Lectionary Statistics - How much of the Bible is included in the Lectionary for Mass? (Popquiz!)

catholic-resources.org ^ | Updated on January 2, 2009 | Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

[GonzoII]

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC LECTIONARY WEBSITE
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

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Lectionary Statistics

How much of the Bible is included in the Lectionary for Mass?
Not as much as you might think, yet far more than was included in the Roman Missal before the Second Vatican Council!

The bishops assembled at Vatican II declared, "The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly so that a richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way the more significant part of the Sacred Scriptures will be read to the people over a fixed number of years" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, #51). As the following tables show, the current Lectionary for Mass does indeed offer a "richer fare" of biblical readings during the Eucharistic liturgy than was available before Vatican II. However, since many parts of the Bible (esp. the Old Testament) are still not included in the Lectionary, one must go beyond the readings used at Mass to cover the entire Bible.

The following tables compare the current edition of the Lectionary for Mass (1981 Latin, 1998/2002 USA editions)
with the pre-Vatican II Missale Romanum (substantially unchanged between 1570 and 1969, with a few modifications in 1951)
and the complete New American Bible (see the bottom of this page for a key to the column headings).

Readings from the Old Testament:

Before Vatican II, each Catholic Mass included only two biblical readings, which were normally referred to as "The Epistle" (since the first reading was almost always taken from one of the New Testament letters) and "The Gospel." Readings from the Old Testament were never used on Sundays, but only at the Easter Vigil, the Vigil of Pentecost, the feast of Epiphany and its octave, during Holy Week, and on some weekdays (esp. Ember days, weekdays of Lent, the feasts of some saints, and some votive Masses).

Since Vatican II, Masses on Sundays and major feast days include three biblical readings, the first of which is usually taken from the Old Testament (except during the Easter Season, when the first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles). The OT reading is normally very brief and thematically related to the Gospel reading of the day, so there is no detectable order or semi-continuous pattern from one Sunday to the next. Weekday Masses usually have only two readings, the first of which is taken from either the OT or the NT, according to a two-year weekday cycle.

OT	Name of Book	NAB		Pre-Vatican II Missal: Vigils & Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Major Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Weekdays
		# Chap.	# Vv. Total	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used
1	Genesis	50	1533	100**	6.5 %	138	9.0 %	428	27.9 %
2	Exodus	40	1213	28	2.3 %	112	9.2 %	208	17.1 %
3	Leviticus	27	859	0	0 %	9	1.0 %	42	4.9 %
4	Numbers	36	1289	0	0 %	11	0.9 %	81	6.3 %
5	Deuteronomy	34	959	9	0.9 %	52	5.4 %	106	11.1 %
6	Joshua	24	658	0	0 %	9	1.4 %	42	6.4 %
7	Judges	21	618	0	0 %	0	0 %	51	8.3 %
8	Ruth	4	85	0	0 %	0	0 %	21	24.7 %
9	1 Samuel	31	810	0	0 %	31	3.8 %	148	18.3 %
10	2 Samuel	24	695	0	0 %	19	2.7 %	110	15.8 %
11	1 Kings	22	817	0	0 %	37	4.5 %	166	20.3 %
12	2 Kings	25	719	0	0 %	14	1.9 %	100	13.9 %
13	1 Chronicles	29	943	0	0 %	0	0 %	0	0 %
14	2 Chronicles	36	821	0	0 %	8	1.0 %	17	2.1 %
15	Ezra	10	280	0	0 %	0	0 %	21	7.5 %
16	Nehemiah	13	405	0	0 %	8	2.0 %	19	4.7 %
17	Tobit	14	245	0	0 %	0	0 %	71	29.0 %
18	Judith	16	340	0	0 %	0	0 %	0	0 %
19	Esther	16	272	0	0 %	0	0 %	7	2.6 %
20	1 Maccabees	16	922	0	0 %	0	0 %	54	5.9 %
21	2 Maccabees	15	556	0	0 %	8	1.4 %	35	6.3 %
22*	Job	42	1068	0	0 %	11	1.0 %	87	8.1 %
24*	Proverbs	31	915	0	0 %	24	2.6 %	47	5.1 %
25	Ecclesiastes	12	222	0	0 %	4	1.8 %	34	15.3 %
26	Song of Solomon	8	117	0	0 %	0	0 %	7	6.0 %
27	Wisdom of Solomon	19	436	0	0 %	42	9.6 %	102	23.4 %
28	Sirach/Ecclesiasticus	51	1372	0	0 %	48	3.5 %	208	15.2 %
29	Isaiah	66	1291	24**	1.9 %	166	12.9 %	322	24.9 %
30	Jeremiah	52	1364	0	0 %	38	2.8 %	162	11.9 %
31	Lamentations	5	154	0	0 %	0	0 %	8	5.2 %
32	Baruch	6	213	30**	14.1 %	27	12.7 %	44	20.7 %
33	Ezekiel	48	1273	14**	1.1 %	48	3.8 %	180	14.1 %
34	Daniel	14	530	24**	4.5 %	5	0.9 %	178	33.6 %
35	Hosea	14	197	16	8.1 %	11	5.6 %	38	19.3 %
36	Joel	4	73	0	0 %	5	6.8 %	27	37.0 %
37	Amos	9	146	0	0 %	13	8.9 %	51	34.9 %
38	Obadiah	1	21	0	0 %	0	0 %	0	0 %
39	Jonah	4	48	10**	20.8 %	6	12.5 %	39	81.3 %
40	Micah	7	105	0	0 %	4	3.8 %	24	22.9 %
41	Nahum	3	47	0	0 %	0	0 %	8	17.0 %
42	Habakkuk	3	56	0	0 %	5	8.9 %	12	21.4 %
43	Zephaniah	3	53	0	0 %	8	15.1 %	13	24.5 %
44	Haggai	2	38	0	0 %	0	0 %	18	47.4 %
45	Zechariah	14	211	0	0 %	5	2.4 %	24	11.4 %
46	Malachi	3	55	0	0 %	6	10.9 %	18	32.7 %

