Pope: the Bible must always be interpreted within the great Tradition of the Church

Pope: the Bible must always be
interpreted within the great Tradition of the Church
Greeting members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission,
Francis insists that the exegesis of Scripture "cannot be only an individual
scientific effort." The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of
believers, the Church of Christ, to nourish the faith and guide a life of
charity. This morning a visit to the Secretariat of State.



Vatican City (AsiaNews): "The
interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific
effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and
authenticated by the living tradition of the Church". It is a principle that
Pope Francis has called "essential to specify the correct relationship between
exegesis and the Magisterium of the Church," in his address to the members of
the Pontifical Biblical Commission, received today at the end of their plenary
assembly on the theme of "Inspiration and Truth of the Bible."

"It is -
said the Pope - It is a matter that affects not only the individual believer,
but the whole Church, for the life and mission of the Church is founded on the
Word of God, which is the soul of theology and the inspiration of all Christian
life. As we know, the Holy Scriptures are the testimony in written form of God's
Word, the canonical memorial that attests to the event of Revelation. The Word
of God, therefore, precedes and exceeds the Bible. It is for this reason that
the center of our faith is not only a book, but a history of salvation and
especially a Person, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. Precisely because
the Word of God embraces and extends beyond Scripture to understand it properly
we need the constant presence of the Holy Spirit who "guide us to all truth" (Jn
16:13). It should be inserted within the current of the great Tradition which,
through the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Magisterium,
recognized the canonical writings as the Word addressed by God to His people who
have never ceased to meditate and discover its inexhaustible riches. The Second
Vatican Council has reiterated this with great clarity in the Dogmatic
Constitution Dei Verbum: "For all of what has been said about the way of
interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the judgment of the Church, which
carries out the divine commission and ministry of guarding and interpreting the
word of God "(n. 12)".

"As the aforementioned conciliar Constitution
reminds us, there is an unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition, as
both come from the same source: "There exists a close connection and
communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them,
flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and
tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it
is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred
tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit
to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that
led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve
this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known.
Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her
certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred
tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same
sense of loyalty and reverence "(ibid., 9)".

"It follows, therefore, that
the exegete must be careful to perceive the Word of God present in the biblical
texts by placing them within the faith of the Church. The interpretation of the
Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always
confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living
tradition of the Church. This norm is essential to specify the correct
relationship between exegesis and the Magisterium of the Church. The texts
inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of believers, the Church of
Christ, to nourish the faith and guide the life of charity. Respect for this
profound nature of Scripture conditions the very validity and effectiveness of
biblical hermeneutics. This results in the insufficiency of any interpretation
that is either subjective or simply limited to an analysis incapable of
embracing the global meaning that has constituted the Tradition of the entire
People of God over the centuries, which "in credendo falli nequit" [cannot be
mistaken in belief - ed](Conc Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. VAT. II,
Dogmatic Cost. Lumen Gentium, 12)".

"May the Virgin Mary, model of
docility and obedience to the Word of God, teach you to accept fully the
inexhaustible riches of Sacred Scripture not only through intellectual pursuits,
but in prayer and throughout your life of believers, especially in this Year of
the Faith, so that your work will help to shine the light of Sacred Scripture in
the hearts of the faithful".

This morning, Pope Francis also made his
first visit to the Secretariat of State. Father Federico Lombardi, director of
the Holy See Press Office said the meeting lasted fifty minutes, during which
the Pope addressed those present with few words, "all centered on the theme of
sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the welcome that he has been given and for
the great amount of work done in this period. " He then mentioned that tomorrow
will be exactly one month since his election and expressed appreciation for the
work done by the two sections of the Secretariat of State and greeted each of
the 300 present, one by one.