Dei Verbum

Titled the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. Approved by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,344 to 6, this document was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965. 'Dei Verbum' is Latin for 'word of God' and is, as is customary for major Catholic documents, from the first line of the document.

Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence. (DV 9)

Contents

1. Revelation Itself
2. The Handing on of Divine Revelation
3. Sacred Scripture
4. The Old Testament
5. The New Testament
6. Sacred Scriptures in the Life of the Church

The complete english version is at http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en on the official Vatican web site.