Unchangeable Church Teaching:
What Can and Cannot Be Reformed in the Church
by Fr. Michael Mueller, 1875
Q. What follows from the fact that the holy Roman Catholic Church can never be destroyed by any created power?
A. That it would be the sin of heresy for any one to say that a reform of the doctrine or the constitution of the Roman Catholic Church could ever become necessary.
Q. Can anyone change the doctrine of Jesus Christ, or the articles of faith, the commandments, or the sacraments?
A. To think so and to attempt to do so would be as foolish as it would be for one to attempt to reform the visible world and the laws which God has established to preserve and maintain it.
Q. Could some new doctrine, new commandment, or new sacrament be added; or could some of the articles of faith, some of the commandments, or some of the sacraments be left out?
A. By no means.
Q. Why not?
A. Because not even the Apostles themselves had power from Christ to add to, or leave out, any portion of Christ's doctrine.
Q. How do we know this?
A. Because Jesus Christ said to the Apostles: "Go and teach all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." --Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.
Q. In what other words has our Blessed Saviour assured us that His holy doctrine will never suffer any change?
A. In these words: "Amen, I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. v. 18. "Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass." Matt. xxiv. 35.
Q. What does St. Paul say to assure us that nothing whatsoever can be added to, or left out of the doctrine of Jesus Christ?
A. He says: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before so now I say again: if any one preach to you a gospel besides that which you have received, let him be accursed." Gal. i. 8, 9.
Q. Is there nothing in the Catholic Church that may be reformed?
A. Nothing in the doctrine which was delivered to her from the beginning to teach, but the manners of such of her pastors and children as fail to live up to her teachings, may and ought to be reformed.
Q. May Priests and even Bishops, nay, even a Pope, fail to live up to Christ's holy doctrine?
A. They may, indeed; and certain periods of the lives of some of them have been very disedifying.
Q. How can we easily account for this?
A. Because one can know and teach the true doctrine of Christ without practising it.
Q. What, then, is the answer to those who object to our religion because the lives of certain pastors of the Church have been disedifying?
A. The lives of the scribes and the Pharisees were very disedifying. Nevertheless our blessed Saviour told the multitudes and His disciples that "they have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things, therefore, whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not: for they say and do not." Matt. xxiii. 2.
Q. Does the Lord make use of apostate Catholics, such as Martin Luther, Calvin, John Knox, Henry VIII., King of England, to reform the manners of the people?
A. The thought is absurd. The lives of those men were evil, and it is only the devil that makes use of them to pervert the people still more. The Lord makes use of His saints, such as a St. Francis of Assisium, a St. Dominick, a St. Ignatius, a St. Alphonsus, to convert the people and reform their evil manners by explaining to them the truths of faith, the commandments, and the necessity of receiving the sacraments with proper dispositions, and by setting them in their own lives the loftiest example of faith, purity, and all Christian virtues.
Q. Is it possible to reform men in any other way?
A. Since the coming of the Redeemer it has never been heard that men were reformed and made virtuous by any other means than those which Jesus Christ left to His Church.
#ccc #church #tradition
What Can and Cannot Be Reformed in the Church
by Fr. Michael Mueller, 1875
Q. What follows from the fact that the holy Roman Catholic Church can never be destroyed by any created power?
A. That it would be the sin of heresy for any one to say that a reform of the doctrine or the constitution of the Roman Catholic Church could ever become necessary.
Q. Can anyone change the doctrine of Jesus Christ, or the articles of faith, the commandments, or the sacraments?
A. To think so and to attempt to do so would be as foolish as it would be for one to attempt to reform the visible world and the laws which God has established to preserve and maintain it.
Q. Could some new doctrine, new commandment, or new sacrament be added; or could some of the articles of faith, some of the commandments, or some of the sacraments be left out?
A. By no means.
Q. Why not?
A. Because not even the Apostles themselves had power from Christ to add to, or leave out, any portion of Christ's doctrine.
Q. How do we know this?
A. Because Jesus Christ said to the Apostles: "Go and teach all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." --Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.
Q. In what other words has our Blessed Saviour assured us that His holy doctrine will never suffer any change?
A. In these words: "Amen, I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. v. 18. "Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass." Matt. xxiv. 35.
Q. What does St. Paul say to assure us that nothing whatsoever can be added to, or left out of the doctrine of Jesus Christ?
A. He says: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before so now I say again: if any one preach to you a gospel besides that which you have received, let him be accursed." Gal. i. 8, 9.
Q. Is there nothing in the Catholic Church that may be reformed?
A. Nothing in the doctrine which was delivered to her from the beginning to teach, but the manners of such of her pastors and children as fail to live up to her teachings, may and ought to be reformed.
Q. May Priests and even Bishops, nay, even a Pope, fail to live up to Christ's holy doctrine?
A. They may, indeed; and certain periods of the lives of some of them have been very disedifying.
Q. How can we easily account for this?
A. Because one can know and teach the true doctrine of Christ without practising it.
Q. What, then, is the answer to those who object to our religion because the lives of certain pastors of the Church have been disedifying?
A. The lives of the scribes and the Pharisees were very disedifying. Nevertheless our blessed Saviour told the multitudes and His disciples that "they have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things, therefore, whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not: for they say and do not." Matt. xxiii. 2.
Q. Does the Lord make use of apostate Catholics, such as Martin Luther, Calvin, John Knox, Henry VIII., King of England, to reform the manners of the people?
A. The thought is absurd. The lives of those men were evil, and it is only the devil that makes use of them to pervert the people still more. The Lord makes use of His saints, such as a St. Francis of Assisium, a St. Dominick, a St. Ignatius, a St. Alphonsus, to convert the people and reform their evil manners by explaining to them the truths of faith, the commandments, and the necessity of receiving the sacraments with proper dispositions, and by setting them in their own lives the loftiest example of faith, purity, and all Christian virtues.
Q. Is it possible to reform men in any other way?
A. Since the coming of the Redeemer it has never been heard that men were reformed and made virtuous by any other means than those which Jesus Christ left to His Church.
#ccc #church #tradition
The Faith of the Roman Catholic.
by Fr. Michael Mueller, 1875
Q. What do the words "I believe" mean?
A. They mean that I hold to be true that which another tells me.
Q. What must we know of a person to believe firmly all his words?
A. That he is truthful and knows well the things which he tells us.
Q. Is God truthful?
A. "He is Truth itself." Rom. iii. 4.
Q. Does God know all things well?
A. "He knows all things as they are." 1 John iii. 20.
Q. Why, then, must we firmly believe all that God has made known?
A. Because He can neither deceive nor be deceived. "God is not as a man, that he should lie." Numb. xxiii. 19.
Q. What is to believe God?
A. It is to believe, without doubting, that whatever God has said is infallibly true.
Q. Can we of ourselves have this firm faith?
A. No; it is a particular gift and light of God. "By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 8.
Q. What does this gift bring about in the soul?
A. It enlightens the understanding, and moves the will of man to believe without doubting all that God has made known. "Faith is the evidence of things that appear not." Heb. xi. 1.
