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Questions / The Bible

Do Catholics read the Bible?

Church teaching

Answered on video by Bishop Robert Barron

Video: Bishop Barron on How to Read the Bible, Bishop Robert Barron, published Apr 11, 2011. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube

In short: They’re supposed to. The Church begs Catholics to read Scripture often, because ignorance of it is ignorance of Christ. CCC 133

The answer, in writing

Church teaching

The Church “forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful” to read the Scriptures often. CCC 133

In St. Jerome’s words, which the Catechism quotes: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” CCC 133

Our words

And at every Mass you hear readings from the Old Testament, a psalm and the Gospel. A faithful Catholic who goes to Mass every Sunday hears a huge share of the Bible over three years.

Next step: What we share

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Related questions

Who decided which books are in the Bible? Catholic Answers · 1 minHow does someone become a canonized saint? Fr. Mike Schmitz · 7 minWho wrote the New Testament? Dr. Brant Pitre · 10 minIsn’t Scripture alone enough? Catholic Answers · 2 min

Sources on this page

How we know · 1 Catechism paragraph
  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 133 (official text on vatican.va).

Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words and cites every teaching claim. Our own wording is not an official Church text. Found a mistake? Report an errorCorrections.