Vatican talks on 'Common Bible'

VATICAN officials met representatives of the United Bible Societies yesterday to discuss first steps towards a "Common Bible which could be used by Catholics and Protestants. This is a direct development from the Vatican Council's decision that the Church must do more to distribute the Bible. The 23 Protestant Bible Societies last year distributed 70 million Bibles, but this figure could be trebled with the Church's co-operation. The current discussions will be on an agreed text of the Hebrew and Greek originals on which translations can be based.