The phrase Dei Verbum, Latin for ‘Word of God,’ is taken from the first line of the document, a customary practice for titles of major Catholic documents. While many commentators start with Lumen Gentium when reviewing Vatican II, Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, serves as the fundamental lens through which we can best grasp the Council’s work. Dei Verbum’s renewed stress on Sacred Scripture emphasised the necessity to anchor all the Council documents in scriptural texts. Dei Verbum also marks the first comprehensive teaching on God’s Revelation by an ecumenical council in Church history. Although relatively short compared with Lumen Gentium – the other twin pillar of the Council, Dei Verbum is the most theological of all the Decrees. It comprises a preface and six chapters: Revelation itself; the Transmission of Revelation; Inspiration and Interpretation of Scripture; the Old Testament; the New Testament; and Scripture in the Life of the Church.
PUSH FOR AGGIORNAMENTO
There was a widespread consensus that the Council needed to produce a significant document on Revelation and the Bible. A drafting commission was formed, but its members got entrenched in a conservative stance, that it was the pastoral duty of bishops to defend against any error of biblical interpretation. The Council Fathers found this first draft, titled ‘De fontibus Revelationis’ (On the Sources of Revelation), as overly conservative and inadequate. They felt it didn’t align with the vision of aggiornamento (or renewal) articulated by Pope John XXIII for the Council. Following preliminary debates and a vote that signalled a desire for a completely different approach, Pope John XXIII intervened directly. He proposed the withdrawal of the draft and the formation of a new joint commission. This commission, co-led by Cardinal Bea, comprised members of the previous commission alongside scholars trained in critical biblical studies.
Br. Sunil Britto CFC
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