* Note 1: The above table does not include the Psalms, since they are used so often in various ways during the Mass.
** Note 2: The 1951 revision of the Roman Missal reduced the number of OT readings at the Easter Vigil from twelve to four,
and omitted all six OT readings from the Pentecost Vigil, thereby further reducing the total amount of the OT read before Vatican II;
remaining were only 33 verses of Genesis, 28 of Exodus, 9 of Deuteronomy, 12 of Isaiah and 16 of Hosea. For details, see the Roman Missal page.

OT Summary:

OT Section	NAB		Pre-Vatican II Missal: Vigils & Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Major Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Weekdays
	# Chap.	# Vv. Total	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used
Torah/Law	187	5853	137	2.3 %	322	5.5 %	865	14.8 %
Historical Books	316	9186	0	0 %	134	1.5 %	862	9.4 %
Wisdom Books (w/o Psalms)	163	4130	0	0 %	129	3.1 %	485	11.7 %
Four Major Prophets	191	4825	92	1.9 %	284	5.9 %	894	18.5 %
Twelve Minor Prophets	67	1050	26	2.5 %	63	6.0 %	272	25.9 %
OT Total (w/o Psalms)	924	25044	255	1.0 %	932	3.7 %	3378	13.5 %

Note 3: The 1951 revision of the pre-Vatican II Roman Missal (see note 2 above) reduced the total to only
98 verses or 0.39% of the Old Testament (aside from the Psalms) read at Vigils and major feast days.

Readings from the New Testament:

Before Vatican II, the same readings were used each year for the various Masses in the Roman Missal. The first reading was usually from one of Paul's Letters or the Catholic Epistles. The Gospel readings were most often taken from Matthew or John, less frequently from Luke, and only rarely from Mark.

Since Vatican II, much more of the New Testament is included in the Lectionary for Mass. The Acts of the Apostles is used as the first reading on the Sundays and weekdays during the Easter season. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are read semi-continuously on the Sundays of Ordinary Time on a three-year cycle, while passages from the Gospel of John are used mostly during the seasons of Lent and Easter and on several major feast days. Excerpts from all other NT books and letters are used as the second reading at Masses on Sundays and major feasts according to a three-year cycle, and/or weekday Masses on a two-year cycle. (Click on any of the previous underlined links for more details.)

