Expert: Fr. Michael - 6/16/2004

Question
i know that the catholic church is the interpreter of the holy bible. does that mean that there is an interpretation for every single verse in the scriptures accepted by all catholics?

Answer
No, it does not.  What is referred to is Sacred Tradition of the Church, the second font of public revelation, which places the writings into Apostolic context.  This starts with oral tradition, as referred to in St. Paul, and is later developed in written form, principally by the Great Fathers of the Church.  Their works are so filled with Scripture that most verses, particularly of the New Testament, are given interpretations.  St. Thomas Aquinas later collected these in a work called the Catena Aurea (Golden Chain).  Otherwise, only general principles of dogma (e.g., Original Sin) or Sacramental forms ("Baptizans in nomine Patris....") are the subject of "official" interpretation.