I'm reading St. Pope Pius X Papal encyclical entitled Pascendi Dominici Gregis. It's great reading. The 34th article of this encyclical share my exact sentiments on modern historical critical method which fiercely permeates our modern Catholic American English Bible, the NABRE. I doubt very highly that St. Pope Pius X would approve of the introductions and footnotes thereof.
Lord have mercy on Your Church, and guard her from all heresy and scandal.
St. Pope Pius X, ora pro nobis!
The 34th article from Pascendi -
"
34. The result of this dismembering of the records, and this partition of
them throughout the centuries is naturally that the Scriptures can no longer be
attributed to the authors whose names they bear. The Modernists have no
hesitation in affirming generally that these books, and especially the
Pentateuch and the first three Gospels, have been gradually formed from a
primitive brief narration, by additions, by interpolations of theological or
allegorical interpretations, or parts introduced only for the purpose of joining
different passages together. This means, to put it briefly and clearly, that in
the Sacred Books we must admit a vital evolution, springing from and
corresponding with the evolution of faith. The traces of this evolution, they
tell us, are so visible in the books that one might almost write a history of
it. Indeed, this history they actually do write, and with such an easy assurance
that one might believe them to have seen with their own eyes the writers at work
through the ages amplifying the Sacred Books. To aid them in this they call to
their assistance that branch of criticism which they call textual, and labor to
show that such a fact or such a phrase is not in its right place, adducing other
arguments of the same kind. They seem, in fact, to have constructed for
themselves certain types of narration and discourses, upon which they base their
assured verdict as to whether a thing is or is not out of place. Let him who can
judge how far they are qualified in this way to make such distinctions. To hear
them descant of their works on the Sacred Books, in which they have been able to
discover so much that is defective, one would imagine that before them nobody
ever even turned over the pages of Scripture. The truth is that a whole
multitude of Doctors, far superior to them in genius, in erudition, in sanctity,
have sifted the Sacred Books in every way, and so far from finding in them
anything blameworthy have thanked God more and more heartily the more deeply
they have gone into them, for His divine bounty in having vouchsafed to speak
thus to men. Unfortunately. these great Doctors did not enjoy the same aids to
study that are possessed by the Modernists for they did not have for their rule
and guide a philosophy borrowed from the negation of God, and a criterion which
consists of themselves .
We believe, then, that We have set forth with sufficient clearness the
historical method of the Modernists. The philosopher leads the way, the
historian follows, and then in due order come the internal and textual critics.
And since it is characteristic of the primary cause to communicate its virtue to
causes which are secondary, it is quite clear that the criticism with which We
are concerned is not any kind of criticism, but that which is rightly called
agnostic, immanentist, and evolutionist criticism. Hence anyone who adopts it
and employs it makes profession thereby of the errors contained in it, and
places himself in opposition to Catholic teaching. This being so, it is much a
matter for surprise that it should have found acceptance to such an extent among
certain Catholics. Two causes may be assigned for this: first, the close
alliance which the historians and critics of this school have formed among
themselves independent of all differences of nationality or religion; second,
their boundless effrontery by which, if one then makes any utterance, the others
applaud him in chorus, proclaiming that science has made another step forward,
while if an outsider should desire to inspect the new discovery for himself,
they form a coalition against him. He who denies it is decried as one who is
ignorant, while he who embraces and defends it has all their praise. In this way
they entrap not a few, who, did they but realize what they are doing, would
shrink back with horror. The domineering overbearance of those who teach the
errors, and the thoughtless compliance of the more shallow minds who assent to
them, create a corrupted atmosphere which penetrates everywhere, and carries
infection with it. But let Us pass to the apologist."
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