With so many different translations of sacred scripture out there, how does one know which one to choose? The Council of Trent (1545-1563) made the Latin Vulgate the official example of the Biblical canon and commissioned the creation of a standardized version which was completed by Pope Clement VIII in 1592. This is considered the official Latin translation of Sacred Scripture in the Catholic Church. This beautiful bible is now available in a new Latin/English side-by-side format. The Clementine Vulgata is printed in the right column and the English Douay-Rheims translation in the left column on each page. By reading the Latin and English side by side one can begin to pick up and understand the various phrases in Latin, even if one is not a Latin student or biblical scholar. Included in this Bible are Bishop Challoner's notes, and the texts found in the appendix to the Vulgate, namely, 3 and 4 Esdras and the prayer of Manasses (in Latin with an English translation). This makes the Bible totally comprehensive and ideal for theology students. Bound in leather with ornate gold blocked cover and spine, gilded page edges, head and tail bands and two satin ribbons, it is truly a collector's piece. The Douay-Rheims Bible is an English translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible, a version universally used in the Church for over 1500 years, itself meticulously translated from the original Hebrew and Greek by St. Jerome (A.D. 340-420). In 1546, the Council of Trent declared the Vulgate Bible as authentic, and declared that "No one (may) dare or presume under any pretext whatsoever to reject it" (4th Session, April 8, 1546). In 1943, Pope Pius XII stated that the continuous use of the Vulgate Bible in the Church for many centuries showed that it was "free from any error whatsoever in matters of faith and morals" (Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943), paragraph 21). ...and we have a limited number of these exceptionally beautiful Bibles, hot off the press, which will make exquisite Christmas gifts.