Berlin, Germany, Sep 15, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Ecumenical cooperation in Germany has experienced “a bitter setback” after it was made public last Thursday that German Protestants rejected a joint project to revise the standard German translation of the Bible with the Catholic Church, reported Vatican Radio.
German Catholics and Protestants produced the current standard German Bible in the 1980s and have since been using it in ecumenical services.
But the Vatican expressed the intention to revise the standard German Bible, issuing directives requiring the revision to conform to the Latin translation of the Bible. The Protestants, instead, prefer translation to conform to the original Hebrew and Greek biblical texts.
"This directive has criteria that the Protestant side cannot accept," said Lutheran Bishop Wolfgang Huber, chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, according to Reuters.
Cardinal Karl Lehmann, president of the German Catholic Bishops, admitted that the dispute has placed a "considerable strain" on relations between German Protestants and Catholics, reported Reuters.
The bishop of Mainz reportedly lamented that Protestants did not trust the Catholics to produce an accurate translation.
According to the international news agency, translation problems in the English and German versions of the Bible can pose grave challenges as other countries use them as references when translating the Bible into their own languages.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Click hereOur mission is the truth. Join us!
Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.
Donate to CNA