NT	Name of Book	NAB		Pre-Vatican II Missal: Sundays & Major Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Major Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Weekdays
		# Chap.	# Vv. Total	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used
1	Matthew	28	1071	373	34.8 %	594	55.5 %	916	85.5 %
2	Mark	16	678	30	3.4 %	414	61.1 %	653	96.3 %
3	Luke	24	1151	188	16.3 %	650	56.5 %	1011	87.8 %
4	John	21	879	256	30.0 %	526	59.8 %	813	92.5 %
5	Acts	28	1007	35	3.5 %	165	16.4 %	492	48.9 %
6	Romans	16	433	69	15.9 %	117	27.0 %	228	52.7 %
7	1 Corinthians	16	437	75	17.2 %	162	37.1 %	244	55.8 %
8	2 Corinthians	13	256	40	15.6 %	48	18.8 %	123	48.0 %
9	Galatians	6	149	45	30.2 %	47	31.5 %	90	60.4 %
10	Ephesians	6	155	57	36.8 %	96	61.9 %	141	91.0 %
11	Philippians	4	104	25	24.0 %	47	45.2 %	73	70.2 %
12	Colossians	4	95	16	16.8 %	35	36.8 %	62	65.3 %
13	1 Thessalonians	5	89	16	18.0 %	39	43.8 %	69	77.5 %
14	2 Thessalonians	3	47	0	0.0 %	17	36.2 %	28	59.6 %
15	1 Timothy	6	113	0	0.0 %	20	17.7 %	51	45.1 %
16	2 Timothy	4	83	0	0.0 %	25	30.1 %	39	47.0 %
17	Titus	3	46	9	19.6 %	8	17.4 %	28	60.9 %
18	Philemon	1	25	0	0.0 %	8	32.0 %	19	76.0 %
19	Hebrews	13	303	17	5.6 %	84	27.7 %	188	62.0 %
20	James	5	108	11	10.2 %	31	28.7 %	99	91.7 %
21	1 Peter	5	105	33	31.4 %	36	34.3 %	57	54.3 %
22	2 Peter	3	61	0	0.0 %	7	11.5 %	15	24.6 %
23	1 John	5	105	13	12.4 %	33	31.4 %	95	100.0 %
24	2 John	1	13	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	6	46.2 %
25	3 John	1	15	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	4	26.7 %
26	Jude	1	25	0	0.0 %	0	0.0 %	6	24.0 %
27	Revelation	22	404	0	0.0 %	38	9.4 %	129	31.9 %

NT Summary:

NT Section	NAB		Pre-Vatican II Missal: Sundays & Major Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Major Feasts		Current Lectionary: Sundays & Weekdays
	# Chap.	# Vv. Total	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used	Vv. Used	% Used
Gospels (4)	89	3779	848	22.4 %	2184	57.8 %	3393	89.8 %
Acts	28	1007	35	3.5 %	165	16.4 %	492	48.9 %
Pauline Letters (7)	61	1493	270	18.1 %	468	31.3 %	846	56.7 %
Deutero-Paulines (6)	26	539	82	15.2 %	201	37.3 %	349	64.7 %
Hebrews	13	303	17	5.6 %	84	27.6 %	188	62.0 %
Catholic Epistles (7)	21	432	57	13.2 %	107	24.7 %	292	67.6 %
Book of Revelation	22	404	0	0 %	38	9.4 %	129	31.9 %
NT w/o Gospels	171	4178	461	11.0 %	1063	25.4 %	2296	54.9 %
NT Grand Total	260	7957	1309	16.5 %	3247	40.8 %	5689	71.5 %

Key to the Column Headings:

• NAB = New American Bible, used as the basis for chapter and verse numbers in the USA editions of the current Lectionary for Mass
  • # Chap. = total number of chapters in each biblical book (or section of the Bible), in the New American Bible translation
  • # Vv. Total = total number of verses in each biblical book (or section of the Bible), in the New American Bible translation
• Pre-Vatican II Missal = the Missale Romanum of Pope Pius V, nearly identical from 1570 to 1969, with a few changes introduced in 1951.
  • Vigils & Major Feasts = In the pre-Vatican II Missal, OT readings were only used at the Easter Vigil, Pentecost Vigil, Epiphany & its octave, and during Holy Week, but never on any Sundays.
• Current Lectionary = the Ordo Lectionum Missae (2nd Latin edition, 1981), equivalent to the Lectionary for Mass (2nd USA edition, 1998/2002)
  • Sundays & Major Feasts = readings contained in the first half of the Missale Romanum, or Vol. 1 of the current Lectionary for Mass, including all Sundays and Solemnities of the Lord, and a few other major Feasts (those which can replace an ordinary Sunday Mass).
  • Sundays & Weekdays = readings prescribed for all Sundays and weekdays during the various liturgical seasons (but not including the Propers or Commons of the Saints, Votive Masses, Ritual Masses, or Masses for Various Needs and Occasions).
• Vv. Used = number of verses from each biblical book or section used in the Roman Missal or the Lectionary for Mass, respectively.
• % Used = percentage of verses from each biblical book or section used in the Roman Missal or the Lectionary for Mass, respectively.

