Sixtus V, Pope from 1585 to 1590 authorized a printing of the
Vulgate Bible. Taking no chances, the pope issued a papal bull
automatically excommunicating any printer who might make an alteration
in the text. This he ordered printed at the beginning of the Bible.
He personally examined every sheet as it came off the press. Yet the
published Vulgate Bible contained so many errors that corrected scraps
had to be printed and pasted over them in every copy. The result
provoked wry comments on the rather patchy papal infallibility, and
Pope Sixtus had no recourse but to order the return and destruction of
every copy.
