Can You Imagine an American Network Doing This?????

Pope Benedict to be first reader in six-day marathon Bible recitation

You read the headline correctly. On 5 October 2008 Rai (Radiotelevisione Italiana) , the Italian public service broadcaster, will broadcast a 6 day marathon reading of the entire Bible on 1 of its television networks.

Papa Benedetto will kick the marathon reading off by reading Genesis 1. It has not been decided if he will do so live or that it will be prerecorded. According to the news report, Papa Benedetto "has reportedly expressed a preference to read live from St. Peter’s Basilica."

"The Pope’s reading will be followed by a reading from Rome’s Chief Rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, who will read Genesis in Hebrew. The recitation will close on October 10 with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who will read the 22nd chapter of the Book of Revelation."

The article goes on to say: "A total of 1,200 people will take part in the project, including cardinals, rabbis, politicians, academics, athletes, students, soldiers, and factory workers. Other languages will be used; for instance, the beginning of St. John’s Gospel will be read in Greek."

I know some people are thinking "Why would the Pope do this?" According to Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture: "I think the fundamental element that convinced Benedict XVI to take part in the television program was the fact that he will not be commenting but simply giving a pure reading of the text, a pure announcement of the Word." He also see it as a call by the Pope for the Church to come back to “studying and deepening its knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, to find again that base element and point of departure.”

I like this idea for several reasons. Let's face it, too few Catholics read the Bible as much as they should. This will definitely encourage more reading by those who already do so. & enourage more to start doing so.

Also, the myth still floats arround that the Catholic Church discouraged the reading of the Bible before Vatican II. Not true, on 18 November 1893 Pope Leo XIII issued the Encyclical Providentissimus Deus that called on all priests & bishops to grow in their knowledge of Scripture. Then on 15 September 1915 Pope Benedect XV issued Spiritus Paraclitus on St. Jerome & his work to make the Bible more readliy accessable to all. Pope Pius XII issued Divino afflante Spiritu on 30 September 1943 to commereate the 50th Anniversary of Providentissimus Deus. I own a copy of 1 of the fruits of that last Encyclical. Here in the USA a paperback pocket sized New Testament in English was issued c 1945 as a response to Pope Pius XII's call in the Encyclical. In the front is the English translation of Divino afflante Spiritu. It was also set up in such a way that the person could read through the entire NT 3 times a year.

The fact that Papa Benedetto, Cardinal Bertone & other Catholics will participate will help to counter that myth. (Yes, I will admit that many Catholics were wrongly taught the idea that they shouldn't read the Bible. Since it was never official Catholic teaching, those here in the USA that said so were either mislead themselves or were doing so intentionally for some reason.)

OK RAI gets part of its expenses from a license fee, but it does sell advertising as well. So, it could be done here in the USA. But somehow or other, I doubt that PBS, CBS, NBC, CW or ABC would be interested. & their affiliates even less so. All the sadder.