Which is the Bible suggested for Roman Catholics?

Answer 1

The best edition available of the Holy Scriptures is the Latin Vulgate. Latin, however, is not as well read these days, and so in English Catholics can find the Challoner Douay-Rheims Bible. Also recommended is the Confraternity Bible.

Answer 2

Bibles are Bibles, be it Protestant or Catholic. However, we Catholics believe that Protestant Bibles lack several books of the Bible (Deutero-canonicals).

In general, any Bible that has a Nihil Obstat or an Imprimatur (Certifications by Bishops that there are no errors in it) is the preferred for Catholics.

The most notable Bibles in the English-speaking Catholic world is the Douay-Rheims Bibles (translated directly from the Latin Vulgate, which is considered one of the best translations since it was written with manuscripts that no longer esist) or the New American Bible (NAB)

Answer 3

Roman Catholic AnswerAny "version" of The Bible, as in any translation, is acceptable for Catholics to use, as long as it contains all the books of the Bible, and has been granted an Imprimatur by a Bishop (look on the copyright page). The Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, the New American Bible, the Jerusalem Bible, and the Douay-Rheims are all popular English Bibles. The Catholic Church wrote the Bible, and all of It's doctrine and belief is contained therein. There is nothing in the Bible that contradicts Catholicism, nor vice versa. The Bible is primarily the Word of God, and God is It's primary author. Sacred Scripture is covered in articles 101-144 in the Catechism; see also the document Dei Verbum from Vatican Council II.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Imprimatur. The Latin term for "let it be printed," which signifies the approval by a bishop of a religion work for publication. Authors are at liberty to obtain the imprimatur either from the bishop where they reside, or where the book is to be published, or where it is printed. Generally the imprimatur, along with the bishop's name and date of approval, is to be shown in the publication. According to a decree of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1975), "the Pastors of the Church have the duty and the right to be vigilant lest the faith and morals of the faithful be harmed by writings; and consequently even to demand that the publication of writings concerning the faith and morals should be submitted to the Church's approval, and also to condemn books and writings that attack faith or morals." (Etym. Latin imprimere, to impress, stamp imprint.)

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

101 In order to reveal himself to men, in the condescension of his goodness God speaks to them in human words: "Indeed the words of God, expressing the words of men, are in every way like human language, just as the Word of the eternal Father, when he took on himself the flesh of human weakness, became like men." (Dei Verbum 63)

103 For this reason, the Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerate the Lord's Body. She never cease to present to the faithful the bread of life, taken from the one table of God's Word and Christ's Body. (Cf. Dei Verbum 21)

107 The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without errorteach truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures." (Dei Verbum 11) {emphasis mine}

108 Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book." Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, a word which is "not a written and mute word, but the Word which is incarnate and living." (St. Bernard, S. Missus est hom. 4,11; J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latinia {Paris: 1841-1855} 183, 86) If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures." (Cf. Lk24:45)