Abbey of Saint Jerome, Rome
The Abbey of Saint Jerome in Rome was established by Pius XI through the apostolic constitution *Inter praecipuas* on June 15, 1933.
By virtue of the papal document, the new monastery replaces in its office and purpose the Pontifical Commission for the Revision and Correction of the Vulgate, established by Pius X in 1907 and reorganized by Benedict XV with the *motu proprio* *Consilium* of November 23, 1914. Its aim is to restore, as far as possible, the original reading of the text of the Vulgate and to prepare a new edition that meets the most rigorous critical standards, applying the principles of modern scientific methodology in the strictest manner. At the same time, other no less important objectives are achieved, such as providing scholars of biblical matters with new elements for the criticism of the original text and establishing the stages in the history of the official text of the Bible in the Latin Church.
After the research work on the manuscripts to be adopted, the study of method (partially included in the *Mémoire sur l'établissement du texte de la Vulgate*, Rome, 1922, by Fr. H. Quentin), and the determination of the principles adopted for the constitution of the text, various volumes were published under the title: *Biblia Sacra iuxta latinum Vulgatam versionem ad codicum fidem usus Pii PP. XI. cura et studio Monachorum Abbatiæ Pontificæ Sancti Hieronymi in Urbe, O. S. B. edita ex interpretatione sancti Hieronymi cum praefationibus et variis capitulorum scribis* (Rome, Vatican Polyglot Press). To date, the following have been published: I: *Liber Genesis*, 1926; II: *Libri Exodi et Levitici*, 1929; III: *Libri Numerorum et Deuteronomii*, 1936; IV: *Libri Iosue, Judicum, Ruth*, 1939; V: *Liber Sabmelis*, 1944; VI: *Liber Malachim*, 1945; VII: *Liber Verborum Dierum*, 1948; VIII: *Libri Ezra, Tobiae, Judith*, 1950; IX: *Libri Hester et Iob*, 1951; X: *Psalm*, 1953.
Alongside this principal work, the monks of Saint Jerome direct a series of monographs intended to publish texts of the Latin Bible: *Collectanea Biblica Latina*. The following have appeared: I: A. Amelli, *Liber Psalmorum iuxta antiquissimam latinam versionem ex Casin. cod. 557*, 1912; II: H. J. Vogels, *Codex Redigeranus*, 1913; III: Card. A. Gasquet, *Codex Vercellensis*, 1914 (2 vols.); IV: P. Capelle, *Le texte du Psautier latin en Afrique*, 1913; V: D. De Bruyne, *Les fragments de Freising*, 1921; VI: H. Quentin, *Mémoire sur l'établissement du texte de la Vulgata*, part 1: *Octateuque*, 1922; VII: P. Salmon, *Le lectionnaire de Luxeuil*, 1944; VIII: V. WEBER, MAX, *Les anciennes versions latines du deuxième livre des Paralipomènes*, 1945. The following are in press for 1953: IX: *Le lectionnaire de Luxeuil*, vol. II; X: *Psalterium «iuxta Hebraeos» ad codicum fidem*; XI: *Le Psautier romain et les anciens psautiers latins*, critical edition.
The papal document also provides that, in the future, the monks of Saint Jerome may be entrusted with other similar works by the Pope. For this reason, the abbey is immediately subject to the Holy See, and the monastery of Saint Maurice and Saint Maurus in Clervaux, Luxembourg, has the perpetual duty of preparing and providing suitable subjects for these tasks. By the will of the Supreme Pontiff (*motu proprio* *Monasterium*, January 25, 1934), the Abbey of Saint Jerome, although not part of any Benedictine congregation, belongs to the Benedictine Confederation.
BIBL.:
- H. Quentin, *Mémoire sur l'établissement du texte de la Vulgate*, Rome 1922.
- P. Salmon, *Le lectionnaire de Luxeuil*, Rome 1944.