Sacred Scripture
Catholic American Bible
The Catholic American Bible represents a significant development in the life of the Catholic Church in the United States. Prepared under the oversight of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this new edition of Sacred Scripture is intended to provide Catholics with a unified biblical text for the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, prayer, study, catechesis, and personal devotion.
For generations, the Church has carefully preserved, translated, proclaimed, and handed down the written Word of God. The Catholic American Bible continues that work by presenting the Scriptures in contemporary American English while seeking fidelity to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek source texts and suitability for proclamation in the sacred liturgy.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Catholic American Bible
The Catholic American Bible has been prepared for the life of the Catholic Church in the United States, bringing the Scriptures used in liturgical worship, prayer, study, and catechesis into greater unity.
Building upon the tradition of the New American Bible Revised Edition, the Catholic American Bible incorporates a revised Old Testament, The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, and a newly revised New Testament. Its language is intended to be faithful to the biblical source texts while remaining clear for contemporary readers and suitable for proclamation in the sacred liturgy.
The result is a Catholic Bible intended not only for personal reading, but for a more consistent encounter with Sacred Scripture throughout the worship, prayer, study, and devotional life of Catholics in the United States.
Why is there a new Catholic Bible translation?
Catholics in the United States have historically encountered different forms of the biblical text depending upon whether they were attending Mass, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, studying Scripture, or reading a personal Bible.
The Catholic American Bible is intended to establish greater unity among these settings. Upon its full implementation, Catholics will increasingly encounter the same approved Scripture translation in liturgical worship, public and private prayer, catechesis, study, and personal devotion.
This allows the words heard in the Church's public worship to become increasingly familiar through daily reading, prayer, and study.
Is the Catholic American Bible approved for liturgical use?
Yes. The Catholic American Bible has been prepared as a Scripture text for Catholic liturgical and devotional use in the United States.
The translation is intended for use across the principal settings in which Catholics encounter Sacred Scripture, including:
- The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
- The Liturgy of the Hours
- Public and private prayer
- Personal Bible reading and study
- Catechesis and religious education
- Personal missals and other liturgical publications
As new liturgical books are published and implemented, the Catholic American Bible will provide Catholics with greater continuity between the Scriptures proclaimed in church and those read at home.
How does the Catholic American Bible differ from the NABRE?
The Catholic American Bible stands within the translation tradition of the New American Bible Revised Edition while incorporating several substantial revisions.
It includes:
- A modified text of the NABRE Old Testament
- The Psalms drawn from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles
- A newly revised New Testament
- Updated introductions and translators' notes
- A Scripture text intended for both liturgical proclamation and personal use
Much of its language will remain familiar to Catholics accustomed to Scripture readings in the United States, while the new edition brings the biblical text used in worship, prayer, and study into closer alignment.
Who prepared the Catholic American Bible?
The Catholic American Bible was developed under the oversight of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and involved the work of Catholic biblical scholars, translators, editors, and reviewers.
The translation process sought to balance several important principles:
- Fidelity to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek source texts
- Accuracy in conveying the meaning of Sacred Scripture
- Respect for Catholic doctrine and the Church's tradition of interpreting Scripture
- Language suitable for solemn public proclamation
- Clarity for contemporary American readers
- Consistency across worship, prayer, study, and catechesis
The completed translation and its supporting material underwent ecclesial review as part of the approval process.
What makes the Catholic American Bible particularly suited to American Catholics?
The Catholic American Bible has been prepared specifically for the pastoral and liturgical life of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Its significance lies not simply in updated language, but in the opportunity for Catholics to become more familiar with a common biblical text throughout the many dimensions of Catholic life.
The same passages encountered in the sacred liturgy can also be read in personal study, memorized in prayer, taught in catechesis, and shared within the family.
In this way, the Catholic American Bible seeks to strengthen Catholics' familiarity with the written Word of God and foster a more consistent encounter with Sacred Scripture within the life and worship of the Church.