Q. To whom did God make known all that we must believe and do?
A. Only to the Roman Catholic Church.
Q. From whom, then, must all men learn that they must believe and do?
A. From the Roman Catholic Church, because she alone was appointed by God to teach the truths of salvation to all nations.
Q. Is to believe what the Roman Catholic Church teaches not the same as to believe God Himself?
A. It is, indeed.
Q. Why?
A. Because Jesus Christ has said to the pastors of the Church: "He who heareth you heareth me, and he who despiseth you despiseth me."
Q. What, then, is the faith of the Roman Catholic?
A. It is a grace and light of the Holy Ghost, which enables him to believe most firmly all that God teaches him by His Church.
Q. Is this faith of the Roman Catholic a divine or human faith?
A. It is divine faith.
Q. Why is it divine?
A. Because, by the light of grace, the Catholic knows for certain that the pastors of the Church are commissioned by God Himself to teach all men, in His name, authoritatively and infallibly, all the sacred and immutable truths of salvation, and, therefore, he feels himself bound in conscience to believe them without hesitation.
Q. Is this divine faith absolutely necessary for salvation?
A. Yes; because it is only by divine faith that we can please God.
Q. Who assures us of this?
A. Jesus Christ Himself.
Q. What are His words?
A. "Go and teach all nations.--He that believeth not shall be condemned." Mark xvi.
Q. What does St. Paul say of those who do not believe God, when He speaks to them through those whom He appointed to teach men?
A. That "it is impossible to please God without faith." Heb. xi.
Q. What, then, is the rule of faith which Jesus Christ gave to all men?
A. To listen to His living voice, speaking through the pastors of His Church, and to believe them.
Q. Can men possibly have divine faith out of the Catholic Church?
A. Out of the Catholic Church there can be none but human faith.
Q. What do you mean by human faith?
A. To believe a man on his own authority.
Q. Do those who are out of the Church, and teach and preach to the people, teach and preach on their own authority?
A. They do; because they are not sent by God, nor have they received any mission from His Church.
Q.What follows from this?
A. That those who believe them do not believe God, but man, and, therefore, their faith is only human, which availeth them nothing unto salvation.
#ccc #tradition
by Fr. Michael Mueller, 1875
Q. What do the words "I believe" mean?
A. They mean that I hold to be true that which another tells me.
Q. What must we know of a person to believe firmly all his words?
A. That he is truthful and knows well the things which he tells us.
Q. Is God truthful?
A. "He is Truth itself." Rom. iii. 4.
Q. Does God know all things well?
A. "He knows all things as they are." 1 John iii. 20.
Q. Why, then, must we firmly believe all that God has made known?
A. Because He can neither deceive nor be deceived. "God is not as a man, that he should lie." Numb. xxiii. 19.
Q. What is to believe God?
A. It is to believe, without doubting, that whatever God has said is infallibly true.
Q. Can we of ourselves have this firm faith?
A. No; it is a particular gift and light of God. "By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God." Eph. ii. 8.
Q. What does this gift bring about in the soul?
A. It enlightens the understanding, and moves the will of man to believe without doubting all that God has made known. "Faith is the evidence of things that appear not." Heb. xi. 1.
Q. To whom did God make known all that we must believe and do?
A. Only to the Roman Catholic Church.
Q. From whom, then, must all men learn that they must believe and do?
A. From the Roman Catholic Church, because she alone was appointed by God to teach the truths of salvation to all nations.
Q. Is to believe what the Roman Catholic Church teaches not the same as to believe God Himself?
A. It is, indeed.
Q. Why?
A. Because Jesus Christ has said to the pastors of the Church: "He who heareth you heareth me, and he who despiseth you despiseth me."
Q. What, then, is the faith of the Roman Catholic?
A. It is a grace and light of the Holy Ghost, which enables him to believe most firmly all that God teaches him by His Church.
Q. Is this faith of the Roman Catholic a divine or human faith?
A. It is divine faith.
Q. Why is it divine?
A. Because, by the light of grace, the Catholic knows for certain that the pastors of the Church are commissioned by God Himself to teach all men, in His name, authoritatively and infallibly, all the sacred and immutable truths of salvation, and, therefore, he feels himself bound in conscience to believe them without hesitation.
Q. Is this divine faith absolutely necessary for salvation?
A. Yes; because it is only by divine faith that we can please God.
Q. Who assures us of this?
A. Jesus Christ Himself.
Q. What are His words?
A. "Go and teach all nations.--He that believeth not shall be condemned." Mark xvi.
Q. What does St. Paul say of those who do not believe God, when He speaks to them through those whom He appointed to teach men?
A. That "it is impossible to please God without faith." Heb. xi.
Q. What, then, is the rule of faith which Jesus Christ gave to all men?
A. To listen to His living voice, speaking through the pastors of His Church, and to believe them.
Q. Can men possibly have divine faith out of the Catholic Church?
A. Out of the Catholic Church there can be none but human faith.
Q. What do you mean by human faith?
A. To believe a man on his own authority.
Q. Do those who are out of the Church, and teach and preach to the people, teach and preach on their own authority?
A. They do; because they are not sent by God, nor have they received any mission from His Church.
Q.What follows from this?
A. That those who believe them do not believe God, but man, and, therefore, their faith is only human, which availeth them nothing unto salvation.
#ccc #tradition
What is Dogma?
an overview, p.1
by William Edward Addis, 1893
Dogma, in its theological sense, is a truth contained in the Word of God, written or unwritten--i.e. in Scripture or Tradition--and proposed by the Church for the belief of the faithful. Thus dogma is a revealed truth, since Scripture is inspired by the Holy Ghost, while tradition signifies the truths which the Apostles received from Christ and the Holy Spirit, and handed down to the Church.
