Again the prohibitions were against reading wrong translations of the Bible or of reading approved translations without the guidance of the Church. Private interpretation of passages where the plain meaning is not evident is still not allowed.
We forget because we are very fortunate to have excellent translations of the Bible available to us that this has not always been the case. In the past vulgar translations were not always done at the hand of Biblical scholars and they did contain errors.
It is the duty of the Church to protect the faithful from error. That was the reason for prohibiting the reading of Scripture translations that had not been reviewed to make sure they were correctly translated into the vulgar text.
“Again the prohibitions were against reading wrong translations of the Bible or of reading approved translations without the guidance of the Church.”
No. The actual prohibitions went much further than that.
“In the past vulgar translations were not always done at the hand of Biblical scholars and they did contain errors.”
Also incorrect. Wycliffe’s translation was approved by the Catholic Church for reading on a case-by-case basis, being a very faithful rendering of the Vulgate. Tyndale’s translation in 1525 was excellent - no more perfect than any translation can be, but as accurate as any modern translation you can pick up. For example, from John 3:
“Nicodemus said unto him: how can a man be born, when he is old? can he enter into his mother’s body and be born again?
Iesus answered: verily, verily I say unto thee: except that a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. And that which is born of the spirit, is spirit.
Marvel not that I said to thee, ye must be born a new. The wind bloweth where he listeth, and thou hearest his sound: but canst not tell whence he cometh and whither he goeth. So is every man that is born of the spirit.
And Nicodemus answered and said unto him: how can these things be? Iesus answered and said unto him: Art thou a master in Israhell, and knowest not these things? Verily verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we know, and testify that we have seen: And ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and ye have not believe: How should ye believe if I shall tell you of heavenly things?
And no man ascendeth up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, that is to say, the son of man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lift up, that none which believeth in him perish: but have eternal life.
God so loved the world, that he gave his only son for the intent, that none that believe in him, should perish: But should have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world, to condemn the world: But that the world through him, might be saved. He that believeth on him shall not be condemned. But he that believeth not, is condemned all ready, because he believeth not in the name of the only son of God.
And this is the condemnation: Light is come into the world, and the men have loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. For every man that evil doeth, hateth the light: neither cometh to light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds might be known, how that they are wrought in God.”
It is the duty of the Church to protect the faithful from error.
The Catholic Church has a poor track record concerning error and willful disobedience of God’s commands.