- Why the Church restricted Bible reading
Fear of individual interpretation: The Catholic Church, especially during the Middle Ages, maintained that only authorized clergy could interpret Scripture. The concern was that translations and free reading might lead to “heresies”—interpretations that deviated from official doctrine.
Monopoly of authority: Direct access to God’s Word was seen as spiritual power. Controlling the Bible meant controlling faith, and thus the lives of communities.
Low literacy rates: Until the 15th century, most of the population was illiterate. The Church argued it wouldn’t make sense to grant access to texts people couldn’t read or understand. In practice, this reinforced dependence on the clergy.
Reaction to the Protestant Reformation: When Luther translated the Bible into German (1517), asserting that every believer could read it directly, the Catholic Church intensified restrictions, viewing unauthorized translations as dangerous. Full openness to reading the Bible in vernacular languages and promoting its circulation only began with the Second Vatican Council (1962–65).
- Why Mass was celebrated in Latin
Universal unity: Latin was the common language of the Roman Empire and later became the language of culture, law, and the Church. Celebrating Mass in Latin allowed Catholics in Portugal, France, or Italy to participate in the same liturgy without regional differences.
Sacred distance: Using a “foreign” language created a sense of mystery and transcendence, reinforcing the idea that worship was something above everyday life.
Historical inertia: Even after Latin ceased to be spoken by the common people (6th–8th centuries), the Church retained it as the liturgical language.
This changed only with the Second Vatican Council, which permitted the use of local languages to make the liturgy more understandable.
- Why the Church didn’t promote reading and writing like the Jews
Jewish model: In Judaism, reading the Torah is central, and every community has the obligation to teach children to read (since antiquity). Direct contact with the Law is seen as part of the covenant between God and His people.
Catholic model: In medieval Christianity, the focus was not on personal Bible reading, but on participation in sacraments (Mass, baptism, confession, Eucharist). Salvation was tied more to ritual practice and Church mediation than to direct Scripture reading.
Clerical education: The Church established many schools, but primarily to train priests, monks, and some nobles. Universal literacy was not a priority.
Power and dependence: Keeping the people unable to read reinforced the need for the priest as the exclusive interpreter and mediator of Scripture and grace.
In summary:
The Catholic Church controlled access to the Bible and knowledge as a means to preserve doctrinal unity and its spiritual and social authority. In contrast, Judaism views Scripture reading as a core part of national identity for the entire people. Catholic openness to Bible reading and vernacular languages is relatively recent (20th century).
15th century – Early translations: Before the Protestant Reformation, some translations of the Bible into vernacular languages existed but were frequently banned or censored by the Church. The Council of Constance (1414–1418) condemned unauthorized translations.
16th century – Protestant Reformation: Luther translated the Bible into German (1522–1534), encouraging individual reading. The Catholic Church responded by strengthening control, banning unauthorized translations through the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Index of Forbidden Books), which existed from 1559 to 1966.
20th century – Official openness: Second Vatican Council (1962–1965): explicitly authorized reading of the Bible in vernacular languages and encouraged its dissemination among all believers. From then on, the Bible began being officially translated into numerous languages, widely distributed, and studied by laypeople.
Summary: Before the 20th century: reading the Bible at home or in common language was discouraged or prohibited. Officially permitted and promoted for all believers: 1965, after the Second Vatican Council.