A book in the shadows?

“The Bible today has entered in a massive way into the families of so many Christians; it’s a pity is remains in the shadows”. That’s the main finding that emerged from the research project “The promotion of the Bible, common endeavour of Catholics, Protestant and Orthodox”, presented in Rome on 26 June. Promoted by the United Bible Societies (UBS), a World Fellowship of Bible Societies, through the National Bible Societies of Italy, Spain and France, the research concludes a three-year project begun by UBS in 2001 to examine the attitude that the Catholics of these three countries have towards the Bible and their possible interest in supporting programmes of biblical diffusion both at home and abroad. The research was based on a Eurisko survey, on public opinion (a sample of 650 persons in Italy, France and Spain) and interviews with leaders of the Catholic Church in the three countries. UBS is an interconfessional world fellowship (comprising Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox) of 141 Bible Societies that work together in over 200 states. The aim of the Bible Societies is to see to it that the Bible is known, loved and respected everywhere. UBS spent 45.8 million dollars in supporting the national Bible Societies in 2005 alone. No less than 604 projects for the translation of the Bible are in course in 495 different languages. The languages in which at least one book of the Bible has been translated are 2,403 (426 Bibles, 1,115 New Testaments, 862 portions of the Bible). A BOOK TO BE REDISCOVERED… “The Bible is read by 55% of the French, 52% of the Spanish and 42% of the Italians”. Italians are at the bottom of the league table in terms of personal reading of the Bible. But they score better in terms of group reading: “again the French lead the field (21%), followed by the Italians (17%) and the Spanish (12%). If we bear in mind that reading tout court is declining, the Bible still remains a book that is widely read, albeit in relative terms”. The homily, or sermon, remains the main form of mediation of the Bible. Among the “practices most useful for strengthening faith, the Bible is cited only by 29% of the Spanish, 23% of the Italians and 13% of the French. The most “useful” means for promoting personal faith remains the homily, for 45% of the French and 41% of the Italians and Spanish. But how is the Bible defined? “It’s a book inspired by God, but not always to be taken literally; it needs to be interpreted”: that’s the answer to this question which commands most support: 60% of the French, 57% of the Spanish and 43% of the Italians. “The Bible is the word of God, which must always and exclusively be taken literally”: this answer too wins wide support, with 39% of Italians, 29% of Spanish and 17% of French. The French turn out to be among the most sceptical: for 13% of them the Bible is merely a sum of “fables and legends” (Italians 6%, Spanish 5%). The place most appreciated for getting to know the Bible is the parish: 46% of the Spanish, 42% of the French and 39% of the Italians. Religious knowledge of the Bible however remains weak. From the UBS research it emerges that “only a quarter of practising Catholics attend meetings of catechesis or religious culture (Spain 28%, France 26% and Italy 21%”. The consequence is not only “a low consciousness of the centrality of the Word of God in Christian life”, but also a “willingness to cooperate with other Christian confessions with a view to promoting greater knowledge and diffusion of the Bible”. 76% of the French, 62% of Italians and 58% of Spanish are willing to collaborate with Protestants in this field. ECUMENICAL COMMITMENT . “The Bible, or part of it, has been translated into over 2,403 languages, but there’s still a lot to be done. There still remain some 4,000 languages in which no biblical texts have yet been translated”. That’s why the commitment to the translation and diffusion of the Bible, in the view of the Rev. Miller Milloy , of the Church of Scotland and general secretary of the United Bible Societies (UBS), must be “ever more intensive”. Milloy pointed out that “the Bible is still a closed book for many believers”. “The invitation of Vatican II’s Constitution Dei Verbum to provide for easy access to the Scriptures has led to cooperation between Catholics and the UBA. Interconfessional translations have been the keystone for common collaboration”, said Pastor Daniele Garrone , President of the Bible Society in Italy. According to Garrone, “the diffusion and translation of the Bible are a milestone of the ecumenical process. The interconfessional translation of the Bible is an ideal ground for ecumenical meeting, dialogue and common work”. “The survey – said Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia of the Italian Bishops’ Conference – shows the need for common commitment in the diffusion of the Bible. A material ignorance of this sacred Book exists”. But experience of study and prayer are not lacking. The Spanish pastor José Andavert , general secretary of the Spanish Bible Society, made the point that “the work of disseminating the Bible is for society as a whole. It should not be limited to the written form alone, but should make use of all the new forms of communication: internet, sms, audio. Everything can contribute to the diffusion of the Scriptures”.