The Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy has recently announced a new website, www.bibliaclerus.org, which will be a bonus for history buffs, researchers, homilists, and any Catholic interested in digging deeper into older statements and official documents of the Catholic Church. Although those near a well-stocked Catholic library can find much of the same information, the beauty of using the internet is that first, it is available no matter where you are located, and second, items can be linked and cross-referenced.
Examples of content are the letters and sermons of Pope Leo the Great, including his homilies on the Nativity. Also included is the Book of Pastoral Rule of Pope Gregory the Great.
Did you ever wonder what the Catechism of the Council of Trent was like? You can find it on this site.
Interested in seeing how the Code of Canon Law has changed from the original 1917 Code? Just check this site to see both.
Perhaps the most helpful feature is the cross-referencing between biblical texts and other church documents. The viewer can select a verse from the New or Old Testament, click on a “comments” button, and view references by such individuals as St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom.
Although the website has much information, it is only hoped that more information will be added in the future. Some sections and links are yet unfinished, such as the homilies of Pope John Paul II. But this work is an incredible effort. And many will benefit from this venture.
