April 1, 1997 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The following is excerpted from the book ROME AND THE BIBLE: TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS PERSECUTION OF THE BIBLE AND OF BIBLE BELIEVERS, 3rd edition, by David W. Cloud, copyright 1996. This book is $19.95 plus $4 S/H --

PIUS IX (1846-1878) in January 1850, following in the footsteps of Pius VII (1816), Leo XII (1824), Pius VIII (1829), and Gregory XVI (1832,1844), issued an encyclical letter which condemned the Bible societies. "Nay, more; with the assistance of the Biblical Societies, which have long been condemned by the holy chair, they do not blush to distribute holy Bibles, translated into the vulgar tongue, without being conformed to the rules of the Church. ... Under a false pretext of religion, they recommend the reading of them to the faithful. You, in your wisdom, perfectly understand, venerable brothers, with what vigilance and solicitude you ought to labour, that the faithful may fly with horror from this poisonous reading; and that they may remember that no man, supported by his own prudence, can arrogate to himself the right, and have the presumption, to interpret the Scriptures otherwise than as our holy mother the Church interprets them, to whom alone our Lord has confided the guardianship of the faith, judgment upon the true sense and interpretation of the divine books" (Wylie, The Papacy, 1888, p. 188).

On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX issued the bull Ineffabilis Deus, which proclaimed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. In 1899 the Pontifical Press published a book entitled Manual of Indulgences, which proclaimed: "The Virgin Mary, immaculate and always pure, never required to expiate even the shadow of an imperfection, having been always more holy than Cherubim and Seraphim." Thus the Vatican press was busy publishing books glorifying Mary, but it was doing nothing to publish the Holy Scriptures.

Writing in 1903, Alexander Robertson, who long resided in Italy, made the following observations:

On May 18, 1849, SOME THREE THOUSAND COPIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, ACCORDING TO THE MARTINI VERSION, WERE SEIZED AND DESTROYED IN TUSCANY. Priests have told me that even they were not allowed to possess a Martini Bible without the Papal consent, and that the very fact of applying for such consent would bring them under suspicion, and so damage their prospects in the Church. Therefore, they said, 'WE HAVE NO BIBLES.'

A daily newspaper in giving an account of a discussion being carried on between a layman and a clerical in regard to the falsification of the Ten Commandments by the Church, which omits the Second Commandment entirely, and divides the Tenth Commandment into two to make up the number, relates the following dialogue:

"Layman. 'Go and get a Bible.'
"Clerical. 'A Bible, and where?'
"Layman. 'What! In a country of Catholics you cannot find a Bible! What kind of Catholics can you be?'
"Clerical. 'I suppose the priest may have one.'
"Layman. 'But the priest has not a genuine one. Go and get a Diodati Bible.'
"Clerical. 'And who has such a thing?'

"The newspaper commenting on this, says: 'Do you understand, O reader? IN A VILLAGE OF THREE THOUSAND INHABITANTS NO BIBLE COULD BE FOUND. And yet you call yourselves Catholics, religious people, believing people!'

"Students are not taught the Bible in the Papal seminaries. They have many text-books--Alfonso de Liguori's especially--but no Bible. Count Campello, ex-Canon of St. Peter's, was trained I the Academy of Noble Ecclesiastics, the highest training college in Rome (to which once only men of noble birth were admitted, but into which now not one such can be induced to enter), and yet DURING ALL HIS YEARS OF STUDY HE NEVER EVEN SAW A BIBLE" (Alexander Robertson, The Roman Catholic Church in Italy, 1903, pp. 211-215).

Bibles were also being destroyed in SOUTH AMERICA during the reign of Pius IX. The following is an eyewitness account of the burning of Spanish New Testaments in Chili:

"Soon after my arrival in this place, some persons informed me that the New Testament had been taken from them as a proscribed book, and that several copies were to be burned in the public square on the following Sabbath. Letters had been received, I was further informed, FROM THE POPE HIMSELF, cautioning the bishops and priests against spurious editions of the New Testament printed in England, and circulated gratuitously in South America, for the purpose of creating divisions and heresies in the church. ... the clergy resorted to the old objection, that ALL EDITIONS OF THE BIBLE AND TESTAMENT WITHOUT NOTES ARE PROHIBITED BY A DECREE OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT.

