“Actually the Church still has that authority - just as the Apostles did - and I do not begrudge it in the least.”
But apparently the RCC isn’t very good at enforcing it, considering I have a print copy of my KJV, as well as, digitally, the ESV, the LXX, Vulgate, Tanach, Webster, YLT, Textus Receptus, and translations in Spanish, Chinese and Korean.
You can bellow all you like, but they won’t come off my hard drive.
“What gets me is that no Christian - if he is in fact a Christian - would doubt the Apostles’ right to order a Christian to give up a heretical translation or not be in good standing in the Church.”
But you limit the authority of your Bishops! Because it isn’t just a way to combat bad translations, but to keep even good translations out of the hands of people whom they judge to be so incompetent that they can’t be trusted to read anything for themselves!
In 1584 Pius IV published the index prepared by the commission mentioned above. Herein ten rules are laid down, of which the fourth reads thus: “Inasmuch as it is manifest from experience that if the Holy Bible, translated into the vulgar tongue, be indiscriminately allowed to every one, the rashness of men will cause more evil than good to arise from it, it is, on this point, referred to the judgment of the bishops or inquisitors, who may, by the advice of the priest or confessor, permit the reading of the Bible translated into the vulgar tongue by Catholic authors, to those persons whose faith and piety they apprehend will be augmented and not injured by it; and this permission must be had in writing. But if any shall have the presumption to read or possess it without such permission, he shall not receive absolution until he have first delivered up such Bible to the ordinary.”
This idea that they are “freely available,” yet they need permission even to read them, is a contradiction in terms. For if one needs permission for something, they are not free to it, since if you let men be free to it, the Bible has a tendency of making Protestants out of them.
“But apparently the RCC isn’t very good at enforcing it,”
The Catholic Church does not enforce its own laws and rules among those not bound by them. Man, no wonder you post so many errors if you’re wrong on so elementary a point as that.
“You can bellow all you like, but they won’t come off my hard drive.”
And no one is trying to get them off your hard drive. Maybe you should wake up to the real world. You sound like you believe there are black helicopters chasing you.
“But you limit the authority of your Bishops!”
No, their power is already limited by their own office. That’s just how it is. Are you really as much in the dark as you seem?
“Because it isn’t just a way to combat bad translations, but to keep even good translations out of the hands of people whom they judge to be so incompetent that they can’t be trusted to read anything for themselves!”
Let’s say that is true. And? Wouldn’t bishops have the natural authority to say that a person who is not catechized is simply not equipped for something? Seriously, why is that an issue? I have given Catholic Bibles to people so that they would put away their old Protestant or Jehovah’s Witness Bibles. And? Was that wrong? No, not all. I have given some Catholics Bibles I knew they would understand because others out there were too complicated for them. So? I would not deny the same possibility to a bishop nor his binding power to do so with his flock. Why would you?
“This idea that they are “freely available,” yet they need permission even to read them, is a contradiction in terms.”
No. I think driver’s licenses are freely available just not available for free. The two are not the same. Also, the person acquired the Bible first, and then got permission for it by submitting it to the Bishop for what we would call a nihil obstat today. That means the Bibles were freely available for purchase or trade.
“For if one needs permission for something, they are not free to it, since if you let men be free to it, the Bible has a tendency of making Protestants out of them.”
Actually, no. I have known more than a few Protestants who studied the Bible and became Catholics. I also, however, know Protestants who studied the Bible and lost their faith becoming agnostics, atheists or joining some non-Christian religion. There are Catholics who that has happened to as well.