The Detroit times., 1913-09-05
ABBOT COMING
TO FUNDSFOR
Bible REVISION
Head Of English Isenedictine Or
der 10 Raise Enough Money
In This Country
CATHOLIC CHURCH WORK
TO TAKE FORTY YEARS
Tom Gasquet Estimates 1t Will
Cost $4,000 q Year-knights
of Columbus to Aid

NEW YORK. Sept. 4-Abbott
President OF the English Benedictines
Gasquet. reputed to be the ablest
Biblical 10 scholar - In the Catholic
church, will arrive in this country
soon to VISIT the large cities as the
guest of the American hierarchy and
to explain the progress made by the
! Pontifical Biblical Revision Commits
sion. OF which he is chairman. The
commission has been bampered In
Its labors for lack. Of funds. But the
abbot has the assurance OF financial
aid from Catholics In this country.
and he hopes to- raise enough during
his stay to completes ahe undertake king,
without further interruption.
The Knights OF Columbus have
taken an interest In the work and
will arrange public meetings through
out the country which Will be. ad-'
dressed by the abbot.
The revision and translation OF the
vulgate Is probably the most import.
ant intellectual undertaking that has
been inaugurated by the Catholic
church in century. II was largely
brought about through the efforts OF
the scholarly Benedictines OF Eng
land. who made a special study OF
the Bible and reached the conclusion
that there was ample room for re-
vision of the entire vulgate, which,
In n practical sense, meant fresh
translation. Five years ago Pope
Plus \. summoned Dom Gasquet TO
the vatican and made him president
OF the -poDtihcial commission.
Set About Raising Funds.
The pope told the abbot he did not
know where the money would come
from. The Benedictines had the hon.
or OF the labor and Dom Gasquet de-
cided that the vatican should not be
asked TO appropriate any definite
amount. He decided to rely on the
zeal OF the clergy and laity. The or
der supplied funds during the first
few years and Cardinal Farley was
among the first in this country to
contribute financial support. 1t was
estimated that the cost of inquiry.
collation. OF data, the taking OF pho
togpaphs. etc. would be about $4,000
a year.
1t is almost out OF the question that
such an undertaking could be finished
In the lifetime of a man who was
past so when. he assumed the presi-
dency of the commission. At least 40
yearc should be given to the under
taking. he argued. and 1t appears now
! that he was not far from the mark.
Shortly after his appointment the
abbot got down to business. The
pope authorized him TO select only
the most eminent scholars In the
church, as his assistants. The present
rector of the Catholic university at
Washington. d. c., Mgr. Shaban, is
the American member of the CON-
mission. In every country students
have been working under the abbot's
direction. Considerable progress has
been made already. and 1t Is this pro-
gress that the abbot will show to his
American audiences by means of
lantern slides.
To begin with. the Book OF Genesis
has been collated and printed on three
Inherent kinds OF paper. One kind
was made and intended to Last for
ever. the second may endure so or go
years, and the third less than that. A
Bible was printed at cost OF 500
pounds sterling. During the printing
the members of the commission
worked steadily as many as IA hours
a day
investigating Old Libraries.
A specimen copy of the completed
part OF the undertaking was present
ed to Piux X. Members OF the COM
mission are now In Calabria and in
parts OF Spain exploring ancient Ii.
oraries. AS fast as new documents
are discovered they are apportioned
Tor investigation among the scholars
OF the Benedictine order throughout
the world
The commission has collected H..
ooo manuscripts. With the aid OF the
camera copies OF 10000 pages OF Bi.
tllcal DOCUMENTS weres obtained from,
European ltbraries~and the archives
fof old 'monastic Institutions. Every
known Biblical manuscript will be
photographed. but only about 50. OF
the best and most accurate texts OF
me known versions Will be ..employed
by the commission in its labors OF
re visfon. '-'ss'..t G'+' ..-'--.'s7 "
|rsfe-s- Nls ~. gs.- 100 49, 4ss. gf.sss,
Some OF the. niest copies are those
OF Saxon origin, among these being
the famous Alcuin copy in the valli.
cefhan4 library At ROME and the, Co
dex .Amiatfhus In the Iaurentisn II.
orary at Florence. The latter Was
one of three. copies made in the, mon.
astery OF Jarrow, from which St
NaS ,.,e 49, = ,is -..,.,.,s. $3.50
: IL ~ Inc aooots hope that IRE may
iive 70 see completed before he. dies
the reyision. OF. the. ..Pensatese and
Psalms. Dom Gasquet Is the son Of
a London physician and has been
head OF The English Benedictines
since 1900, He was prominently men.
tened for the cardinalate some years
agc The headquarters. OF the .Bibli.
cal commission is the Benedictins
monastery Of 81. Anselm at Rome.