To encourage
people to read the Bible, Pope Francis distributed pocket-sized copies of the
Gospels to the tens of thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square in early
April.
“I want to offer to you who are here in the piazza—but as a
sign for all—a pocket-sized Gospel. They will be distributed to you freely,”
the Pope was quoted in a report by the Catholic News Agency. “Take one, carry
it with you. …“This is the word of Jesus!”
From Pope
Francis on down, the Catholic clergy have shared about their love for God’s
Word. On a recent trip to the Vatican to chronicle the launch of the Bible
exhibit
Verbum
Domini II
, I—along with a delegation from American Bible Society—met with
various high-ranking cardinals and priests. They said the following about the
Bible, its universality and its importance to Christians:
“What is
common to all churches and ecclesial communities is the Scriptures. It’s not
the Catholic book. It’s not the Protestant book. It’s the book for all of us. We
must promote the Scripture and their importance to all faiths. We must read the
Holy Scripture each and every day.”
–His Eminence,
Kurt Cardinal Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian
Unity
“I would like
to improve and sustain all things that help Christians. One of those things is
the Bible. Giving the Bible to Christians is one of the most important charitable
gestures anyone can make. It’s impossible to know God without the Word of God.”
–Archbishop
Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family
“The younger
generation is looking to find God through the pages of the Bible. For us, the
new evangelization is to live the Gospels. We need to show the younger
generation—and all people—that we know the Gospels, but more importantly, that
we live them.”
–Rev.do
Krzysztof Marcjanowicz, PhD, Official, Pontifical Council for Promoting the New
Evangelization
