[Buckeye McFrog]

My janitorial lady at my office building said she was told by her priest it was a sin to read the Bible.

At one time the Catholic Church did not encourage it. "Let our learned theologians interpret it for you" or somesuch. The Priest at my mother's funeral referred to this. She read the Bible constantly, and the Priest remarked that "at the time she came of age this was not something that the Church encouraged."

[Campion]

"Not encouraged" is not the same thing as "it's a sin". The indulgence for Bible reading goes back to the early part of the last century; before your Mom's time I would guess.

Now, did individual priests and nuns discourage Bible reading *on their own authority* even after that time? Quite possibly.

[fortes fortuna juvat]

>>Priest remarked that “at the time she came of age this was not something that the Church encouraged.”

And the reason should be obvious, because the history of Christianity has clearly demonstrated that (as the Bible itself cautions), it is subject to countless interpretations, which is why we have countless denominational churches up and down the highways and byways of the planet.