Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-10-16
THE ABBOT DOM GASQUET

was made by Alcuin. the learned Benc-
dtcdne scholar. and Abbot of Tours. in
France. This revision was made in
the Year 800. "A. D.. and was presented
to his patron. Emperor Charlemagne
OF Alcuin's labors three Goddess have
come down to us, as Codex Vallicellan-
US. Codex Paulius and Zurich Codex.
About the same period in history.
Theodulf the famous bishop of Or
leans, made his revision, which, how
readings. Several other notable men
undertook to make revisions OF the
vulgate. but none We're ever complete.
AT the beginning OF the Sixteenth CEN
fury the text OF St Jerome had be-
come somewhat obscure. and the coun-
Gil of Trent. In 1916. called upon Pope
Paul III to revise the bible. Acommission
was appointed. but no revision was
made until 1890. when Pope Sixtus v
! published his version; This edition
was withdrawn shortly afterwards and
only ~ copies are now in existence.
| IN 1891 a new commission was APP
| pointed with Cardinal Colonna at its
head. This commission finished its la
bors In - days. That same year Card
tnal Colonna succeeded Pope Gregory
NV. and published his edition ir, 1892
IT is this Latin text that is in use to-.
day. 1t is called the Clenentine bible.
after the pope.
1t was conceded that 1t was not COM
plete and would have to be revised
some day. but none attempted to UNI
dertake the work until Pope Plus X
realizing the necessity for the change,
ordered the work begun. His changes,
'hough simple. We're Very severe. They
We're TO determine the wording of the
text OF St .Terome's Latin translation
OF the year 37l
Starting ont with what appelred to
be u stone wall in front OF them. tha
commission headed by ABBOTT Gasuuet
prepared To scale ii. That they have
! succeeded and their work will be car
rled on To completion is NOW assured
when g system Of work WIS decided
upon Abbot Giasuuct sent Benedictine
scholars to search the archives and
libraries OF Europe. These ,nel travel
ed from IN. Meditc.san to the
Steppos of Russia. Everywhere they
were received with welcome and
vaults, secret chambers, and libraries
filled %'itii dust covered manuscripts
were thrown open to them. Many Of
these had not been disturbed for CEN
tnt,es, but all were now uncovered and
in the massive pile $4,000 biblical
have been brought to light.
AS the commission could not borrow
these nor could they be bought at any
price. modern way of gathering tfl.
material into its own archives Was
struck upon by the commission This
WAS to photograph each page thereby
getting an exact reproduction of the
original.
A large camera with a rectangle
prism attached to its lens was equipped
for the purpose. BY this method the
picture of the manuscript is thrown
directly upon sensitzed paper, which.
when developed. turns out black
page with fac-simile in white Of
the painted letters of the manuscripts.
AS the camera does not lie the COM
mission is gathering ON it's book
shelves in Rome. large folio pictorial
volumes Uf every known bible manu-
script in existence. When completed
this will be the most unique and nc
curate collection of manuscripts in the
world. One to which scholars can re-
sort and with the aid of a card index
discover every change of rending ever
grated onto the Latin version of the
(, bible OF st. Jerome
| The Book of Genesis has been coll
lated and printed. 1t is Abbot Gas
| quct's hope that he may live to see
completed the revision of the Penta-
! ttuch and the Psalms.
! on his arrival Abbot Gasquet was
| ll,et by delegation of clergymen and
the supreme officers of the knights
| of Columbus He will start his lee
ture tour i'm New York and travel west.
| 1T is his wish to visit every place that
! desires to hear him as he is coming
to America to acuuaint the people with
the work of the commission and he
!, wants all to know about 1T.