Editing Pope Pius VIII (section)

=== Liberalism and Biblical translations ===
As Pope Pius VIII, he initiated some reforms in the [[Papal States]]. On 24 May 1829 he issued an [[encyclical]], ''[[Traditi humilitati]]''. Regarding religious pluralism, he condemned the "foul contrivance of the sophists of this age" that would place Catholicism on a par with any other religion. Regarding Bible translations, he wrote in that encyclical:
{{blockquote|We must also be wary of those who publish the Bible with new interpretations contrary to the Church's laws. They skillfully distort the meaning by their own interpretation. They print the Bibles in the vernacular and, absorbing an incredible expense, offer them free even to the uneducated. Furthermore, the Bibles are rarely without perverse little inserts to ensure that the reader imbibes their lethal poison instead of the saving water of salvation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/P8TRADIT.HTM#5 |title=TRADITI HUMILITATI (On His Program for the Pontificate): Pope Pius VIII |publisher=Eternal Word Television Network |access-date=16 February 2016}}</ref>}}

On 25 March 1830, in the [[Papal brief|brief]] ''Litteris altero'', he condemned the masonic secret societies and modernist biblical translations.{{cn|date=August 2024}} 

A further letter of pastoral concern sent to the Upper Rhineland bishops, which Pius wrote at the end of June 1830, is referred to by his successor [[Pope Gregory XVI|Gregory XVI]] in the latter's [[papal brief]] ''[[Quo graviora (1833)|Quo Graviora]]'' of 1833. Gregory refers to a request for information on the bishops' actions in response, which he says "though three years have elapsed", had not yet been received.<ref>Gregory XVI, [https://www.papalencyclicals.net/greg16/g16quogr.htm Quo Graviora: On the Pragmatic Constitution], paragraphs 1-2, accessed 5 December 2023</ref>