"On Sabbath evening, the time fixed for the sacrilegious conflagration, a procession was formed, having the curate at the head, and conducted with the usual pomp, the priest kneeling a few moments at each corner of the square, and placing a large crucifix upon the ground. During the afternoon a fire had been kindled for the purpose, I was told by several bystanders, of burning heretical books which ridiculed the mass and confession; and among the number was mentioned the New Testament. A guard of soldiers prevented me from examining them separately, but I stood sufficiently near to discover that the greater part were copies of the New Testament issued by the American Bible Society. As the flame ascended, increasing in brightness, one of the clergy shouted 'Viva Deos' (Let God reign), which was immediately echoed by the loud acclamations of a large concourse of people. ...

"The Scriptures burned were of the approved Spanish version, translated from the Vulgate by a Spanish Roman Catholic bishops. They were New Testaments too, so the plea that the Apocrypha was excluded could not be urged. They were portions of their own acknowledged word of God, because in the vulgar tongue and without popish notes, solemnly committed to the flames!" (John Dowling, The History of Romanism, 1853, p. 625).

When the wife of an Anglican clergyman died at Rome during the reign of Pius IX, the following epitaph was prepared by her husband for her tombstone: "To her to live was Christ, to die is gain. ... She is gone to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense, till the day break, and the day dawn," etc. This was submitted to the Roman Catholic censor and was struck out. An appeal was made to Pius IX himself, and he confirmed the censor's decision on two grounds: First, "it was unlawful to express the hope of immortality over the grave of a heretic." Second, "it was contrary to law to publish in the sight of the Roman people any portion of the Word of God" (Wylie, The Papacy, p. 188).

On December 8, 1864, Pius IX issued a Syllabus of Errors, in which he again condemned Bible societies, lumping them together with Communism, secret societies, and other evils, labeling them "pests of this kind" (Latourette, Europe in the Nineteenth Century, p. 276).

Pius IX had himself and his fellow popes proclaimed "infallible" at the Vatican I Council in 1870. This Council "ratified generally the decrees of Trent on Revelation, and renewed a curse on all who 'shall not receive as holy and canonical all the books of Holy Scripture with all their parts, as set forth by the holy Tridentine Synod [this included the Apocrypha], or shall deny that they were divinely inspired'" (Jacobus, Roman Catholic and Protestant Bibles, p. 237). At Vatican I a pageant was held in which the Catholic authorities professed their submission to the pope. As the various groups of priests approached the papal throne in their turn, they bowed low, and the cardinals kissed the hand of the pope; the patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and bishops kissed his right knee; and the abbots kissed his foot (Shelton, History of the Christian Church, V, p. 62).

Following is an excerpt from the declaration of Vatican I:

"We teach and declare that by the appointment of our Lord THE ROMAN CHURCH POSSESSES A SUPERIORITY OF ORDINARY POWER OVER ALL OTHER CHURCHES, and that THIS POWER OF JURISDICTION OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF, which is truly episcopal, is immediate; to which all, of whatever rite and dignity, BOTH PASTORS AND FAITHFUL, BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, ARE BOUND, by their duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, to submit not only in matters which belong to faith and morals, but also in those that appertain to the discipline and government of the Church throughout the world, SO THAT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST MAY BE ONE FLOCK UNDER ONE SUPREME PASTOR through the preservation of unity both of communion and of profession of the same faith with the Roman pontiff. THIS IS THE TEACHING OF CATHOLIC TRUTH, FROM WHICH NO ONE CAN DEVIATE WITHOUT LOSS OF FAITH AND OF SALVATION."

"And since BY DIVINE RIGHT OF APOSTOLIC PRIMACY THE ROMAN PONTIFF IS PLACED OVER THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH, we further teach and declare that HE IS THE SUPREME JUDGE OF THE FAITHFUL, and that in all causes the decision of which belongs to the Church recourse may be had to his tribunal, and that NONE MAY REOPEN THE JUDGMENT OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE, THAN WHOSE AUTHORITY THERE IS NO GREATER, NOR CAN ANY LAWFULLY REVIEW ITS JUDGMENT."

"IF THEN, ANY SHALL SAY THAT THE ROMAN PONTIFF HAS THE OFFICE MERELY OF INSPECTION OR DIRECTION, AND NOT FULL AND SUPREME POWER OF JURISDICTION OVER THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH, not only in things which belong to faith and morals, but also in those which relate to the discipline and government of the Church spread throughout the world: or assert that he possesses merely the principal part, and not all the fulness of this supreme power; OR THAT THIS POWER WHICH HE ENJOYS IS NOT ORDINARY OR IMMEDIATE BOTH OVER EACH AND ALL THE CHURCHES AND OVER EACH AND ALL THE PASTORS AND THE FAITHFUL; LET HIM BE ANATHEMA."

