Formation The Pontifical Biblical Commission was established as a committee of
cardinals, aided by
consultors, who met in
Rome to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of Sacred Scripture. This function was outlined in
Pope Leo XIII's
encyclical Providentissimus Deus. The first appointments to the commission were made in August 1901, but it was not formally established by Pope Leo XIII until October 30, 1902, with the
Apostolic Letter Vigilantiae Studiique. The first commission was composed of three cardinals and 12
consultors. The consultors met twice a month, with secretaries present. The secretaries reported to the cardinals on the commission, who met on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. The cardinals proposed questions for the consultors to consider and voted on the answers received from the consultors. The cardinals could send questions back to the consultors for further study, commission a single consultor to investigate a matter more deeply, or sanction or modifying the study results. If a decision was reached, the secretaries reported to the
Pope, who could send the matter back for further study, or ratify the results of the study. The duties of the commission were: • to protect and defend the integrity of the Catholic Faith in Biblical matters • to further the progress of exposition of the Sacred Books, taking account of all recent discoveries • to decide controversies on grave questions which might arise among Catholic scholars • to give answers to Catholics throughout the world who may consult the commission • to see that the
Vatican Library was properly furnished with
codices and necessary books • to publish studies on Scripture as occasion might demand.
Early developments The commission was granted the power to grant pontifical
academic degrees in biblical studies by
Pope Pius X's Apostolic Letter
Scripturae sanctae of February 23, 1904.
Pope Pius XI, in his
Motu Proprio Bibliorum scientia of April 27, 1924, and the
Apostolic Constitution Deus scientiarum Dominus of May 24, 1931, clarified that such degrees were equivalent in status to those of the
Pontifical Universities.
Developments since the Second Vatican Council On June 27, 1971,
Pope Paul VI issued the
motu proprio Sedula Cura ("On New Laws Regulating the Pontifical Biblical Commission"), restructuring the commission and placing it under the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. On 28 June 1988,
Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution
Pastor Bonus confirmed the commission's relationship to the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith the
ex officio president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. The Commission has its own secretary, who to date has been a professor of the
Pontifical Biblical Institute. Since 9 March 2021 the secretary has been
Núria Calduch, the first female secretary. The members are Catholic biblical scholars proposed by the
Bishops' Conferences. In 2014
Pope Francis appointed women to the commission for the first time, including
Mary Healy. == Current members ==