From this definition, it follows that the Church has no power to make new dogmas. It is her office to contend for the faith once delivered, and to hand down the sacred deposit which she has received without adding to it or taking from it. At the same time, the Church may enunciate fully and impose dogmas or articles of faith contained in the Word of God, or at least deduced from principles so contained, but as yet not fully declared and imposed. Hence with regard to a new definition--such, e.g., as that of Transubstantiation, Christians have a twofold duty. They are obliged to believe, first, that the doctrine so defined is true, and next that it is part of the Christian revelation received by the Apostles. Again, no Christian is at liberty to refuse assent to any dogma which the Church proposes. To do so involves nothing less than shipwreck of the faith, and no Catholic can accept the Protestant distinction between "fundamental and non-fundamental articles of faith." It is a matter of fundamental importance to accept the whole of the Church's teaching. True, a Catholic is not bound to know all the definitions of the Church--but, if he knowingly and wilfully contradicts or doubts the truth of any one among them, he ceases to be a Catholic.
This arbitrary distinction between essential and non-essential articles has led by natural consequence to the opinion that dogmatic belief, as such, matters little provided a man's life is virtuous and his feelings are devout. A religion of this kind is on the very face of it different from the religion of the Apostles and their successors. St. Paul anathematises false teachers, and bids his disciples shun heretics; St. John denounces the denial of the Incarnation as a mark of Antichrist. If God has made a revelation, then both duty and devotional feeling must depend on the dogmas of that revelation, and be regulated by them.
#ccc #tradition #dogma
an overview, p.1
by William Edward Addis, 1893
Dogma, in its theological sense, is a truth contained in the Word of God, written or unwritten--i.e. in Scripture or Tradition--and proposed by the Church for the belief of the faithful. Thus dogma is a revealed truth, since Scripture is inspired by the Holy Ghost, while tradition signifies the truths which the Apostles received from Christ and the Holy Spirit, and handed down to the Church.
From this definition, it follows that the Church has no power to make new dogmas. It is her office to contend for the faith once delivered, and to hand down the sacred deposit which she has received without adding to it or taking from it. At the same time, the Church may enunciate fully and impose dogmas or articles of faith contained in the Word of God, or at least deduced from principles so contained, but as yet not fully declared and imposed. Hence with regard to a new definition--such, e.g., as that of Transubstantiation, Christians have a twofold duty. They are obliged to believe, first, that the doctrine so defined is true, and next that it is part of the Christian revelation received by the Apostles. Again, no Christian is at liberty to refuse assent to any dogma which the Church proposes. To do so involves nothing less than shipwreck of the faith, and no Catholic can accept the Protestant distinction between "fundamental and non-fundamental articles of faith." It is a matter of fundamental importance to accept the whole of the Church's teaching. True, a Catholic is not bound to know all the definitions of the Church--but, if he knowingly and wilfully contradicts or doubts the truth of any one among them, he ceases to be a Catholic.
This arbitrary distinction between essential and non-essential articles has led by natural consequence to the opinion that dogmatic belief, as such, matters little provided a man's life is virtuous and his feelings are devout. A religion of this kind is on the very face of it different from the religion of the Apostles and their successors. St. Paul anathematises false teachers, and bids his disciples shun heretics; St. John denounces the denial of the Incarnation as a mark of Antichrist. If God has made a revelation, then both duty and devotional feeling must depend on the dogmas of that revelation, and be regulated by them.
#ccc #tradition #dogma
There Can be No New Dogmas
or Progress in Church Teachings
"The Church of Christ, zealous and cautious guardian of the dogmas deposited with it, never changes any phase of them. It does not diminish them or add to them; it neither trims what seems necessary nor grafts things superfluous; it neither gives up its own or usurps what does not belong to it. But it devotes all its diligence to one aim: to treat tradition faithfully and wisely; to nurse and polish what from old times may have remain unshaped and unfinished; to consolidate and strengthen what already was clear and plain; and to guard what already was confirmed and defined."
St. Vincent of Lerins, 5th century A.D.
"'Guard.' he says, 'what has been committed.' What does it mean, 'what has been committed'? It is what has been faithfully entrusted to you, not what has been discovered by you; what you have received, not what you have thought up; a matter not of ingenuity, but of doctrine; not of private acquisition, but of public Tradition; a matter brought to you, not put forth by you, in which you must not be the author but the guardian, not the founder but the sharer, not the leader, but the follower. 'Guard,' he says, 'what has been committed.' Keep the talent [see Mt. 25:14-30] of the Catholic Faith inviolate and unimpaired. What has been faithfully entrusted, let it remain in your possession, let it be handed on by you. You have received gold, so give gold. For my part, I do not want you to substitute on thing for another; I do not want you imprudently to put lead in place of gold, or fraudulently, brass. I do not want the appearance of gold, but the real thing. O Timothy, O priest, O interpreter, O teacher, if a divine gift has made you suitable in genius, in experience, in doctrine to be the Bezalel [i.e. skilled craftsman] of the spiritual tabernacle, cut out the precious gems of divine dogma, shape them faithfully, ornament them wisely, add splendor, grace and beauty to them! By your expounding it, may that now be understood more clearly which formerly was believed even in its obscurity. May posterity, be means of you, rejoice in understanding what in times past was venerated without understanding. Nevertheless, teach the same that you have learned, so that if you say something anew, it is not something new that you say."
St. Vincent of Lerins, c. 434 A.D.
"Hold firmly that your faith is identical with that of the ancients. Deny this, and you dissolve the unity of the Church."
St. Thomas Aquinas
"What then should a Catholic do if some part of the Church were to separate itself from communion with the universal Faith? What other choice can he make but to prefer to the gangrenous and corrupted member the whole of the body that is sound. And if some new contagion were to try to poison no longer a small part of the Church, but all of the Church at the same time, then he will take the greatest care to attach himself to antiquity which, obviously, can no longer be seduced by any lying novelty."
St. Vincent of Lerins, c. 434 A.D.
#tradition #dogma
or Progress in Church Teachings
"The Church of Christ, zealous and cautious guardian of the dogmas deposited with it, never changes any phase of them. It does not diminish them or add to them; it neither trims what seems necessary nor grafts things superfluous; it neither gives up its own or usurps what does not belong to it. But it devotes all its diligence to one aim: to treat tradition faithfully and wisely; to nurse and polish what from old times may have remain unshaped and unfinished; to consolidate and strengthen what already was clear and plain; and to guard what already was confirmed and defined."
St. Vincent of Lerins, 5th century A.D.