Main Lectionary Page	1998/2002 USA Edition	1992 Canadian Edition
Links to Other Websites	1970 USA Edition	Roman Missal (Pre-Vatican II)

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[D-fendr]

Yep, “going to Church” is not comparable.

[Alex Murphy]

71.5% of the New Testament for a daily Mass attendant isn't too shabby. Let's see some Protestant stats for Sunday worship...

No, it isn't shabby at all. But I'd like to see some stats re how many of the supposedly 69+ million Catholics in America faithfully attend the daily Mass.

....Catholics account for nearly 23 percent (64.8 million) of the U.S. population, the single largest faith group in the United States. But only 33 percent of U.S. Catholics attend Mass on a weekly basis, according to a 2005 poll by CARA Catholic Poll...

A growing minority of self-identified Catholic adults haven't made their first reconciliation, received their First Communion or been confirmed, according to research from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University....Still, the number of Catholics in the U.S. has remained stable because of the immigration of Latinos. The U.S. has 69.1 million Catholics, about 23 percent of the population.

Related threads:
TV ad pitch targets Sacramento's lapsed Catholics
Bare Minimum Catholicism
Those consistently complex “Catholic voters”
Catholic tradition fading in US (Evangelical Protestants now outnumber Catholics)
When It Comes to Church Membership Numbers, the Devil's in the Details
New statistics show U.S. Catholics increase in numbers
Fewer receive sacraments
Are Catholics Losing the Faith?
Roman Catholics total 64 million in U.S. ["counting Catholics is really more art than science"]
Study: Catholics losing the faith
Survey: Catholics Adapt to Culture at Cost of Committed Faith
The Incredible Shrinking Catholic Church [Kenneth C. Jones, 2003]
The Incredible Shrinking Catholic Church [Paul Gorell, 2009]

[GonzoII]

"No, it isn't shabby at all. But I'd like to see some stats re how many of the supposedly 69+ million Catholics in America faithfully attend the daily Mass. "

Nota bena, this is officially what the Catholic Church provides for her flock, she can't "force feed it". It's got to come from the heart.

No one can say that the Catholic Church "discourages Bible reading" after reading these stats.

[GonzoII]

www.catholicnewsagency.com

The Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed (All Souls)

November 2, 2009

Psalter: Proper

Color: White

Saints:

• All Souls Day

Daily Readings:

• First Reading: Wisdom 3:1-9

  1 But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them.
  2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken for misery:
  3 And their going away from us, for utter destruction: but they are in peace.
  4 And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality.
  5 Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded: because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself.
  6 As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them.
  7 The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds.
  8 They shall judge nations, and rule over people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
  9 They that trust in him, shall understand the truth: and they that are faithful in love shall rest in him: for grace and peace is to his elect.

• Psalm: Psalms 23:1-6

  1 A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.
  2 He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:
  3 He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name's sake.
  4 For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.
  5 Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!
  6 And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

• Second Reading: Romans 5:5-11

  5 And hope confoundeth not: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us.
  6 For why did Christ, when as yet we were weak, according to the time, die for the ungodly?
  7 For scarce for a just man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some one would dare to die.
  8 But God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time,
  9 Christ died for us; much more therefore, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him.
  10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
  11 And not only so; but also we glory in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received reconciliation.

• Second Reading: Romans 6:3-9

  3 Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death?
  4 For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.
  5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
  6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer.
  7 For he that is dead is justified from sin.
  8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ:
  9 Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have dominion over him.

• Gospel: John 6:37-40

  37 All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will not cast out.
  38 Because I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.
  39 Now this is the will of the Father who sent me: that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day.
  40 And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have life everlasting, and I will raise him up in the last day.

Copyright @ CNA
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com)

[Mr Rogers]

“Read the Scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”.”

