Why is the "Catholic Bible" called the Douay

[johnnyjones]

After being raised Catholic (didn’t study the scriptures as a youngster) and then going into Fundamentalism for 20 years I never developed an accurate understanding of a “Catholic Bible”. What is the name Douay (and Rheims) based on? Is the NAB a “Catholic only usage” bible? Thanks.

 

[Splagchnizomai]

The Douay-Rheims (Douay from the English College at Douay/Douai, France, and Rheims is the name of the French city where it was first published in 1582) is an older translation of the Holy Bible. It’s still fantastic, but it isn’t what is used at Mass today.

www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translations/

USCCB Approved Translations of the Sacred Scriptures: 1991 – Present

Books of the New Testament, Alba House

Contemporary English Version - New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Psalms, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society

The Grail Psalter (Inclusive Language Version), G.I.A. Publications

New American Bible, Revised Old Testament

New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches The Psalms, Alba House

The Psalms (New International Version) – St. Joseph Catholic Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Company

The Psalms – St. Joseph New Catholic Version, Catholic Book Publishing Company

Revised Psalms of the New American Bible (I would assume the '91 NAB Psalms)

So You May Believe, A Translation of the Four Gospels, Alba House

Today’s English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society

Translation for Early Youth, A Translation of the New Testament for Children, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society

 

[wardrandolph]

Hello.Catholics in England faced persecution(loss of land,work,Mass was celebrated sometimes secretly etc).Because of this,some Catholics fled to France to the towns of Douay and Rheims.these tows were close to one another.These English speaking Catholics wanted Sacred Scripture in their vanacular(English)so the Vatican gave permission to translate the Latin text(Vulgate) into English.This is the reason its called the Douay or Douay-Rheims Bible and for us Pre Vatican 2 Catholics,this is the Bible we grew up with.I still read the Challoner Edition and love it,but I also read the NAB.Hope this helps.

 

[johnnyjones]

Hello.Catholics in England faced persecution(loss of land,work,Mass was celebrated sometimes secretly etc).Because of this,some Catholics fled to France to the towns of Douay and Rheims.these tows were close to one another.These English speaking Catholics wanted Sacred Scripture in their vanacular(English)so the Vatican gave permission to translate the Latin text(Vulgate) into English.This is the reason its called the Douay or Douay-Rheims Bible and for us Pre Vatican 2 Catholics,this is the Bible we grew up with.I still read the Challoner Edition and love it,but I also read the NAB.Hope this helps.

It helps a lot . Thanks!

 

[patrick457]

After being raised Catholic (didn’t study the scriptures as a youngster) and then going into Fundamentalism for 20 years I never developed an accurate understanding of a “Catholic Bible”. What is the name Douay (and Rheims) based on? Is the NAB a “Catholic only usage” bible? Thanks.

Back when Catholics (and, well, just about everyone who was not of the Church of England, which includes the Puritans) faced persecution in England itself, the Recusants, as they were called, took refuge on the European mainland. The center of English Catholicism was the English College in Douai, France, founded for the purpose of training priests to reconvert the English to Catholicism. It was here where the idea of making a Catholic translation of the Bible into English was produced.

The college was temporarily in Reims at the time when the New Testament was published (1582): hence the reason why it is called the Rheims New Testament. Because they did not have enough funds at the time, publication of the Old Testament was postponed until much later in 1609-10 (the Douai Old Testament), at which time the college was back in Douai again.

 

[Bible_Reader]

Is the NAB a “Catholic only usage” bible?

If you are asking if non-Catholics use the NAB, the answer is clearly: yes. Indeed, the Episcopal Church USA explicitly states that the NAB is an acceptable Bible.

You may be interested to know that the NAB translation group included Protestants and Jews. Other contemporary translations, such as the NJB, also had ecumenical teams translating. This is explicitly allowed by Canon Law and Dei Verbum

 

[DavidGarcia]

The Douay-Rheims (Douay from the English College at Douay/Douai, France, and Rheims is the name of the French city where it was first published in 1582) is an older translation of the Holy Bible. It’s still fantastic, but it isn’t what is used at Mass today.

www.usccb.org/bible/approved-translations/

USCCB Approved Translations of the Sacred Scriptures: 1991 – Present

Books of the New Testament, Alba House

Contemporary English Version - New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Psalms, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society

The Grail Psalter (Inclusive Language Version), G.I.A. Publications

New American Bible, Revised Old Testament

New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches The Psalms, Alba House

The Psalms (New International Version) – St. Joseph Catholic Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Company

The Psalms – St. Joseph New Catholic Version, Catholic Book Publishing Company

Revised Psalms of the New American Bible (I would assume the '91 NAB Psalms)

So You May Believe, A Translation of the Four Gospels, Alba House

Today’s English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society

Translation for Early Youth, A Translation of the New Testament for Children, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society

Ok I am VERY confused here… No Douay Rheims on this list?? No RSV-CE on this list? No JB or NJB on this list???

 

[dmar198]

Ok I am VERY confused here… No Douay Rheims on this list?? No RSV-CE on this list? No JB or NJB on this list???

Read it carefully: the list only covers translations published “1991 – Present”. If you go to the original webpage it clearly states that older approved Catholic translations may still be used. The RSV-CE, the Jerusalem Bible, and the Douay-Rheims Bible were all approved prior to 1991.

 

[Bible_Reader]

I am a little surprised to see this ancient thread revived.

Before the Code of Canon Law of 1983, imprimatur on books of Sacred Scripture were approved by local bishops. The JB, RSV-CE and some editions of Challoner’s revisions of Douay-Rheims were approved in this way. These have imprimatur, but under the older Canon law.

The Code of Canon Law of 1983 (Canon 825.1) changed the rules of imprimatur for Sacred Scripture:

Books of the sacred scriptures cannot be published unless the Apostolic See or the conference of bishops has approved them. For the publication of their translations into the vernacular, it is also required that they be approved by the same authority and provided with necessary and sufficient annotations.

Thus, more recent translations published in the US first must be approved by the USCCB (or the Vatican). Translations first published in other areas are approved by the relevant bishops conferences.

My edition of the NJB lists a June 18, 1985 imprimatur by Cardinal Hume (Archbishop of Westminster). I presume that Cardinal Hume was acting for the CBCEW in granting this imprimatur.