"'Guard.' he says, 'what has been committed.' What does it mean, 'what has been committed'? It is what has been faithfully entrusted to you, not what has been discovered by you; what you have received, not what you have thought up; a matter not of ingenuity, but of doctrine; not of private acquisition, but of public Tradition; a matter brought to you, not put forth by you, in which you must not be the author but the guardian, not the founder but the sharer, not the leader, but the follower. 'Guard,' he says, 'what has been committed.' Keep the talent [see Mt. 25:14-30] of the Catholic Faith inviolate and unimpaired. What has been faithfully entrusted, let it remain in your possession, let it be handed on by you. You have received gold, so give gold. For my part, I do not want you to substitute on thing for another; I do not want you imprudently to put lead in place of gold, or fraudulently, brass. I do not want the appearance of gold, but the real thing. O Timothy, O priest, O interpreter, O teacher, if a divine gift has made you suitable in genius, in experience, in doctrine to be the Bezalel [i.e. skilled craftsman] of the spiritual tabernacle, cut out the precious gems of divine dogma, shape them faithfully, ornament them wisely, add splendor, grace and beauty to them! By your expounding it, may that now be understood more clearly which formerly was believed even in its obscurity. May posterity, be means of you, rejoice in understanding what in times past was venerated without understanding. Nevertheless, teach the same that you have learned, so that if you say something anew, it is not something new that you say."
St. Vincent of Lerins, c. 434 A.D.
"Hold firmly that your faith is identical with that of the ancients. Deny this, and you dissolve the unity of the Church."
St. Thomas Aquinas
"What then should a Catholic do if some part of the Church were to separate itself from communion with the universal Faith? What other choice can he make but to prefer to the gangrenous and corrupted member the whole of the body that is sound. And if some new contagion were to try to poison no longer a small part of the Church, but all of the Church at the same time, then he will take the greatest care to attach himself to antiquity which, obviously, can no longer be seduced by any lying novelty."
St. Vincent of Lerins, c. 434 A.D.
#tradition #dogma
Ecce Verbum
The authority of Church's interpretation of Scripture St. Vincent of Lerins "But here some one perhaps will ask, Since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join with it…
The Successor of Peter and Biblical Interpretation
“The Bishop of Rome sits upon the Chair to bear witness to Christ. Thus, the Chair is the symbol of the potestas docendi, the power to teach that is an essential part of the mandate of binding and loosing which the Lord conferred on Peter, and after him, on the Twelve. In the Church, Sacred Scripture, the understanding of which increases under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the ministry of its authentic interpretation that was conferred upon the Apostles, are indissolubly bound. Whenever Sacred Scripture is separated from the living voice of the Church, it falls prey to disputes among experts.
Of course, all they have to tell us is important and invaluable; the work of scholars is a considerable help in understanding the living process in which the Scriptures developed, hence, also in grasping their historical richness.
Yet science alone cannot provide us with a definitive and binding interpretation; it is unable to offer us, in its interpretation, that certainty with which we can live and for which we can even die. A greater mandate is necessary for this, which cannot derive from human abilities alone. The voice of the living Church is essential for this, of the Church entrusted until the end of time to Peter and to the College of the Apostles.
This power of teaching frightens many people in and outside the Church. They wonder whether freedom of conscience is threatened or whether it is a presumption opposed to freedom of thought. It is not like this. The power that Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors is, in an absolute sense, a mandate to serve. The power of teaching in the Church involves a commitment to the service of obedience to the faith. The Pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: the Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism.”
The Pope knows that in his important decisions, he is bound to the great community of faith of all times, to the binding interpretations that have developed throughout the Church's pilgrimage. Thus, his power is not being above, but at the service of, the Word of God. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in its purity, so that it is not torn to pieces by continuous changes in usage.
Benedict XVI, 2005
source
***Papal teaching, then, including exercises of the extraordinary Magisterium, cannot contradict Scripture, Tradition, or previous binding papal teaching. Nor can it introduce utter novelties. Popes have authority only to preserve and interpret what they have received. They can draw out the implications of previous teaching or clarify it where it is ambiguous. They can make formally binding what was already informally taught. But they cannot reverse past teaching and they cannot make up new doctrines out of whole cloth.
***Along the same lines, the Second Vatican Council taught, in Dei Verbum, that the Church cannot teach contrary to Scripture:
"The living teaching office of the Church… is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully"
***The pope would not be speaking infallibly if he taught something that either had no basis in Scripture, Tradition, or previous magisterial teaching, or contradicted those sources of doctrine.
#scripture #tradition #pope
“The Bishop of Rome sits upon the Chair to bear witness to Christ. Thus, the Chair is the symbol of the potestas docendi, the power to teach that is an essential part of the mandate of binding and loosing which the Lord conferred on Peter, and after him, on the Twelve. In the Church, Sacred Scripture, the understanding of which increases under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the ministry of its authentic interpretation that was conferred upon the Apostles, are indissolubly bound. Whenever Sacred Scripture is separated from the living voice of the Church, it falls prey to disputes among experts.
Of course, all they have to tell us is important and invaluable; the work of scholars is a considerable help in understanding the living process in which the Scriptures developed, hence, also in grasping their historical richness.
Yet science alone cannot provide us with a definitive and binding interpretation; it is unable to offer us, in its interpretation, that certainty with which we can live and for which we can even die. A greater mandate is necessary for this, which cannot derive from human abilities alone. The voice of the living Church is essential for this, of the Church entrusted until the end of time to Peter and to the College of the Apostles.
This power of teaching frightens many people in and outside the Church. They wonder whether freedom of conscience is threatened or whether it is a presumption opposed to freedom of thought. It is not like this. The power that Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors is, in an absolute sense, a mandate to serve. The power of teaching in the Church involves a commitment to the service of obedience to the faith. The Pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: the Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism.”
The Pope knows that in his important decisions, he is bound to the great community of faith of all times, to the binding interpretations that have developed throughout the Church's pilgrimage. Thus, his power is not being above, but at the service of, the Word of God. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in its purity, so that it is not torn to pieces by continuous changes in usage.
Benedict XVI, 2005
source
***Papal teaching, then, including exercises of the extraordinary Magisterium, cannot contradict Scripture, Tradition, or previous binding papal teaching. Nor can it introduce utter novelties. Popes have authority only to preserve and interpret what they have received. They can draw out the implications of previous teaching or clarify it where it is ambiguous. They can make formally binding what was already informally taught. But they cannot reverse past teaching and they cannot make up new doctrines out of whole cloth.
***Along the same lines, the Second Vatican Council taught, in Dei Verbum, that the Church cannot teach contrary to Scripture:
"The living teaching office of the Church… is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully"
***The pope would not be speaking infallibly if he taught something that either had no basis in Scripture, Tradition, or previous magisterial teaching, or contradicted those sources of doctrine.