That is the root of our disagreements. ‘Sacred Tradition’ is NOT something passed down from the Apostles, but is the continuous revealing (clarifying / unfolding) of truth to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. For a Catholic, it is essential the scriptures be read in their ‘light’, and thus the ‘Church’ must do the interpreting to prevent error.

For if one simply READS the words of God (”God-breathed”), then one not only CAN come to a different conclusion, but USUALLY does. Hence the push by reformers to get scripture into the hands of the laity in their own tongue. Wycliffe felt confident that it would win the argument for him, and I agree.

“Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” - 2 John

Hard to abide in teaching that hasn’t been ‘unfolded’ yet...but those who do abide have “both the Father and the Son”.

[Mr Rogers]

“No one can say that the Catholic Church “discourages Bible reading” after reading these stats. “

It IS nice to see the improvement following Vatican 2, and it had already improved before then. However, at the time of the Reformation, the Bishop of Gloucester surveyed 311 deacons, archdeacons and priests, and found that 168 were unable to repeat the 10 Commandments, 31 didn’t know where the 10 Commandments came from, and 40 could neither repeat the Lord’s Prayer nor say who the author of the Prayer was!

That is worth remembering when we debate things like “Reformation Day”. The Reformers not only started new congregations (the word typically translated church in the NT), but the competition has moved the Catholic Church in the right direction...

[GonzoII]

"at the time of the Reformation, the Bishop of Gloucester surveyed 311 deacons, archdeacons and priests, and found that 168 were unable to repeat the 10 Commandments, 31 didn’t know where the 10 Commandments came from, and 40 could neither repeat the Lord’s Prayer nor say who the author of the Prayer was!"

I don't think anyone would say that at the time of the Reformation Luther was suffering from poor eyesight when viewing the state (human) of the Catholic Church. As far as Bible reading is concerned it's important to remember the the printing press had just recently been invented, so I think we could say that the beginning so to speak of more folks studying Scripture began to take root during Reformation times.

[D-fendr]

For if one simply READS the words of God

one can, and has, arrive at all sorts of heresy like Gnosticism, Montanism, Sabellianism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Nestorianism, Monophysitism and infinite variations which continue to this day.

Having your own church and interpretations of the same words guarantees nothing, least of all accurate theology.

[HarleyD]

Remind me again what is so great about trying to use one's own weak intellect to find truth in Scripture when it has been handed down to us by a faithful mother in the Church?

Well, since YOU asked....

Sorry, but if you're referring to the Catholic Church faithfully handling the truth, I would respectfully disagree. Please recall how the Jews felt THEY were the keepers of the faith until King Josiah happened to uncover the word of God hidden in the temple. They felt they could just go about worshiping God in any form they wanted. Wrong. It was when the people read the word of God hidden for all those years that they discovered their errors. Yet, once King Josiah passed the people did not follow after the ways of God, following His word.

In much the same way do I see the Reformation. Indeed I would argue there are strong parallels to King Josiah and the Reformation.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the Church (as much of Protestantism afterwards) has decided to essentially chuck the scriptures for this "feely-go" view of the gospel. Much of the Catholics on this site will cast doubts about the authenticity of scriptures as well as some Protestants. As this article (and Alex) points out, scripture is rarely used any longer. Mass does not use it much. Most Protestant churches tend to substitute anecdotal stories after reading a verse or two.

Less we forget, the holy scriptures of God is God-breathed words directly to us. At least, so thought the early Christians. In those holy scriptures is the power to save the lost and equip the saints. This power does not rest in reciting some sort of mass, reciting anecdotal stories, or listening to "mother Church". The gospel is the power of God; a miracle handed down to us that we so carelessly disregard it like manna from heaven. People who have a low view where they question the validity of God's word, might as well question the purpose of manna dropping from heaven. As we may recall from the holy scriptures, the people were so ungrateful to God's providence that God sent a plague on them.

If you believe mother Church to provide you insight, then you do not believe in the power of God to provide you insight. It's that simple and that sad.

[Alex Murphy]

‘Sacred Tradition’ is NOT something passed down from the Apostles, but is the continuous revealing (clarifying / unfolding) of truth to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

Good point!

For if one simply READS the words of God (”God-breathed”), then one not only CAN come to a different conclusion, but USUALLY does. Hence the push by reformers to get scripture into the hands of the laity in their own tongue. Wycliffe felt confident that it would win the argument for him, and I agree.

