“I see. So, Catholics really do believe that the real Church is on heavenly mount Sion and not in Vatican City? My apologies.”
Catholics believe the Church is in Heaven, on Earth and in Purgatory for the saints are in Heaven, on Earth and in Purgatory. The Church Triumphant is the Church in Heaven. The Church Militant is the Church on Earth. The Church Suffering is the Church in Purgatory. http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/chura1.htm
“On second thought, if that is true, why did Catholics remove the word “church” from the Hebrews 12 reference.”
Well, maybe you should ask the PROTESTANT translators of the RSV and the ESV and HSCB since they also used the word “assembly” instead of “church” in Hebrews 12:23 and they did it 25 years before and 30 years after the NAB translators. Then ask the PROTESTANT translators of the Darby Translation, Amplified Bible (which has both translations!), the CEB, the ERV (”meeting”), the EXB (”meeting [assembly; congregation; or church]”), the 1599 Geneva Bible (”assembly and congregation”), God’s Word Translation, the GNT (”gathering”), the JUB (”congregation of the called out ones”), the LEB, MSG (”throngs”), Mounce Reverse-Interlinear NT, NET (”congregation”), NLV (”gathered there”), the NLT, NRSV, the OJB (”Kehillat HaBechorim”?), The Voice, the WEB (”general assembly and assembly”), and the YLT (”company and assembly”).
You didn't mention the 23 versions that include it. In any case, I asked why the Catholics removed it? The 1899 Douay Rheims included it.
"And to the church of the firstborn, who are written in the heavens, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect." (Heb 12:23 DRA)
Et ecclesiam primitivorum, qui conscripti sunt in caelis, et judicem omnium Deum, et spiritus justorum perfectorum,
I have known for a long time that the modern evangelical (RSV, ESV, HCSB) translations, along with the NWT (Jehovah Witness translation,) fit together quite nicely with the catholic versions.
I also realize that a lot of so-called "scholars" have been trying to push the Alexandrian MSS on us for a long time.
I am pretty sure why Darby did it: dispensationalism. He could not interpret the Bible, so he changed it. How can Jesus return to reign on earth for 1000 years if he is stuck on that stuffy old heavenly throne forever, as David said.
I suspect dispensationalism was one of the HSCB board's primary motives (the SBC is highly dispensational,) along with the money motive (hard to copyright the KJV without a gimmick, like Scofield had.)
Of course there is the Evangelical Industrial Complex (book sales,) that would go broke if there was no horrifying 666 and Babylon the Great books to scare the bejesus out of little old ladies.
I am just as tough on them as I am on Catholics.
So, when did the Catholic Bible eliminate it?
Philip