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what is the catholic bible called

The Catholic Bible is simply called “the Bible,” but in context it’s often referred to as the Catholic Bible , meaning the version with the full 73-book Catholic canon.

The very short answer

  • The Catholic Bible is commonly called the Catholic Bible or a Catholic edition of the Bible.
  • It has 73 books (46 Old Testament, 27 New Testament), including the deuterocanonical books that many Protestant Bibles omit.

What makes it “Catholic”?

When people ask “what is the Catholic Bible called,” they’re usually asking what makes it different, not just its name. Key features:

  • Includes the 7 deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament (like Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1–2 Maccabees) and extra sections in books such as Daniel and Esther.
  • Is published as a Catholic edition , meaning it follows the Catholic Church’s 73-book canon and has ecclesial approval (an imprimatur, etc.).

In short, “Catholic Bible” means the Bible with the Catholic Church’s full canon and approvals , not a totally different book.

Common English names you might see

You’ll often hear the question phrased as “What Bible do Catholics use?” That’s about the translation rather than the name of the Bible itself. Some widely used Catholic translations include:

  • New American Bible (NAB / NABRE) – official for the liturgy in the U.S.
  • Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition (RSV‑CE) and Second Edition (RSV‑2CE)
  • New Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition (NRSV‑CE)
  • Jerusalem Bible (JB) and New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)

These are all “Catholic Bibles” because they are Catholic editions, even though their titles differ.

How forums and current discussions phrase it

If you look at recent explainer articles and forum-style posts, you’ll see the question framed like:

“What Bible do Catholics use?” or “What are Catholic Bible versions?”

Writers usually explain that:

  1. There is one Catholic Bible canon (73 books),
  1. There are many Catholic translations and editions (NABRE, RSV‑CE, NRSV‑CE, etc.),
  1. The label “Catholic edition” on the cover or in the front pages is what you look for if you want a Catholic Bible.

So in everyday speech, people might say:

  • “I bought a Catholic Bible.”
  • “Which Catholic edition should I get?”

Quick SEO-style recap for your post (mini-structured)

  • Main keyword phrase: what is the catholic bible called – answer: it’s called the Catholic Bible , i.e., a Catholic edition of the Christian Bible with 73 books.
  • Related ideas: Catholic Bible = Bible with the Catholic canon, using approved translations like NABRE, RSV‑CE, NRSV‑CE, etc.
  • Trending angle: Many recent online guides and “deep dive” posts focus on helping people tell whether a Bible is Catholic and which Catholic translation is best for study or Mass.

TL;DR: It’s called the Catholic Bible or a Catholic edition of the Bible —same Bible, but with the Catholic Church’s full 73-book canon and approved translations.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.