"We teach and define that it is a dogma divinely revealed; that the Roman pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra, that is, when in discharge of the office of pastor and doctor of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith and morals to be held by the universal Church, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, IS POSSESSED OF THAT INFALLIBILITY with which the Divine Redeemer willed that His Church should be endowed for defining doctrine regarding faith or morals; and that therefore SUCH DEFINITIONS OF THE ROMAN PONTIFF ARE IRREFORMABLE OF THEMSELVES, and not from the consent of the Church. But if any one-which may God avert--presume to contradict this our definition: LET HIM BE ANATHEMA."

The Catholic Vatican I Council therefore placed the pope on the same level with Almighty God and bestowed upon him prerogatives which belong solely to the Lord Jesus Christ--who alone is supreme judge of the faithful and who alone can infallibly define doctrine. To claim infallibility is to exalt oneself to the level of God and the Holy Scriptures. The proclamations of Vatican I, therefore, were yet another attack upon the perfection and sufficiency of the Word of God.

A fascinating incident which occurred at the Vatican I Council illustrates Rome's relationship with the Bible:

"A curious thing happened at the so-called Ecumenical Council, held in the Vatican in 1869-70, at which the infallibilty of the Pope was decreed. Dollinger and Dupanloup, in supporting their arguments against the insensate proposal, wished to refer to some passages of Scripture; but NO ONE HAD A BIBLE IN THE WHOLE COUNCIL, nor could one be procured for them within the bounds of the Church, so one had to be borrowed from the Protestant chaplain of the Prussian Embassy!" (Alexander Robertson, The Roman Catholic Church in Italy, 1903, p. 216).

"At the time ROME was made the capital of Italy in 1870, a papal law required that copies of the Bible found in the possession of visitors to the papal city be confiscated" (Schaff, History of the Christian Church, VI, p. 727).

"That this hostility to the Word of God is not confined to the occupant of the Vatican, but pervades the entire body of the Romish clergy in all parts of the world, is evident from the RECENT WELL-AUTHENTICATED INSTANCES OF THE BURNING OF BIBLES BY PRIESTS IN BELGIUM, IN IRELAND, AND IN MADEIRA. Not less significant is the fact, stated in evidence before the Commissioners of Education, that among the four hundred students attending the College of Maynooth, there were not to be found more than ten Bibles or Testaments; while every student was required to provide himself with a copy of the works of the Jesuits Bailly and Delahogue" (Ireland in 1846-47, p. 33, by Philip Dixon Hardy, cited by Wylie, The Papacy, p. 183).

Richard Littledale, writing in 1879, testified that he had "known of a bonfire to be made of Anglican Bibles and Testaments by Roman Catholic clergymen at a mission in Kingstown, DUBLIN" (Littledale, Plain Reasons, p. 92).

Spain and the Roman Catholic Church gained control of THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS in 1610, and it retained control for 288 years, until the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898. During these centuries, the Filipino people were not given the Bible and were not allowed a free press. "Since Protestant America took over the control of the Islands ... THE FILIPINOS HAVE BEEN GIVEN, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY, AN OPEN BIBLE, A FREE PRESS, public schools, the right of public assembly, free speech, popular self-government, sanitary methods of living, modern means of transportation, and the proclamation of the Gospel, untainted by pagan practices and superstitions. During the forty-five years of Protestant occupation, more has been done for the civilization and evangelization of the Philippines than during the nearly three-hundred years of Spanish Catholic domination" (Montano, Behind the Purple Curtain, p. 101).

Roman Catholic F. Curci, who translated the Gospels and Acts, gave this testimony in 1879: "THE NEW TESTAMENT IS OF ALL BOOKS THAT WHICH IS LEAST STUDIED AND READ AMONGST US, insomuch that THE GREATER PART OF THE LAITY, even such as are instructed and practising believers, DO NOT SO MUCH AS KNOW THAT SUCH A BOOK EXISTS IN THE WORLD, and the majority of the clergy themselves scarcely know more of it than they are obliged to read in the Missal and Breviary" (Curci, Avvert. Prelim. in N.T., xi, cited in Littledale, Plain Reasons, p. 94).

How was the Bible faring during these days in the very heart of the pope's territory? Mr. Seymour, a Church of England minister, visited Rome; and in a book entitled Mornings among the Jesuits at Rome he recorded his experiences. A Catholic professor of theology in the Collegio Romano told Seymour "that it is a great mistake, and, indeed, a calumny against the Catholic Church, to say that she is opposed to the full and unrestricted use and circulation of the Scriptures." Seymour replied: "Having resided many years among a Roman Catholic population in Ireland, I had always found that the sacred volume was forbidden to them; and that SINCE I CAME TO ITALY, AND ESPECIALLY TO ROME, I OBSERVED THE MOST COMPLETE IGNORANCE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, and that it was ascribed by themselves to a prohibition on the part of the Church." The following is the dialogue which ensued:

"He at once stated that there must be some mistake, as the book was permitted to all who could understand it, and was, in fact, in very general circulation in Rome.

