“The Catholic Church burned heretics for translating the Bible into English.”
They’ll shout: “Look at William Tyndale! The Church wanted to keep people ignorant!”Sounds scandalous, doesn’t it?
But let’s pause… and look at the truth, historically, theologically, and honestly.
Because the Catholic Church never condemned Bible translation itself. What she condemned were unauthorized, error-filled, and heretical translations that twisted Scripture and led souls into false teachings.
Let’s explain 👇
📖 DID THE CHURCH ALLOW TRANSLATION?
Yes. Long before Tyndale, Luther, or any Protestant existed.
The Church already had a long history of translating the Bible:
Latin Vulgate by St. Jerome (4th century), at the Pope’s request.
Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, and Arabic translations, all before 1000 A.D.
Old English translations by Catholic monks like Aldhelm and St. Bede, over 700 years before Tyndale.
The Church even encouraged vernacular Scripture, when it was faithful and approved. So no, the Church wasn’t afraid of translation.
🛑 THEN WHAT WAS THE ISSUE?
The issue was doctrinal distortion, not translation.
Let’s talk about William Tyndale. Yes, he translated the Bible into English. But he did so with deliberate theological alterations to promote Protestant heresies:
He rendered ekklesia as “congregation” instead of “Church”, to deny Catholic structure.
He replaced presbyteros with “elder” instead of “priest”, rejecting apostolic succession.
He inserted the word “alone” in Romans 3:28, creating “faith alone”, even though that word is not in the original Greek.
This wasn’t just a translation. It was a loaded weapon of theological rebellion.
The Church had a duty to protect the true faith, not against English, but against error disguised as Scripture.
🔥 WAS TYNDALE BURNED FOR TRANSLATION?
No. He was condemned for heresy and defying ecclesial authority, not simply for translating Scripture.
And even then, it wasn’t the Pope who executed him, civil authorities carried out the sentence. In that era, heresy was a civil crime, like treason. Both Catholics and Protestants enforced their beliefs by law:
Protestant Reformers like John Calvin approved burning other Protestants (e.g., Michael Servetus).
In England, under Queen Elizabeth I, owning a Catholic Bible was punishable by death.
Martin Luther himself demanded the death of those who resisted his teachings.
So if we're going to talk about religious violence, let's be honest: no group is innocent.
💡 BUT WHY WAS THE BIBLE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL?
Here’s what most people don’t realize:
📜 1. There Was No Printing Press Until the 15th Century
Before Gutenberg, every Bible was hand-copied, page by page, for months or even years. That made Bibles rare, slow to produce, and extremely expensive.
🐑 2. They Were Written on Animal Skins
A full Bible required dozens of animals for parchment, making it a luxury even kings barely owned.
📚 3. Most People Couldn’t Read
Over 90% of people were illiterate. Even if you handed them a Bible, they couldn’t read it, let alone interpret it properly.
So how did people learn the faith?
Through homilies, stained glass, icons, drama, songs, catechisms, and liturgical preaching, all deeply biblical.
Cathedrals were Bibles in stone and glass.
🕊️ WHAT ABOUT NOW?
Today, the Catholic Church strongly promotes Bible reading in all languages.
Hundreds of approved translations exist across the world.
Catholics are encouraged to read the Scriptures daily, even with indulgences attached.
Popes Benedict XVI and Francis both called for a rediscovery of the Word of God.
Far from hiding the Bible, the Church is now one of its greatest champions.
✅ SO WHAT’S THE FINAL VERDICT?
The Church did not burn people for translating the Bible.
She condemned heretical translations that twisted Scripture to attack the faith.
The Church translated, preserved, and protected the Bible for centuries, even through war, invasion, and chaos.
Protestants weren’t persecuted for loving the Bible, but for weaponizing it against truth.
In the end…
The issue wasn’t the Bible. It was the betrayal of what the Bible actually teaches.
📖 SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Read the Bible. Love the Bible. Live the Bible.
But read it with the Church that gave it to you, the Catholic Church, which compiled, protected, and preached it for 2,000 years.
🕊️ Not a Church that hides Scripture, but one that honors it with her very life.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DIDN’T BURN THE BIBLE. SHE SAVED IT.
God bless you 🙏
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