Hence this quote from the October 2008 Synod of Bishops, on the thread A Literate Church: The state of Catholic Bible study today [article from America: The National Catholic Weekly:

...while fewer believers know much about the Bible, one-third of Americans continue to believe that it is literally true, something organizers of the Synod on the Word of God called a dangerous form of fundamentalism that is “winning more and more adherents…even among Catholics.” Such literalism, the synod’s preparatory document said, “demands an unshakable adherence to rigid doctrinal points of view and imposes, as the only source of teaching for Christian life and salvation, a reading of the Bible which rejects all questioning and any kind of critical research”....

See also this thread, covering the same Synod:
Cardinal Says Scripture Inseparably United to Tradition

"As we begin the work of this synodal assembly, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us turn our gaze to Christ, the light of the world and our only teacher," Cardinal Levada encouraged.

The prelate's point was further developed when Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec, took the floor to affirm that the Word is much more than the Bible. He clarified that Christianity is not a religion of the Book.

"The Word of God means before all else God himself who speaks, who expresses in himself the divine Word that belongs to his intimate mystery," he said.

This Word, he added during his Latin-language discourse, which he delivered seated beside the Pope, speaks in a particular and also dramatic way in the history of man, especially in the election of a people, in the Mosaic law and the prophets.

[D-fendr]

Whatever your view of Holy Tradition, that the Word of God is not limited to the words of Scripture is very obviously true. To believe otherwise is quite an absurd position. That’s again, I’m guessing, a sola scriptura result?

[Gamecock]

***dangerous form of fundamentalism***

Dangerous to whom? Oh, I know, to the Home Office, pictured below:

[marshmallow]

Doesn't it make sense to have a "court of last resort" for safeguarding the truth and handing on the faith intact? Didn't Jesus take care to instruct the apostles to pass on only what they had been taught? Wasn't St. Paul at pains to emphasize the same thing?

The natural American aversion to central government is fine in secular matters and the Church shares it, thanks to the principle of subsidiarity, but the idea that leaving the understanding of Scripture to the individual has been a positive development is simply not borne out by history.

Isn't God a better father than that? I think so. Would a parent say to a child "figure it out for yourself" or would he say "here lies the truth; all else is error"?

I vote for the latter.

[Gamecock]

***Didn’t Jesus take care to instruct the apostles to pass on only what they had been taught?***

And that’s what scripture is,they wrote down what we need..

The Magesterium is a bunch of made up hooey.

[Mr Rogers]

“Having your own church and interpretations of the same words guarantees nothing, least of all accurate theology.”

Perhaps, but IGNORING the plain meaning of a scripture in favor of one that uses one or two verses to support Purgatory, or none at all to supporting confessions to priests, all in order to conform it to a tradition that was NOT passed down from the Apostles, but ‘unfolded’ later on pretty well guarantees bad theology.

If one wants to achieve falsehood, then pretending to read scripture while forcing on it meanings from traditions that consist of men’s opinions expressed over hundreds or a thousand years is a good way to make one’s goal!

[marshmallow]

If you believe mother Church to provide you insight, then you do not believe in the power of God to provide you insight. It's that simple and that sad.

Yes, this is definitely the crux of our differences. The idea that the Catholic Church is somehow an obstacle between God and man reminds me of the attitude of some kids who see their parents as an "obstacle" to having fun or living life the way they think it should be lived.

However, in reality, it's not an either/or situation. It's not a choice between "the Church" on the one hand and "the individual" on the other. Of course God can and does provide man with insight. This in no way negates the role of the Church, however. Spiritual inspiration comes to man every day but in the overall plan of salvation, God established a group of men, a structure, to keep his Word intact, preserve the truth and shelter us from the storm.

Our personal insight needs a point of reference unless we wish to claim infallibility for ourselves. We're happy to say that the Scriptures are infallible (and they are) but infallible Scriptures are of little use without an infallible interpreter (the Church). What use is a secure lock without a key to open it? What use is a clever piece of machinery in the hands of someone who is not familiar with it?

An infallible Word of God needs to be safeguarded by an infallible Church. The two go together.

[Mr Rogers]

"Didn't Jesus take care to instruct the apostles to pass on only what they had been taught? Wasn't St. Paul at pains to emphasize the same thing?"

That is my point. The Magisterium does NOT pass on only what they have been taught from the Apostles or Jesus.

