Catholics, Protestants work on handwritten bible

Hoping to foster love for God’s Word, Catholics and Protestants are working together to produce a handwritten bible. The project, initiated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, is an attempt to promote “bayanihan" or brotherhood among Christians. To be called the “May They Be One" bible, the verses will be written by hand by representatives from various sectors. “The 35,656 verses from 78 books of the bible will be written by hand by representatives from various sectors such as the Church, urban/rural poor, OFWs, youth, farmers, government offices like Malacañang, Senate, and Congress; schools, indigenous people, and the fisher folks," the CBCP said in its website. The handwritten Bible will have a two-column layout. “The first column will be the English version while the second column will be in the vernacular. Eight native languages such as Tagalog, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Cebuano, Hiligayon, Samarenyo, Bicol and Pampango will be used in separate editions," the CBCP said. The English version of the handwritten passages will be based on published Catholic edition of the Old and New Testaments. Those in other languages will be copied from the Popular Versions or the New Testament Books of the Philippine Bible Society (PBS). Pope Benedict XVI will be requested to write Genesis 1.1 and Revelations 22.21. Roman Catholic and Protestant Bishops will write the other passages of Genesis 1 and Revelation 22. –VVP, GMANews.TV