For centuries, the Catholic Church in Latin America relied on translations rooted in European scholarship, primarily the Biblia de Torres Amat or the Biblia Nácar-Colunga . While philologically rigorous, these texts often failed to resonate with the cultural and social realities of the Latin American populace. In the mid-20th century, a shift occurred. The emergence of the Biblia Latinoamericana marked a turning point in biblical reception. It was not merely a translation; it was a pastoral project designed to make the Word of God accessible to the "People of God" in a continent characterized by deep social inequality.