#scripture #tradition #pope
www.vatican.va
Dei verbum
Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation - Dei verbum
Saint Basil on unwritten teaching and being versed in the institutions of the Church
Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have received delivered to us in a mystery by the tradition of the apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the same force. And these no one will gainsay — no one, at all events, who is even moderately versed in the institutions of the Church. For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in its very vitals; or, rather, should make our public definition a mere phrase and nothing more. For instance, to take the first and most general example, who is thence who has taught us in writing to sign with the sign of the cross those who have trusted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? What writing has taught us to turn to the East at the prayer? Which of the saints has left us in writing the words of the invocation at the displaying of the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of blessing? For we are not, as is well known, content with what the apostle or the Gospel has recorded, but both in preface and conclusion we add other words as being of great importance to the validity of the ministry, and these we derive from unwritten teaching.
St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto, chapter 27
#tradition
Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have received delivered to us in a mystery by the tradition of the apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the same force. And these no one will gainsay — no one, at all events, who is even moderately versed in the institutions of the Church. For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in its very vitals; or, rather, should make our public definition a mere phrase and nothing more. For instance, to take the first and most general example, who is thence who has taught us in writing to sign with the sign of the cross those who have trusted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? What writing has taught us to turn to the East at the prayer? Which of the saints has left us in writing the words of the invocation at the displaying of the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of blessing? For we are not, as is well known, content with what the apostle or the Gospel has recorded, but both in preface and conclusion we add other words as being of great importance to the validity of the ministry, and these we derive from unwritten teaching.
St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto, chapter 27
#tradition
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CHURCH FATHERS: De Spiritu Sancto (Basil)
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Ecce Verbum
Saint Basil on unwritten teaching and being versed in the institutions of the Church Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have…
Scripture and Tradition
*basic outline
In the Church Christ established the authentic organ of Tradition, which is the apostolic hierarchy. Tradition itself is the proclamation, assisted by the Holy Spirit, of that Revelation which was originally transmitted orally by Christ and the Apostles.
Tradition precedes Scripture in chronological order, for Scripture did not exist from the beginning of the world, but from the beginning there was a Rule to which holy men adapted their faith. Similarly, the Apostolic epistles were addressed to existing churches.
Tradition also precedes Scripture in the order of knowledge in the sense that not Scripture but Tradition contains the totality of revealed doctrine. It is Tradition that determines the proper meaning of Scripture and it is Tradition that states which books are inspired and canonical.
From the beginning, Tradition existed as the only rule of faith, and the Scripture that appeared later could not destroy Tradition as the basic means of proclaiming the revealed doctrine established once and for all for the Church. Holy Scripture It was intended to serve her from the very beginning.
*(Tradition in the strictest sense is Revelation transmitted orally. In a strict but more general sense, Tradition is Revelation passed on orally or in writing).
In the course of time, a certain development takes place in Tradition, but it remains inseparable from the total immutability and unanimity in the understanding of dogmas. In the deposit of faith, nothing may be changed, added or taken away.
The teaching of the apostles may have contained certain general truths in which other, more specific truths were implicitly (not explicitly) contained. The Magisterium had to bring out and clarify the latter when various doubts and errors began to emerge.
In the course of time, in the face of emerging errors, it became necessary to express certain truths explicitly (explicite), i.e. to declare dogmas - specific truths contained inexplicitly (implicitly) in the general teaching of the Apostles.
*(Dogmas are not the proclamation of any new truth to the faith; moreover, they are in themselves unchangeable. Neither the Church, nor the Pope, nor anyone else, has the right to add anything new to the deposit of faith that is not explicitly or implicitly revealed).
Tradition, although it remains the same, was not always framed in the exact same way. As time passed and heresies emerged, it was formulated more and more precisely. We distinguish between the stages in the history of the formulation of dogma: simple belief, speculation and full explanation.
An example of the unfolding of specific truths from general truths are the many dogmas concerning the divine and human nature of Christ, which follow from and implicitly contain the primary fundamental truth that Christ is God-man.
sources: Tradition contra modernism, Card. Louis Billot
#scripture #tradition
*basic outline
In the Church Christ established the authentic organ of Tradition, which is the apostolic hierarchy. Tradition itself is the proclamation, assisted by the Holy Spirit, of that Revelation which was originally transmitted orally by Christ and the Apostles.
Tradition precedes Scripture in chronological order, for Scripture did not exist from the beginning of the world, but from the beginning there was a Rule to which holy men adapted their faith. Similarly, the Apostolic epistles were addressed to existing churches.
Tradition also precedes Scripture in the order of knowledge in the sense that not Scripture but Tradition contains the totality of revealed doctrine. It is Tradition that determines the proper meaning of Scripture and it is Tradition that states which books are inspired and canonical.
From the beginning, Tradition existed as the only rule of faith, and the Scripture that appeared later could not destroy Tradition as the basic means of proclaiming the revealed doctrine established once and for all for the Church. Holy Scripture It was intended to serve her from the very beginning.
*(Tradition in the strictest sense is Revelation transmitted orally. In a strict but more general sense, Tradition is Revelation passed on orally or in writing).
In the course of time, a certain development takes place in Tradition, but it remains inseparable from the total immutability and unanimity in the understanding of dogmas. In the deposit of faith, nothing may be changed, added or taken away.
The teaching of the apostles may have contained certain general truths in which other, more specific truths were implicitly (not explicitly) contained. The Magisterium had to bring out and clarify the latter when various doubts and errors began to emerge.
In the course of time, in the face of emerging errors, it became necessary to express certain truths explicitly (explicite), i.e. to declare dogmas - specific truths contained inexplicitly (implicitly) in the general teaching of the Apostles.
*(Dogmas are not the proclamation of any new truth to the faith; moreover, they are in themselves unchangeable. Neither the Church, nor the Pope, nor anyone else, has the right to add anything new to the deposit of faith that is not explicitly or implicitly revealed).
Tradition, although it remains the same, was not always framed in the exact same way. As time passed and heresies emerged, it was formulated more and more precisely. We distinguish between the stages in the history of the formulation of dogma: simple belief, speculation and full explanation.
An example of the unfolding of specific truths from general truths are the many dogmas concerning the divine and human nature of Christ, which follow from and implicitly contain the primary fundamental truth that Christ is God-man.
sources: Tradition contra modernism, Card. Louis Billot
#scripture #tradition
Ecce Verbum
The Successor of Peter and Biblical Interpretation “The Bishop of Rome sits upon the Chair to bear witness to Christ. Thus, the Chair is the symbol of the potestas docendi, the power to teach that is an essential part of the mandate of binding and loosing…
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.1 - an overview
(This is part 1 of the series. It provides only a general outline of the Catholic Church's teaching on Tradition)
Christ left behind not writings alone, but Christianity. The Apostles, at His command, orally communicated the reality of salvation, and used writing auxiliary, when teaching from a distance.
