73-book canon; deuterocanonical OT books are fully scriptural
The Catholic biblical canon consists of 73 books: the 27 books of the New Testament plus 46 books of the Old Testament, including the seven deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, 1–2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch) and additions to Esther and Daniel. These books, accepted by the early Church through the Alexandrian canon (Septuagint), were rejected by Martin Luther as 'Apocrypha' but have been defined as canonical by the Catholic Church at the Councils of Florence (1442) and Trent (1546).
The Catholic Church reads Scripture in the context of the Church's living Tradition: the canon itself was defined by the Church's authority, affirming the inseparability of Scripture and Tradition. The Vulgate (St. Jerome's Latin translation) and the Nova Vulgata remain the official Latin texts of the Catholic Church. Modern Catholic biblical scholarship is encouraged by Pius XII's Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943) and Vatican II's Dei Verbum (1965), which support the use of historical-critical methods in exegesis within the framework of faith.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- 46 books (Deuterocanon included: Tobit, Judith, 1-2 Maccabees, Sirach, Wisdom, Baruch)
- Deuterocanonical status:
- fully canonical — defined at Council of Trent (1546)
- Additional scripture:
- none beyond the 73-book canon
- Canon open:
- closed — public revelation ended with the Apostles
Scripture References
- Sirach (Prologue)
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), §§120–127
- Council of Florence, Cantate Domino (1442)
- Council of Trent, Session IV (1546)
- Vatican II, Dei Verbum (1965), §§11–13