The Salesian Pontifical University has organized a special showing of all the ecumenical translations of the Bible produced up to now, as a contribution to the upcoming Synod of Bishops that will focus on “the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.”

The exposition is called, “The Word translated together.  The Bible in common Christian initiatives from Vatican II to today,” and is being sponsored by the Salesian University of Rome and the United Bible Society. The event will be kicked off on Tuesday at Salesian university’s Don Bosco Library by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, and will remain on display until April 29.

The expo includes, panels, books and presentations displayed in two rooms: one with books and another with multimedia presentations that correspond to the four world regions of the United Bible Society: Europe and the Middle East, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, and Africa.  Since 1968 until now 211 translations have been made jointly between Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant scholars.  The expo at the Salesian University will feature 100 translations in diverse languages.

There are 2,426 languages in which at least one book of Bible has been translated.  The New Testament has been translated into 1,444 languages, while the complete Bible has been translated into 429 languages.