The Apostolic written word therefore has a substitute function for the spoken word. The writings of the Apostles and their disciples always remain only a partial account and testimony of the whole reality of salvation that Christ and the Apostles communicated to the faithful.
It should, of course, be emphasised that the inspired writings of the Apostles have become a unique monument to their teaching and, at the same time, a bridge between the Apostles and Christians of all times. Hence, the books of the New Testament occupy the fundamental place among the sources of Revelation.
Because of the direct Divine inspiration of the biblical authors, we can truly proclaim that the word written down on the pages of the Bible is the Word of God, and that it is infallible because of the authority of God himself, who can neither lie nor err.
The written word, however, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is neither primary nor completely independent nor the only source revealed doctrine. The written word is secondary to the spoken word, which was first spoken by Christ and then by the Apostles, then written down.
The Apostles established churches (dioceses) and spread the Faith before the New Testament writings were written, and the Gospel was preached publicly by Christ himself, who had not written anything down before (or since). The spoken word was the primary means of communication of the Christian church of the first centuries.
The totality of the doctrine preached by Christ and the Apostles is called the divine-apostolic Tradition, and one of its expressions is the written New Testament, which takes precedence among the other monuments of this Tradition (doctrinal rulings of the Councils, Popes, teachings of the Church Fathers...).
The very juxtaposition of Tradition (written with a capital T - which has its strict meaning in theology) and Scripture is a mistake, since Scripture itself is an expression of that Tradition, i.e. the transmission of the word of God preached by Christ and the Apostles.
The Bible (Written Tradition) and Oral Tradition are not separate and independent sources of the doctrine of the Faith, still less are they opposed to each other. They are the expression and source of a single divine Revelation addressed to all mankind.
In relation to the individual, Scripture and Oral Tradition act as the infallible testimony of Christian Revelation, behind which stands the authority of God himself, who has always revealed His will through intermediaries (prophets, Christ, Apostles).
The infallibility of Oral Tradition flows from the assistance of the Holy Spirit guiding the faith of the whole Church of Christ. In contrast, the infallibility of Scripture flows from the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the biblical authors.
It does not follow from what has been written above that the Church has the right to change, or add or subtract, anything from the deposit of Faith. On the contrary, each successive Pope is strictly limited by the previous documents of infallible Tradition (the Bible, the dogmas of the Councils and the Popes) - he is limited by the truths of the Faith.
The Bible is given the priority in the hierarchy of all documents. It is chronologically the earliest written word and, by divine inspiration, is the Word of God, while dogmas are the word of men, although fully in accordance with the Word of God, by divine assistance.
This is confirmed by the documents of the Magisterium of the Church of Christ, Apostolic and Catholic. The Council of Constantinople II (553) emphasises that the continuity of the doctrine transmitted verbally since apostolic times is an expression of Christian legitimacy.
🔗p.2, sources
#scripture #tradition
(This is part 1 of the series. It provides only a general outline of the Catholic Church's teaching on Tradition)
Christ left behind not writings alone, but Christianity. The Apostles, at His command, orally communicated the reality of salvation, and used writing auxiliary, when teaching from a distance.
The Apostolic written word therefore has a substitute function for the spoken word. The writings of the Apostles and their disciples always remain only a partial account and testimony of the whole reality of salvation that Christ and the Apostles communicated to the faithful.
It should, of course, be emphasised that the inspired writings of the Apostles have become a unique monument to their teaching and, at the same time, a bridge between the Apostles and Christians of all times. Hence, the books of the New Testament occupy the fundamental place among the sources of Revelation.
Because of the direct Divine inspiration of the biblical authors, we can truly proclaim that the word written down on the pages of the Bible is the Word of God, and that it is infallible because of the authority of God himself, who can neither lie nor err.
The written word, however, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is neither primary nor completely independent nor the only source revealed doctrine. The written word is secondary to the spoken word, which was first spoken by Christ and then by the Apostles, then written down.
The Apostles established churches (dioceses) and spread the Faith before the New Testament writings were written, and the Gospel was preached publicly by Christ himself, who had not written anything down before (or since). The spoken word was the primary means of communication of the Christian church of the first centuries.
The totality of the doctrine preached by Christ and the Apostles is called the divine-apostolic Tradition, and one of its expressions is the written New Testament, which takes precedence among the other monuments of this Tradition (doctrinal rulings of the Councils, Popes, teachings of the Church Fathers...).
The very juxtaposition of Tradition (written with a capital T - which has its strict meaning in theology) and Scripture is a mistake, since Scripture itself is an expression of that Tradition, i.e. the transmission of the word of God preached by Christ and the Apostles.
The Bible (Written Tradition) and Oral Tradition are not separate and independent sources of the doctrine of the Faith, still less are they opposed to each other. They are the expression and source of a single divine Revelation addressed to all mankind.
In relation to the individual, Scripture and Oral Tradition act as the infallible testimony of Christian Revelation, behind which stands the authority of God himself, who has always revealed His will through intermediaries (prophets, Christ, Apostles).
The infallibility of Oral Tradition flows from the assistance of the Holy Spirit guiding the faith of the whole Church of Christ. In contrast, the infallibility of Scripture flows from the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the biblical authors.
It does not follow from what has been written above that the Church has the right to change, or add or subtract, anything from the deposit of Faith. On the contrary, each successive Pope is strictly limited by the previous documents of infallible Tradition (the Bible, the dogmas of the Councils and the Popes) - he is limited by the truths of the Faith.
The Bible is given the priority in the hierarchy of all documents. It is chronologically the earliest written word and, by divine inspiration, is the Word of God, while dogmas are the word of men, although fully in accordance with the Word of God, by divine assistance.
This is confirmed by the documents of the Magisterium of the Church of Christ, Apostolic and Catholic. The Council of Constantinople II (553) emphasises that the continuity of the doctrine transmitted verbally since apostolic times is an expression of Christian legitimacy.
🔗p.2, sources
#scripture #tradition
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The Council of Constantinople:
We confess that we keep the faith given in the beginning by the great God and Saviour our Jesus Christ to the holy Apostles and preached by them throughout the world. This faith was confessed by the holy Fathers, explained and…
We confess that we keep the faith given in the beginning by the great God and Saviour our Jesus Christ to the holy Apostles and preached by them throughout the world. This faith was confessed by the holy Fathers, explained and…
Ecce Verbum
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.1 - an overview (This is part 1 of the series. It provides only a general outline of the Catholic Church's teaching on Tradition) Christ left behind not writings alone, but Christianity. The Apostles, at His command, orally…
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.2- arguments from Scripture
Jesus Christ left mankind not the scriptures alone but the Church, which he built on the Apostles: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" [Mk 16:15].
