most people would never own a Bible was due to economics and illiteracy.

 

[adamhovey1988]

No it’s not true, and the fact that professors, sometimes Catholic ones repeat this myth, is beyond me. If that were true, how would people have even have known the Bible? It’s kind of like the people that say that the Church kept the Mass in Latin to make people ignorant of what it really said in the Bible. People were a lot more religious back then, and if your life revolved around the Church, eventually you would learn at least some Latin, even if you couldn’t read it. it’s drivel, and the fact that people propagate this myth, is beyond me, in fact, I’m willing to bet there were some wealthier families that did in fact own private Bibles, during this time period this supposedly took place

 

[Roguish]

@adamhovey1988
@angel12

I’m puzzled that what I’m saying seems to be up for discussion or counterargument. It’s a commonly known historical fact that the bible was on the Church’s “Index” for many centuries. (You do know about the Index, right?)

As for “evidence”, this is really so commonly known, all you need is search the web for a minute. Here’s what quick search turns up:

‘We prohibit also that the laity should be permitted to have the books of the Old and the New Testament; unless anyone from the motives of devotion should wish to have the Psalter or the Breviary for divine offices or the hours of the blessed Virgin; but we most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books.’ (Edward Peters. Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe, Council of Toulouse, 1229, Canon 14, p 195.)

(Taken from this page.)

Anyway, OP’s question was whether people were put to death for going against this. They weren’t – as far as I know.

 

[pulchraesamicamea]

I was a Baptist and I’ve never heard of this story before. So I don’t think it’s true.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s true that in the Middle Ages it was forbidden for laity to read or possess the bible.

Not a problem for the vast majority of the laity who in those days were too poor to buy a book and were also illiterate, or even if literate did not have reading and language skills to the level needed to read a Bible.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Only if you launched a schismatic movement, perhaps based on your own deviant interpretation of a bible passage, would you be in danger of capital punishment.

Perhaps the Baptists in this case by “read a Bible” are really meaning “read and interpret according to your own ideas a Bible”.

 

[angel12]

As for “evidence”, this is really so commonly known, all you need is search the web for a minute. Here’s what quick search turns up:

‘We prohibit also that the laity should be permitted to have the books of the Old and the New Testament; unless anyone from the motives of devotion should wish to have the Psalter or the Breviary for divine offices or the hours of the blessed Virgin; but we most strictly forbid their having any translation of these books.’ (Edward Peters. Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe, Council of Toulouse, 1229, Canon 14, p 195.)

“A minute” often isn’t enough time to find full context. All you need is search the web for another minute or two, and you can find that context. Your quote is from a local Council, dealing with a particular situation, with a particular heresy, at a particular time.
http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=362488&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=

 

[Augustinian]

So how many people could actually read 200 years ago?
What about a 1000?

200 years ago, quite a few people could read- Ben Franklin was peddling his newspapers 250 years ago, all kind of literature were being peddled as the art and practice of printing expanded.

1000 years ago, it was a different story.

 

[cmscms]

Well, it is no secret that Popes have sinned. However, the God protects the church and ensures the teachings are always true, so… the Church never taught it was OK to murder. So did a pope ever commit the sin of killing someone? Too tired to research that so I won’t comment. However, the church NEVER taugh murder was OK.

I would ask your Baptist friend for proof no baptist ever sinned

 

[Sarcelle]

Bibles were also not readily available for anyone to read if they could read.

The printing press capable of mass producing books was a late invention.

 

[Sarcelle]

That’s because people on both sides of the wall are sinners.

 

[graciew]

Yes…but that people couldn t read or write is kind of too basic general knowledge before even start discussing what follows…
I wouldn t even challenge his/her friend to prove what he/she says…

 

[PickyPicky]

So how many people could actually read 200 years ago?

A very substantial proportion of people in Western Europe, according to

Literacy

Being able to read and write opens up the world of education and knowledge. When and why did more people become literate? How can progress continue?

ourworldindata.org