Pope urges all Christians to study Scripture

Pope Benedict has appealed to all Christians to read the Bible all their lives Speaking at the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square, on Wednesday, the Holy Father said: "Sacred Scripture is not just a past text, but the living word of God. Reflecting on the work of St Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, the Holy Father said:"It is important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the word of God, given to us in sacred Scripture. St Jerome said: ''To ignore Scripture is to ignore Christ.'" Benedict XVI said this dialogue should have a personal and a communal dimension and be "truly personal, because God speaks to each of us through sacred Scripture and has a message for each of us." "Despite the fact that it is always a personal word, it is also a word that builds community, and that builds the Church itself. Therefore, we should read it in communion with the living Church.... We should never forget that the word of God transcends time." Source: VIS