Theme 1: The CANON Flashcards
1.1 – Why is the Tradition of the Church necessary in order to know with certainty the canon of Scripture?
[cf. DV 8] – The Tradition is the criterion which enables the Church to recognize which books are sacred, insofar as they have always been read and venerated in the Church, esp. in the liturgy, as the true Word of God
1.2 – What are the first councils that define the canon of Scripture?
3 African Provincial Councils:
- Hippo – 393 AD
- Carthage III – 397 AD
- Carthage IV – 419 AD
1.3 – In which ecumenical councils is the list of sacred books presented?
- Council of Florence [1441]
Decretum pro Iacobitis – listed the books - Council of Trent, Session IV, Decree I, Recipiuntur libri sacri et traditiones apostolorum (1546), dogmatically defined the Canon of sacred books of the OT and NT
1.4 – Which Session and decree of the Council of Trent dogmatically defines the list of the sacred books?
Session IV, Decree I [8 Apr. 1546]
1.5 – What criterion is indicated by the decree for recognizing the canonical books?
The tradition of reading these books throughout the centuries in the Catholic Church, above all in the liturgy, as the Word of God; also their presence in the ancient edition of the latin Vulgate.
1.6 – What does the decree mean when it speaks of the books “integri et cum omnibus suis partibus”?
“Integri” refers to the integrity of the book, or to the Completeness of the text as it is Contained in the Latin Vulgate. Involved here are the passages and pericopes whose authenticity and membership in the canonical books was put in doubt early on.
“Cum omnibus suis partibus” – includes all of the parts of the books which have Been Handed Down as the Word of God. Example here is the last two chapters of Daniel (see below).
1.7.1 – Cite an example from the books of the OT the canonicity of which the fathers of Trent intended to affirm “with all their parts.”
DANIEL (esp. in question are the last two chapters, 13 (Susanna) and 14 (Bel and the dragon), which are absent in the original semitic book). One cannot affirm only that the original semitic Dn 1-12 is sacred; all the chapters (1-14) were read in the Tradition of the Church and contained in the Vulgate.
1.7.2 – Cite an example from the books of the NT the canonicity of which the fathers of Trent intended to affirm in their integrity.
Mk 16,9-20 (the conclusion);
Lk 22,43-44 (sweat of blood);
Jn 7,53-8,11 (the pericope of the woman caught in adultery)
1.8 – In the same decree, what is meant by “edizione Vulgata latina”?
A collection, formed little by little, of those books that were always read in the Church (with a thousand-year tradition), forming the custom of believing in such writings as the Word of God entrusted to the care of the Church.
It should be emphasized that here we are not speaking of the Vulgate as a translation but an edition. “EDITION” implies Editorial Work, Choice of Books, and Collection of Material.
For example, he who copied by hand chose to insert the four Gospels known to us and to leave out the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of the Ebionites. We’re talking about a work of collection of books in order to present them as ta biblia.
1.9 – In which decree does the Council of Trent speak of the latin Vulgate as a translation?
Decree II, disciplinary part (not the dogmatic part): De reformatione.
Taken as a translation, the Vulgate can be improved and reformed, which happened with the New Vulgate in 1979 and 1985. Taken as the place where the books that are sacred and canonical can be found, it is not reformable.
1.10 – In which dogmatic document does the Magisterium clarify for the first time what the phrase “sacred and canonical book” means?
Vatican I, Session III, 24.IV.1870, Dei Filius, ch. 2, De revelatione:
“These books the Church holds to be sacred and canonical not because she subsequently approved them by her authority after they had been composed by unaided human skill, nor simply because they contain revelation without error, but because, being written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit they have God as their author, and were as such committed to the Church.”
1.11 – In what sense does the Church consider the Bible to be “sacred”?
“SACRED book” = a book is called “sacred” because, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it has God as its Author. This is to be believed; it can’t be demonstrated empirically, which is why Vat. I declared it solemnly.
“CANONICAL book” = a book is called “canonical” because, being inspired and therefore sacred, the Church received it as such.
1.12 – What does the notion of “canonical” add to the notion of “sacred”?
The notion of “canonical” ADDS the concept that the books were ENTRUSTED to the Church.
1.13 – 1.13. What is the role exercised by the sensus fidelium in relation to the recognition of the biblical canon?
[[The Church recognizes the sacred books through the sensus fidelium which is infallible in belief. The people handed down these books as sacred and the Pastors of the Church knew how to teach which ones they were.]]
1.14 – 1.14. What is the role exercised by the Magisterium in relation to the recognition of the biblical canon?
[DV, 7.3] – “But in order to keep the gospel forever whole and alive within the Church, the apostles left bishops as their successors, ‘handing over’ to them ‘the authority to teach in their own place. This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both Old and New Testaments…..
[DV, 8] – “Through the same tradition the Church’s full canon of the sacred books is known, and the sacred writings themselves are more profoundly understood and unceasingly made active in her…”
[DV, 10] – “…the task of authentically interpreting the Word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church…”
“The teaching office is not above the Word of God, but serves it, teaching it only what has been handed on, listening devoutly, guarding it scrupulously, and explaining it faithfully in accord with divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit.”
