The Catholic Bible — History, Canon, and Douay-Rheims Tradition

What Catholics Mean by “The Bible”

The Catholic Church professes the Bible as the inspired Word of God, entrusted to the Church and faithfully handed on in both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.¹ By apostolic Tradition, the Church discerned the full list of inspired books—called the canon—comprising 46 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books (73 total).² This canon includes the seven deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament—Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, and 1–2 Maccabees—plus additional passages in Esther and Daniel recognized in Catholic Bibles.³

How the Catholic Canon Was Affirmed

In the sixteenth century, amid disputes over the contents of Scripture, the Ecumenical Council of Trent (1546) solemnly listed the sacred books “entire with all their parts” and anathematized their rejection; the Council also referenced the long-received Latin tradition of reading them in the Vulgate.⁴ Trent simultaneously decreed that the “old Latin Vulgate” be held “authentic” in public use (lectures, preaching, disputation)—a juridical norm for ecclesial life, not a scholarly replacement for the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek texts.⁵

Vulgate, Clementine Vulgate, and the Nova Vulgata

St. Jerome’s Vulgate (late 4th–early 5th c.) became the West’s common Latin Bible. After Trent called for clarity about editions, a standardized Clementine Vulgate entered liturgical use (1592). In 1979, St. John Paul II promulgated the Nova Vulgata as the Church’s typical Latin edition—used especially for the sacred liturgy—while reiterating that translations are to be made from the original languages and that the NV serves as an “auxiliary tool” preserving the Latin tradition.⁶⁷

Douay-Rheims in English Catholic Life

The classic English Catholic Bible is the Douay-Rheims, produced from the Vulgate by scholars of the English College at Reims/Douai: New Testament (1582) and Old Testament (1609–1610). In the 18th century, Bishop Richard Challoner’s revisions greatly influenced subsequent printings and popular use.⁸ Many Douay book names retain venerable Latin-based titles (e.g., Josue, Paralipomenon, Osee, Micheas, Habacuc, Ecclesiasticus, Machabees, Apocalypse), which our inline reader fully recognizes.

Why Catholic Bibles Include the Deuterocanon

The seven books—and additions to Esther/Daniel—were widely read in Greek-speaking Judaism (witnessed in the Septuagint) and received in the life of the early Church. Catholic teaching affirms their inspiration and enduring value for doctrine and devotion (almsgiving, prayer for the dead, martyrdom, wisdom, and hope of resurrection).³

Interactive Table of Contents (73 Books)

Tip: type to filter (e.g., “Machabees” or “Sirach”). Deuterocanonical books & additions are highlighted.

Annotated Bibliography (Chicago style)

1) Vatican II, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation). Authoritative teaching on inspiration, Tradition/Scripture, and transmission of the Word of God in the Church.¹

2) Catechism of the Catholic Church, §120 (“The Canon of Scripture”). Concise statement of the 46-book OT and 27-book NT, received by apostolic Tradition.²

3) Council of Trent (1546), Fourth Session. Decree Concerning the Canonical Scriptures and Decree Concerning the Edition and Use of the Sacred Books—definitive Catholic list of biblical books and juridical recognition of the Vulgate’s authenticity in public use.⁴⁵

4) St. John Paul II, Scripturarum Thesaurus (1979). Apostolic constitution promulgating the Nova Vulgata as the Church’s typical Latin edition, especially for the sacred liturgy.⁶

5) Congregation for Divine Worship, Liturgiam authenticam (2001) & related clarifications. Explains the NV’s role as an “auxiliary tool”; vernacular translations draw from the original languages while consulting the NV to maintain the Latin liturgical tradition.⁷

6) “Douay Bible,” Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent). Catholic reference on the Douay-Rheims origins, publication history, and later Challoner revisions.⁸

7) USCCB, “Understanding the Bible” / “Questions about the Bible.” Pastoral explanation of the seven deuterocanonical books and the additional passages in Esther and Daniel found in Catholic Bibles.³

Footnotes

1. Vatican Council II, Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), especially chs. 1–3 (on Revelation, its transmission, and inspiration). ↩
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §120: “The canon of Scripture… includes 46 books for the Old Testament (… ) and 27 for the New.” ↩
3. USCCB, “Understanding the Bible” / “Questions about the Bible”: lists Tobit, Judith, 1–2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch; and notes additions to Esther and Daniel. ↩
4. Council of Trent, Fourth Session (1546), Decree Concerning the Canonical Scriptures, listing the books “entire with all their parts.” ↩
5. Council of Trent, Fourth Session (1546), Decree Concerning the Edition and Use of the Sacred Books: the “old Latin Vulgate” held “authentic” for public use. ↩
6. St. John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Scripturarum Thesaurus (1979): promulgating the Nova Vulgata as the typical Latin edition for the Church, especially for the sacred liturgy. ↩
7. Congregation for Divine Worship, Liturgiam authenticam (2001) and clarifications: NV to be consulted as an “auxiliary tool” while translating from Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek. ↩
8. “Douay Bible,” Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent): on origins (Reims NT 1582; Douay OT 1609–10) and Challoner’s revisions. ↩