But which does not mean Rome allowed the people free access to it, or placed much emphasis on literacy so that they could, in contrast to the Puritans.
Instead Rome came to much hinder free access to personal Bible reading. Which even the preface to the DRB testifies to;
The Douay–Rheims Bible...is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English undertaken by members of the English College, Douai in the service of the Catholic Church.
Which translation we do not for all that publish, upon erroneous opinion of necessity, that the Holy Scriptures should always be in our mother tongue, or that they ought, or were ordained by God, to be read impartially by all, or could be easily understood by every one that readeth or heareth them in a known language; ..
yet they were extant in English even before the troubles that Wycliffe and his followers raised in our Church,.. Which causeth the Holy Church not to forbid utterly any Catholic translation, though she allow not the publishing or reading of any absolutely and without exception or limitation, - . (http://www.bombaxo.com/douai-nt.html)
Not so much about reading it; but about having the ability to UNDERSTAND it 'correctly'.