“The national Bible Societies unite together in a worldwide association at the Universal Bible Alliance (ABU) for mutual consultation, reciprocal support and to work together in their common task of reaching the maximum effective and meaningful spread of the Sacred Scriptures and help people interact with the Word of God. The Bible Societies carry out their work in agreement and cooperation with all the Christian Churches and with the organizations connected with the Churches”. (World Assembly of Midrand, the year 2000)
The SBI is part of the Universal Bible Alliance (ABU) – United Bible Societies (UBS), an organization founded in 1946, that unites and coordinates the work of about 150 Bible Societies. The central offices of the ABU are found near London: at Crawley the European direction (to which Italy depends) and in Reading is found the worldwide one. At Swinden is found the headquarters of the British and Foreign Bible Society, founded in London in 1804.
The work of the Bible Societies is that of translating, printing and spreading the biblical text, without making comments on the same. The Bible Societies also have the job of promoting the spread of the Bible in countries that are at an economic disadvantage in comparison with the rest of the world. In Europe itself (and therefore also in Italy) the Bible is sold at a price that is easily accessible and this would not be possible without the generous aid of many supporters.
The central offices of the ABU collaborate closely with the various Bible Societies around the world, financially aiding the realization of their objectives. For example, the publication of a Bible in Ruanda (Africa) has been financed by supporters of the Bible Society in Italy as well; many Bible Societies have promoted a campaign to gather funds to offer a press to print the Bible in ex Soviet Union countries so that they can print the Bible themselves.
The collaboration does not end at the economic level, but continues with the translations and with technical and scientific assistance. The ABU considers it important to stimulate the various Christian denominations to carry out together its work, because their foundation is one: the Bible. Signs of this cooperation, that take on various forms at a national level, are, for example, the agreement for the translation and spreading of the Bible stipulated with the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (1968 and 1987), with the Catholic Biblical Federation (1991 and 2008) and with the Russian Orthodox Church (1991). The Bible – or a part of it – by the end of 2015 has been translated into about 2,900 principally existing languages. Even though there is still much work that has to be done: update translations, translate the Bible into little known languages, try to spread the Scriptures in those countries where they are not yet known. Even considering this vast commitment, the ABU is not able to satisfy all the requests… For this reason we invite all of our supporters to generously sustain the missionary work of the Bible Society in Italy with contributions.