Here is how the New Catholic Encyclopedia describes how sacred tradition and the Magisterium 'unfolded' the Immaculate Conception:

As regards truths such as the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, there have been uncertainties and controversies over the very substance of the subjects involved. The revealed truth was indeed in the deposit of truth in the Church, but it was not formulated in explicit terms nor even in clearly equivalent terms; it was enveloped in a more general truth (that e.g. of the all-holiness of Mary), the formula of which might be understood in a more or less absolute sense (exemption from all actual sin, exemption even from original sin). On the other hand, this truth (the exemption of Mary from original sin) may seem in at least apparent conflict with other certain truths (universality of original sin, redemption of all by Christ). It will be readily understood that in some circumstances, when the question is put explicitly for the first time, the faithful have hesitated. It is even natural that the theologians should show more hesitation than the other faithful. More aware of the apparent opposition between the new opinion and the ancient truth, they may legitimately resist, while awaiting fuller light, what may seem to them unreflecting haste or unenlightened piety. Thus did St. Anselm, St. Thomas, and St. Bonaventure in the case of the Immaculate Conception. But the living idea of Mary in the mind of the Church implied absolute exemption from all sin without exception, even from original sin; the faithful whom theological preoccupations did not prevent from beholding this idea in its purity, with that intuition of the heart often more prompt and more enlightened than reasoning and reflected thought, shrank from all restriction and could not suffer, according to the expression ofSt. Augustine, that there should be question of any sin whatsoever in connexion with Mary. Little by little the feeling of the faithful won the day. Not, as has been said, because the theologians, powerless to struggle against a blind sentiment, had themselves to follow the movement, but because their perceptions, quickened by the faithful and by their own instinct of faith, grew more considerate of the sentiment of the faithful and eventually examined the new opinion more closely in order to make sure that, far from contradicting any dogma, it harmonized wonderfully with other revealed truths and corresponded as a whole to the analogy of faith and rational fitness. Finally scrutinizing with fresh care the deposit of revelation, they there discovered the pious opinion, hitherto concealed, as far as they were concerned in the more general formula, and, not satisfied to hold it as true, they declared it revealed. Thus to implicit faith in a revealed truth succeeded, after long discussions, explicit faith in the same truth thenceforth shining in the sight of all. There have been no new data, but there has been under the impulse of grace and sentiment and the effort of theology a more distinct and clear insight into what the ancient data contained. When the Church defined the Immaculate Conception it defined what was actually in the explicit faith of the faithful what had always been implicitly in that faith. The same is true of all similar cases, save for accidental differences of circumstances. In recognizing a new truth the Church thereby recognizes that it already possessed that truth."

A very Catholic-biased account, but it doesn't get around the fact that what was once not taught, is taught now. The Magisterium has been led by the faithful to understand what was not understood at the time of the Apostles.

Sacred tradition is NOT what was passed down, but what has been developed over the years. And as John put it: "Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."

Sounds to me like I shouldn't even say "Hello" to someone on the Magisterium!

[marshmallow]

The Magesterium is a bunch of made up hooey.

Which Magisterium??

The official Catholic one or the ersatz "one man" variety of which there are legion?

Everyone has a "Magisterium". If you dispense with the Catholic one, you erect your own personal version.

[marshmallow]

A very Catholic-biased account, but it doesn't get around the fact that what was once not taught, is taught now. The Magisterium has been led by the faithful to understand what was not understood at the time of the Apostles.

Careful.

The question of whether this was understood at the time of the Apostles is a little different from whether or not it was dogmatically defined at that time. The writings of the early fathers were in fact taken into account when this dogma was defined.

Defining, explaining and deepening the faith is not inconsistent with preserving the deposit of faith. That is why there have been so called "Doctors of the Church" down through the centuries; Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Athanasius, Aquinas etc. They invented nothing new but their theological insights helped to deepen the faith and explain it in new and unique ways.

The faith is a living thing and insights can and do emerge over time.

[D-fendr]

all in order to conform it to a tradition that was NOT passed down from the Apostles

So you say, I believe that's obviously false. Apostolic succession is passing down much more than clothes and manners and habits and methods. Spiritual knowledge cannot be reduced to these or - to words on a page.

then pretending to read scripture while forcing on it meanings

The history of the Church is that men can derive all sorts of heresy from plain reading - heretical theology argued from scripture - and continues to do so today. Orthodoxy is supported by scripture, but scripture alone fails to maintain Orthodoxy.