Why the NAB when the Holy Father uses the RSV-CE?

[T_More]

Why is it that in the English speaking world within the Latin Rite of the Church we are forced to use the NAB in the liturgy, when the Holy Father uses the RSV-CE for scriptural references for English reading audiences in his books? If I’m not mistaken, even the Catechism cites from the RSV-CE. It’s seems very disjointed, and quite frankly, makes it difficult to really be able to have a fluid bible study with others when some will show up with an NAB, some a Jerusalem (which I do like), others a RSV-CE (I like too) and others a Haydock (I like as well), etc. I realize the content is essentially the same, but there are some difficulties sometimes.

To my mind, it would make sense if the English speaking areas of the world within the Latin Rite all were using the same version for simplicity’s sake. Thoughts?

 

[Splagchnizomai]

IIRC it has something to do with licensing. The NAB/NABRE is so tightly controlled by the USCCB that is very difficult to use it (meaning they ask for a lot of money to use it) when publishing books on Catholicism, apologetics, etc. The RSV-CE has a much more generous policy on using its translation.

It also has to do with the quality of the translation and critical notes.

 

[Samuel63]

I agree that the NAB is not the best translation. Most modern scholars favor the RSV 2nd Catholic Edition.

The previous translation of the mass, the version we used before Advent 2011, was also a poor translation. The other major european languages got it right but we here in America were stuck with a rather weak version. I wonder if the NAB and this old translation of the liturgy are connected. Perhaps the same people or bias was involved with both efforts.

I also find it odd that we need an “American” bible. I am fine with a real bible that has not been “americanized.”

In summary, I feel on occasion the USCCB is standing between us faithful and our Vicar of Christ in Rome. We here in American are being somewhat misled.

 

[Canto]

when the Holy Father uses the RSV-CE for scriptural references for English reading audiences in his books? If I’m not mistaken, even the Catechism cites from the RSV-CE.

To clarify, the publisher not the Pope uses the RSV-CE
The Catechism adapts the RSV and NRSV
US uses the NAB edit, Canada NRSV edit, the Caribbean RSV
the rest of the English world uses the original JB

It would be great though if we all just used the one translation.

Personally the Church should just translate the Nova Vulgata into English.
We’d get all the traditional phrases like Virgin in Isaiah and Full of Grace in Luke
plus nice and sacral language AND the Church wouldn’t have to worry about copyright
or licensing and/or royalties with Bible Associations or Protestant groups.

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Nova Vulgata translated into English would be great–and guess what–it would be protestant biased or modernism biased.