"I said that I had heard the contrary, and that it was impossible to procure a copy of the holy Scriptures in the Italian tongue in the city of Rome,--that I had so heard from an English gentleman who had resided there for ten years,--that I looked upon the statement as scarcely credible,--that I wished much to ascertain the matter for my own information,--THAT I HAD ONE DAY RESOLVED TO TEST THIS BY VISITING EVERY BOOKSELLING ESTABLISHMENT IN THE CITY OF ROME,--that I had gone to the book-shop belonging to the Propaganda Fide,--to that patronized by his holiness the pope,--to that which was connected with the Collegio Romano, and was patronized by the order of Jesuits,--to that which was established for the supply of English and other foreigners,--to those who sold old and second-hand books,--and that IN EVERY ESTABLISHMENT, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, I FOUND THAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES WERE NOT FOR SALE; I COULD NOT PROCURE A SINGLE COPY IN THE ROMAN LANGUAGE, OF A PORTABLE SIZE, in the whole city of Rome; and that when I asked each bookseller the reason of his not having so important a volume, I was answered, in every instance, e prohibito, or non " per permesso,--that the volume was prohibited, or that it was not permitted to be sold. I added, that Martini's edition was offered to me in two places, but it was in twenty-four volumes, and at a cost of 105 francs (that is, four pounds sterling); and that, under such circumstances, I could not but regard the holy Scriptures as a prohibited book, at least in the city of Rome.

"He replied by acknowledging that it was very probable that I could not find the volume in Rome, especially as the population of Rome was very poor, and not able to purchase the sacred volume; and that the real reason the Scriptures were not at the booksellers, and also were not in circulation, was, not that they were forbidden or prohibited by the Church, but that the people of Rome were too poor to buy them.

"I replied that they probably were too poor, whether in Rome or in England, to give one hundred and five francs for the book; but that the clergy of Rome, so numerous and wealthy, should do as in England, namely, form an association for cheapening the copies of the Scriptures.

"He said, in reply, that the priests were too poor to cheapen the volume, and that the people were too poor to purchase it.

"I then stated, that if this was really the case,--that if there was no prohibition against the sacred volume,--that if they would be willing to circulate it,--and that really and sincerely there was no other objection than the difficulties arising from the price of the book, --that difficulty should at once be obviated. I would myself undertake to obtain from England through the Bible Society, any number of Bibles that could be circulated; and that they should be sold at the lowest possible price, or given freely and gratuitously, to the inhabitants of Rome. I stated that the people of England loved the Scriptures beyond all else in this world; and that it would be to them a source of delight and thanksgiving to give for gratuitous circulation any number of copies of the sacred volume that the inhabitants of Rome could require.

"He immediately answered, that he thanked me for the generous offer but that there would be no use in accepting it, as the people of Rome were very ignorant, were in a state of brute ignorance, were unable to read anything; and therefore could not profit by reading the Scriptures, even if we supplied them gratuitously.

"I could not conceal from myself that he was prevaricating with me--that his former excuse of poverty, and this latter excuse of ignorance, were mere evasions; so I asked him whose fault it was that the people remained in such universal and unaccountable ignorance. There were above five thousand priests, monks, and nuns, besides cardinals and prelates in the city of Rome; that the whole population was only thirty thousand families; that thus there was a priest, or a monk, or a nun, for every six families in Rome; that thus there were ample means for the education of the people, and I asked, therefore, whether the Church was not to blame for this ignorance on the part of the people?

"He immediately turned from the subject, saying, that the Church held the infallibility of the pope, to whom it therefore belonged to give the only infallible interpretation of the Scriptures" (Seymour, Mornings among the Jesuits at Rome, pp. 132-135).

Thus we see that in the late nineteenth century the Bible was a unknown book among the citizens of Rome. This was directly the fault of the Roman Catholic hierarchy and was in open rebellion to the express will of Almighty God.

[The previous is from ROME AND THE BIBLE: TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ITS PERSECUTION OF THE BIBLE AND OF BIBLE BELIEVERS, 3rd edition, by David W. Cloud, copyright 1996. This book is $19.95 plus $4 S/H. Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org. See the Online Ordering Form.]