Conclusions of Vatican International Symposium VATICAN CITY, SEP 20 1999 (ZENIT).- An International Symposium on "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church," ended yesterday in the Vatican.The 3-day meeting was attended by 42 experts from around the world, among whom were Protestants and one Orthodox representative.  According to a Vatican press release, the Symposium was organized by the  Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to address questions related to "the inspiration and truth of Sacred Scripture: the problem of the canon (that is, the official catalogue of inspired books), the relation between the Old and New Testaments and, in general, the criteria for the Christian interpretation of the Bible."   On each one of these topics the problems that have been manifest over the last decades came to the fore, revealing the questions being asked in contemporary debates and the elements of agreement that are emerging.  The press release refers specifically, in the first place, to "the importance in the interpretation of the Bible of the community of faith to whom the revelation is directed, of which it is a witness; it must constantly grow in depth under the action of the Holy Spirit."   Secondly, the Symposium emphasized "the need for collaboration between 'synchronic exegesis,' in other words, the reading of the Bible as a whole,  and 'diachronic exegesis,' that is, paying attention to the different phases of the history of revelation (historical-critical exegesis)."  Finally, there was an analysis of "the fruits of theology of the Old Testament seen in the light of the New Testament, as the history of Israel is not rejected by the New Testament, but rather is assumed and integrated in Christ's salvation."  The statement explained that the ecumenical character of the meeting made it possible to see how "there is significant consensus on these topics in the different Christian denominations."  The Symposium's minutes, which are of interest both in terms of the talks as well as the discussions, will be published and could become the object of further reflection and study. The press statement concludes by inviting the Church's pastors to consult them in order "to take up the most significant instructions, to continue research from the angle pointed out by the participants and thus address the challenges of the incarnation of God's Word in our time."

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