Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-10-16
Chairman of Commission Ap-
pointed by Pope Plus X to Re-
wise Latin Bible. Seeks
American Aid.

Abbot Dom Gasquet, president or the
English Benedictine and chairman of
me commission appointed by Pope
Plus y to revise the Latin bible. or
vulsate has come to visit the larger
4 cities and explain the progress made
by his commission during the past five
| years. Abbot Gasquet has been in
| America before, but not since he has
undertaken the stupendous work of
| revising the bible, which will reu'ira
about 80 years to complete. Abbot Cas-
| quet viii speak in Sioux City under the
| auspices of the knights OF columbus
/ during the early winter.
1T was In May, 1907. that Pope Plus
X announced his determination to pre-
pare for y most critical and sitting re-
Vision of the Latin bible called the
vulgate. The crying necessity for such
revision had been felt for many CEN
| turtles. but as the life time of Il COM
mission was not sufficient in which to
accomplish the HcrcIlean task. and
new members had to be grated to the
old. the work though often started was
never completed. So IL Is that now for
the first time since the year 81 when
ST Jerome completed the first revision
OF the Latin vulgatc, the work has been
undertaken III such Il way lhsit IT VIII
be carried to completion Much has
been accomplished in the past five
years; but as the commission has found
an appeal has been sent out to the
world for aid. Abbot (;asuuet himself
wished 10 make that appeal direct to
America and for this purpose is com
Ing I" our shores. Tho Knights of
Columbus has volunteered To bear all
the expenses OF his visit 50 that all
returns n,;,s be used by hiin for his
great work.
Abbot ciasquci is sinealiarly fitted for
the task which VIII occupy the remain
Ing years OF his lite he was the one
among the nnay Catholic scholars OF
the world that VIZ selected by the
pop To carry ollt the Wort. The great
or part Of his Lille has been passed in
research work and he is u inquist of
unusual ability. For wears he has
searched through the archives of Eng
land for manuscripts. and from sources
histories. such as Henry VIII and the
English Munasteries" Th. Eve of
the Reformation and others 1t was
with some regret that he undertook
this nov and burdensome task. but de-
spite the amount of hard work placed
upon him he has found time to write
Il history of mcdiaeyal England, which.
when published will throw a new light
on the religious controversies of that
country
Tho work of AbbG, C;asquct and his
commission will be of untold value to
hll readers and students oil the bible.
Protestant MS we'll as Catholic. as it
win gather together the most complete
collection of biblical manuscripts now
in existence Beside this the commits
sion will make n complete revision of
the Latin translations and give the
world the most accurate copy of the
Latin bible since the fourth century
when ST. Jerome completed the task
originally. al the command OF Pope
Damascus.
Since the days Of ST. jerome much
has been added To the bible for which
there is no authority. This was done
by copSists before tho invention of the
printing press. These earnest and Of
ten oNerzealous workers. frequently
grated old readings, words and
phrases onto ST. JcroTne's scholarly
text, and. in time. the new copies of
tho vulgate were much like the italia,
a pre- jerome edition. of the bible.
While these Wore not authorized the
church did not consider them hereti-
cal. but made frequon, efforts To have
them revised. however. without salts
factory success. owing To The stipend
Gus task
one OF tho carly rcvisions attempted