He then said: "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned" [Mk 16:16]. Our Lord marks the brief principle that faith comes from hearing and extends through the authority of the Church's apostolic teaching.
From this it follows that Christ, who communicated his doctrine by the living word, recommended a similar way of spreading the faith to the Apostles. If Scripture was to be the only source of Revelation and the authority of the Faith, then all the Apostles should have concentrated at once on writing books.
The Apostles, however, did not focus on systematically writing down the Revelation, but on verbally instructing and proclaiming Christ to the world. With their authority, they also established churches and successors, whom they commanded to continue this mission.
This coincides with Catholic doctrine on the essence of the act of faith (as expressed in the anti-modernist oath by Pope St Pius X, who ordered it to be taken by all priests and bishops before their ordination).
It proclaims: "I sincerely confess that faith is not a blind religious feeling, emerging under the influence of the heart and under the action of a well-disposed will, but a true rational recognition of the truth received externally from listening".
The primary means of transmitting Christian doctrine is therefore the teaching apostolic and catholic Church, built by the Saviour Himself, who told Peter: "You are the Rock, and on this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" [Mt 16:18].
What was transmitted in accordance with Christ's injunction to the world by the Apostles is called the Divine-Apostolic Tradition. Subsequently, this Christian transmission passed orally from the Apostles to their successors (bishops), and was also partly written down (New Testament).
However, Scripture was not conceived as the absolute totality of God's Revelation, as even Scripture itself confirms: "Brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions about which you have been instructed either by the living word or through our epistle" [2 Thess 2:15].
St Paul praises the Corinthians for sticking to his oral teachings: 'I commend you, brethren, for being mindful of me in everything, and for keeping the tradition as I have handed it down to you' [1 Cor 11:2]. The teaching authority is thus in the Apostles (the Church).
At the time this inspired letter was written, the Corinthians had already formed a Christian community and were, after all, holding on to some doctrines handed down by means other than inspired Scripture. Similarly, the other apostolic letters were written to existing churches already having Faith.
Paul further commands his oral teaching to be passed on: 'What you have heard from me through many witnesses, pass on to deserving men of faith, who will also be able to teach others' [2 Tim 2:2]. He explicitly establishes authoritative teachers of the Faith.
Also St John in his inspired letter writes: "There is much I could write to you, but I did not want to use paper and ink. But I hope to come to you and speak to you personally, so that our joy may be full" [2 John 1:12]
Thus, Scripture itself affirms the Catholic doctrine that it is Divine-Apostolic Tradition, i.e. the oral transmission, that is the primary and main way of spreading the faith, and Scripture is a written Tradition which the Church affirms (by affirming that the books as inspired).
In order that the teaching passed on to the next generation would be unchanged and without error, Christ promised the Church's assistance: "Teach them (the nations) to observe all that I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you (teaching) all the days until the end of the world" [Mt 28:20].
source:Sieniatycki M., Apologetics, or fundamental dogmatics,1932
#scripture #tradition
Jesus Christ left mankind not the scriptures alone but the Church, which he built on the Apostles: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" [Mk 16:15].
He then said: "He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned" [Mk 16:16]. Our Lord marks the brief principle that faith comes from hearing and extends through the authority of the Church's apostolic teaching.
From this it follows that Christ, who communicated his doctrine by the living word, recommended a similar way of spreading the faith to the Apostles. If Scripture was to be the only source of Revelation and the authority of the Faith, then all the Apostles should have concentrated at once on writing books.
The Apostles, however, did not focus on systematically writing down the Revelation, but on verbally instructing and proclaiming Christ to the world. With their authority, they also established churches and successors, whom they commanded to continue this mission.
This coincides with Catholic doctrine on the essence of the act of faith (as expressed in the anti-modernist oath by Pope St Pius X, who ordered it to be taken by all priests and bishops before their ordination).
It proclaims: "I sincerely confess that faith is not a blind religious feeling, emerging under the influence of the heart and under the action of a well-disposed will, but a true rational recognition of the truth received externally from listening".
The primary means of transmitting Christian doctrine is therefore the teaching apostolic and catholic Church, built by the Saviour Himself, who told Peter: "You are the Rock, and on this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" [Mt 16:18].
What was transmitted in accordance with Christ's injunction to the world by the Apostles is called the Divine-Apostolic Tradition. Subsequently, this Christian transmission passed orally from the Apostles to their successors (bishops), and was also partly written down (New Testament).
However, Scripture was not conceived as the absolute totality of God's Revelation, as even Scripture itself confirms: "Brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions about which you have been instructed either by the living word or through our epistle" [2 Thess 2:15].
St Paul praises the Corinthians for sticking to his oral teachings: 'I commend you, brethren, for being mindful of me in everything, and for keeping the tradition as I have handed it down to you' [1 Cor 11:2]. The teaching authority is thus in the Apostles (the Church).
At the time this inspired letter was written, the Corinthians had already formed a Christian community and were, after all, holding on to some doctrines handed down by means other than inspired Scripture. Similarly, the other apostolic letters were written to existing churches already having Faith.
Paul further commands his oral teaching to be passed on: 'What you have heard from me through many witnesses, pass on to deserving men of faith, who will also be able to teach others' [2 Tim 2:2]. He explicitly establishes authoritative teachers of the Faith.
Also St John in his inspired letter writes: "There is much I could write to you, but I did not want to use paper and ink. But I hope to come to you and speak to you personally, so that our joy may be full" [2 John 1:12]
Thus, Scripture itself affirms the Catholic doctrine that it is Divine-Apostolic Tradition, i.e. the oral transmission, that is the primary and main way of spreading the faith, and Scripture is a written Tradition which the Church affirms (by affirming that the books as inspired).
In order that the teaching passed on to the next generation would be unchanged and without error, Christ promised the Church's assistance: "Teach them (the nations) to observe all that I have commanded you. And, behold, I am with you (teaching) all the days until the end of the world" [Mt 28:20].
source:Sieniatycki M., Apologetics, or fundamental dogmatics,1932
#scripture #tradition
Ecce Verbum
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.2- arguments from Scripture Jesus Christ left mankind not the scriptures alone but the Church, which he built on the Apostles: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" [Mk 16:15]. He then said: "He that…
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.3- arguments from the Fathers
Jesus Christ left to mankind not writings but teachings which were orally entrusted to the Apostles, who were given the mission of spreading them throughout the world and guarding against error. He thus established the teaching office in the Church.
