When such things cannot be know with certainty I will trust the heroic St. Jerome–living in a state of grace–commssioned by the pope many centuries ago on matters of doctrine over the guesses of non saint Protestant scholars ANY DAY!
Well, I always appreciate the dozens of questions you argue trying to prove your point, yet you, and some others, rarely answer any of the questions we propose. It is kind of like you are trying to “question” us into submission. I certainly try to read your questions, and others, and give it genuine, and honest, consideration. However, I unfortunately don’t see that reciprocated. Instead, the answers are usually a list of the same points, sometimes packaged differently, yet always going back to the same old responses.
St. Jerome is a Saint! Yes, I think we know that. However, there are many thousands of people who died who aren’t recognized saints, yet have made wonderful contributions to Biblical Studies over the past 2000 years. Perhaps those who helped translated the original Douay-Rheims. Maybe even Fr. Knox, who translated his very literary edition of the English Bible early in the 20th century. Who know, maybe some of those people who helped to make the Jerusalem Bible…Tolkien comes to mind. (How dare them use the original languages of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic!) Hmmm…And I dare say that even a few people who worked on the RSV or any other “modern” translation, who were Protestant, were welcomed into our Fathers mansion. What makes this whole discussion so interesting is that you will champion Trent and St. Jerome, yet your ears remaim closed to what the Church is saying now, and has been for the past 50+ years…which by the way does not contradict the constant teaching of the Church. I know you believe that.
Yet, if I were to logically follow your argument, we would have to suggest that our current Holy Father, prefers to have his English translation books to use the “heretical” RSV-CE. Hmm…I am not sure that sits well with me. And lets not forget the wonderful gift that is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Could not Joseph Ratzinger or JPII used some other translations than the RSV/NRSV for the scripture passages? Surely, there could have been a translation from the Nova Vulgata…which is the official Latin translation of the Latin Church (which by the way heavily relies on textual work done by modern Biblical scholars in light of the Greek and Hebrew originals.) Yet they did not.
Sorry mate, but I am going to follow what the Church says.
