Biblia Sacra Vulgatae: Clementine Vulgate Latin Bible

page vi

Furthermore, those most learned men who followed—Remigius, Bede, Rabanus, Haymo, Anselm, Peter Damian, Richard, Hugh, Bernard, Rupert, Peter Lombard, Alexander, Albert, Thomas, Bonaventure, and all the others who have flourished in the Church for these past nine hundred years—used the version of Saint Jerome in such a way that the other versions, which were almost innumerable, have completely fallen into disuse as if they had slipped from the hands of the Theologians. For this reason, the Catholic Church not without cause celebrates Saint Jerome as the greatest teacher, divinely inspired to interpret the Holy Scriptures; thus, it is no longer difficult to condemn the judgment of all those who either do not acquiesce to the labors of so distinguished a Doctor, or even trust that they can provide something better, or at least equal.

However, lest such a faithful translation, so useful to every part of the Church, should be corrupted in any way—whether by the injury of time, the carelessness of printers, or the audacity of those who rashly attempt to emend it—the same sacred Council of Trent original: "sacro-sancta Synodus Tridentina" wisely added to its Decree that this very ancient and Vulgate Edition should be printed as flawlessly as possible; and that no one should be permitted to print it without the permission and approval of Superiors.

By this Decree, the Council at once placed a limit on the rashness and license of printers, and awakened the vigilance and industry of the Pastors of the Church in retaining and preserving so great a treasure with the utmost diligence.

And although the Theologians of distinguished Universities labored with great praise to restore the Vulgate Edition to its original luster, yet because in so great a matter no amount of diligence can be too much, several older manuscript codices were sought out and brought to the City The "City" (Urbe) refers to Rome. by order of the Supreme Pontiff. Finally, since it is recognized that the execution of general Councils, and the very integrity and purity of the Scriptures, pertain most especially to the care of the Apostolic See: therefore Pope Pius IV, in his incredible vigilance over all parts of the Church, entrusted this province to several select Cardinals of the holy Roman Church and other men most skilled in both the Sacred Scriptures and various languages. Their task was to most accurately correct the Latin Vulgate edition, utilizing the oldest manuscript codices, inspecting the Hebrew and Greek sources of the Bible, and finally consulting the commentaries of the ancient Fathers.

Pope Pius V pursued this same undertaking. But that assembly, which had long been interrupted due to the various and most heavy occupations of the Apostolic See, was recalled with most ardent zeal by Sixtus V, who was called by divine providence to the High Priesthood; he finally ordered the finished work to be sent to the press. When it had already been printed, and as the same Pontiff was seeing to its publication, he noticed that not a few errors had crept into the Holy Bible through the fault of the press which seemed to require repeated diligence; he judged and decreed that the entire work should be brought back to the anvil original: "sub incudem revocandum," a Latin idiom meaning to return a piece of work for further refinement or revision.

But since he was prevented by death from completing this, Gregory XIV—who succeeded Sixtus after the twelve-day Pontificate of Urban VII—undertook to complete it, following Sixtus's intention. For this purpose, several high-ranking Cardinals and other most learned men were again deputed.

But since he too, and his successor Innocent IX, were removed from this light An idiomatic way of saying they passed away. in a very short time; finally, at the beginning of the Pontificate of Clement VIII, who now...