The Apostles and their immediate successors understood this teaching mission well, which they carried out, as did Christ, mainly through oral administration in the Church and, auxiliary, also through the inspired writings which we call the books of the New Testament.
St John, the longest-lived Apostle, was certainly well acquainted with the scriptures, and yet he also pointed to oral teachings as the rule of faith: 'If what you have heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father' [1 Jn 2:24].
Also the most ancient Fathers, the successors of the Apostles, faithfully adhering to Christian doctrine, cited Apostolic Tradition as the source of revelation and faith. Among them are St Ignatius, St Clement, St Polycarp or St Irenaeus, who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries.
St Ignatius (+107), bishop of Antioch, who knew the Apostles personally, called on Christians to remain faithful to the bishops, i.e. the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in which he saw the guardians of Christian doctrine. He equated fidelity to the bishop with fidelity to Christ himself.
In his Letter to the Trallanes, St Ignatius of Antioch exhorts the faithful: "When you obey the bishop as Christ, then in my eyes you are no longer living according to a human way of thinking, but according to Jesus Christ."
On the other hand, in the Letter to the Church in Smyrna, he teaches: "All of you follow the bishop as Jesus Christ followed the Father, and your priests as the Apostles. Let no one in matters pertaining to the Church do anything without the bishop."
The bishop of Antioch, in his letters to the religious, strongly emphasizes obedience to which he calls Christians. He certainly already knew the Scriptures well, yet he did not claim that after the death of the Apostles they became the sole authority on matters of faith and religious life.
On the contrary, he identified obedience to the instructions and orders of the bishops with abiding in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Moreover, St Ignatius was no exception among the Apostolic Fathers. Similar conclusions can be drawn from the teaching of St Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.
Polycarp (+156) (against the heresy of Docetism) writes: "let us abandon the vain deliberations of the multitude and erroneous doctrines, and turn to that doctrine which has been handed down to us from the beginning". The primary way in which the doctrine of the faith was transmitted was by oral tradition, or so-called Tradition.
In his instruction, the Bishop of Smyrna does not refer to the argument from Scripture, which, after all, already existed, so it cannot be assumed that Scripture was treated as the one and only source of legitimate doctrine and the only authority in disputes against heresies.
Moreover, Ignatius and Polycarp see obedient adherence to the doctrine preached by the hierarchical Church (clergy) as a defensive bulwark against heresies and other erroneous doctrines attempting to falsify the teachings of Christ. They do not claim that Scripture is the one and only pillar.
Similarly, St Clement (+101), Bishop of Rome and third successor of St Peter, instructs the faithful in his Letter to the Corinthians: "The Apostles were instituted for us by Christ as preachers of the gospel...In telling the Word of God, they instituted bishops and deacons for those who would believe".
Clement, who often cites Scripture, also writes: "Let us therefore lay aside these vain and useless endeavours, and let us return to the glorious and holy rule of our Tradition. And let us see what is beautiful, pleasing and acceptable in the sight of Him who created us."
🔗p.2 and sources
#scripture #tradition
Jesus Christ left to mankind not writings but teachings which were orally entrusted to the Apostles, who were given the mission of spreading them throughout the world and guarding against error. He thus established the teaching office in the Church.
The Apostles and their immediate successors understood this teaching mission well, which they carried out, as did Christ, mainly through oral administration in the Church and, auxiliary, also through the inspired writings which we call the books of the New Testament.
St John, the longest-lived Apostle, was certainly well acquainted with the scriptures, and yet he also pointed to oral teachings as the rule of faith: 'If what you have heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father' [1 Jn 2:24].
Also the most ancient Fathers, the successors of the Apostles, faithfully adhering to Christian doctrine, cited Apostolic Tradition as the source of revelation and faith. Among them are St Ignatius, St Clement, St Polycarp or St Irenaeus, who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries.
St Ignatius (+107), bishop of Antioch, who knew the Apostles personally, called on Christians to remain faithful to the bishops, i.e. the ecclesiastical hierarchy, in which he saw the guardians of Christian doctrine. He equated fidelity to the bishop with fidelity to Christ himself.
In his Letter to the Trallanes, St Ignatius of Antioch exhorts the faithful: "When you obey the bishop as Christ, then in my eyes you are no longer living according to a human way of thinking, but according to Jesus Christ."
On the other hand, in the Letter to the Church in Smyrna, he teaches: "All of you follow the bishop as Jesus Christ followed the Father, and your priests as the Apostles. Let no one in matters pertaining to the Church do anything without the bishop."
The bishop of Antioch, in his letters to the religious, strongly emphasizes obedience to which he calls Christians. He certainly already knew the Scriptures well, yet he did not claim that after the death of the Apostles they became the sole authority on matters of faith and religious life.
On the contrary, he identified obedience to the instructions and orders of the bishops with abiding in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Moreover, St Ignatius was no exception among the Apostolic Fathers. Similar conclusions can be drawn from the teaching of St Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna.
Polycarp (+156) (against the heresy of Docetism) writes: "let us abandon the vain deliberations of the multitude and erroneous doctrines, and turn to that doctrine which has been handed down to us from the beginning". The primary way in which the doctrine of the faith was transmitted was by oral tradition, or so-called Tradition.
In his instruction, the Bishop of Smyrna does not refer to the argument from Scripture, which, after all, already existed, so it cannot be assumed that Scripture was treated as the one and only source of legitimate doctrine and the only authority in disputes against heresies.
Moreover, Ignatius and Polycarp see obedient adherence to the doctrine preached by the hierarchical Church (clergy) as a defensive bulwark against heresies and other erroneous doctrines attempting to falsify the teachings of Christ. They do not claim that Scripture is the one and only pillar.
Similarly, St Clement (+101), Bishop of Rome and third successor of St Peter, instructs the faithful in his Letter to the Corinthians: "The Apostles were instituted for us by Christ as preachers of the gospel...In telling the Word of God, they instituted bishops and deacons for those who would believe".
Clement, who often cites Scripture, also writes: "Let us therefore lay aside these vain and useless endeavours, and let us return to the glorious and holy rule of our Tradition. And let us see what is beautiful, pleasing and acceptable in the sight of Him who created us."
🔗p.2 and sources
#scripture #tradition
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However, the foundations for a strict and precise understanding of the concept of Apostolic Tradition were only laid by St Irenaeus during his polemic against the Gnostic heretics preaching erroneous theories about a secret, oral apostolic tradition handed…
Ecce Verbum
Tradition vs sola scriptura p.3- arguments from the Fathers Jesus Christ left to mankind not writings but teachings which were orally entrusted to the Apostles, who were given the mission of spreading them throughout the world and guarding against error.…
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