Pontifical Biblical Commission wraps up annual plenary assembly
Suffering and illness in the Bible were the main themes of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Biblical Commission which concluded on April 12, the day after an audience with Pope Francis.
By Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik
“The Holy Father has asked us to think deeply about human suffering with a specific focus on illness. We delve deeper into different biblical figures of suffering that appear in both the New Testament and the Old Testament.”
Professor Nuria Calduch-Benages, secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, revealed this invitation in an interview with Vatican News.
She emphasized that “all members of the Commission contributed, illuminating a biblical figure or a specific type of suffering.”
Concerning the Old Testament, Professor Calduch-Benages reported that the Commission focused much of its discussions on the biblical figure of Job and the “Suffering Servant”, as written in the book of Isaiah, as well as on other biblical figures.
Commission members also examined Psalm 22.
As for the New Testament, in addition to the figure of Jesus Christ, the Commission focused on cases of healing, “like that of the daughter of the Canaanite woman”.
The Pontifical Biblical Commission is a consultative body placed at the service of the Magisterium and attached to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, of which the Prefect is also the President.
The President is assisted by a Secretary, chosen from among the Members making up the Commission, and a Technical Secretary.
The members of the Biblical Commission, including the Secretary, are appointed by the Holy Father for a five-year term on the recommendation of the President.
The Commission currently has 18 members from the following countries: Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, India, Poland, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, Slovakia, United Kingdom and States -United.
