6. sacred tradition

1. “Stand firm then, my brothers, to the
TRADITIONS that we taught you, whether by
WORD OF MOUTH or by LETTER.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15

2. Latin “tradere” - to hand on; to pass
the CONTENT:
that which is being
handed on
the PROCESS:
the manner by which the
content is passed
TRADITION IS THE WHOLE PROCESS BY WHICH
THE CHURCH PRESERVES AND HANDS ON THE
FAITH THROUGH GENERATIONS

3. •THROUGH PREACHING
•THROUGH TEACHING
•THROUGH RELIGIOUS
SERVICES AND CUSTOMS
•THROUGH PERSONAL AND
COMMUNAL PRAYERS AND
DEVOTIONS
•THROUGH SPECIAL DAYS OF
FEAST AND REMEMBRANCE
•THROUGH RELIGIOUS LAWS
AND OBLIGATIONS
•THROUGH SAYINGS AND
CATCH PHRASES
•THROUGH STORY TELLING
Fr. Ian Knox C.S.Sp.

4. SACRED TRADITION AND SACRED
SCRIPTURES CONSTITUTE THE
DEPOSIT OF DIVINE REVELATION.
•Sacred Scriptures originated from Oral Tradition.
•Not all of Tradition had been written down, hence the
Bible, authoritative as it is, does not contain the entirety of
revelation.
•Tradition does not stop when it is written down. Rather,
traditions continue in the life of the church.
“There are so many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described
individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be
written.” John 21:25

5. “Tradition (capitalized) is the living and lived
faith of the church; traditions are customary
ways of doing or expressing matters related to
faith. If tradition cannot be rejected or lost
without essential distortion of the gospel, it is
part of Tradition itself. If tradition is not
essential, then it is subject to change or even
to elimination.”
Richard McBrien
CATHOLICISM, p.66

6. These are practices of the Church which are NON-
DOCTRINAL. These may have resulted from the needs
of the church which arose at a particular time in history.
Some of these traditions may have been a product of the
entry of the Church into other cultures.
EXAMPLES:
The Holy Rosary
The Pope recently
added another set of
mysteries: the Luminous
Mysteries
The MANNER of
celebrating the Eucharist
Before the Second Vatican Council,
the priest faced the altar and used
Latin, today , the priest faces the
people and uses the vernacular
Easter Practices
In the Philippines, the
“Salubong” is part of the
Introductory Rites for
the Easter Morning Mass

7. SACRED
TRADITION
SCRIPTURAL
TRADITIONS
APOSTOLOIC
TRADITIONS
TEACHINGS OF THE
MAGISTERIUM

8. These are traditions that take their
roots in the HOLY BIBLE. These
practices and beliefs can be justified
by quoting Sacred Scriptures.
EXAMPLES:
The Holy MassThe Authority of the PopeBaptism
“Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit” Mt. 28:19
“I give you the keys to the kingdom
of heaven. Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven.
Whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.” Mt.16:19
“For as often as you eat
this bread and drink this
cup, you proclaim the
death of the Lord until he
comes.” 1 Cor 11:26

9. These are the teachings which the
Apostles left us, not through written
scripture, but through the unbroken
chain of succession of Popes,
bishops, priests and deacons. This
unbroken chain is an assurance that
the teachings of the Apostles are
preserved intact.
Church teachings that are based on
Apostolic Traditions are contained in
the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
And for us Filipinos, we also have the
Catechism for Filipino Catholics.

10. Lt. “Magister” - teacher
MAGISTERIUM- the teaching authority of the
Church. This is exercised by the Pope in making
solemn definitions, or by Bishops in an Ecumenical
Council like Vatican 2
The teachings of faith are never stagnant. As time
goes by, the Church’s understanding of her own
teachings deepen, leading to the definition and
promulgation of new teachings.
These teachings are “new” not because they were
just invented. On the contrary, they have always
been part of the ancient teachings of the church,
only that they were not immediately defined.
IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION
ASSUMPTION OF
OUR LADY
Pope Pius IX. 1854
Pope Pius XII, 1950
THE MARIAN
DOGMAS WERE
DEFINED BY
VIRTUE OF THE
CHURCH’S
MAGISTERIUM
DIVINE
MOTHERHOOD
Council of Ephesus, 431

11. We believe in One God, the Father
Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the
only Son of God, eternally begotten of
the Father, God from God, Light from
Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with
the Father. Through him all things
were made. For us men and for our
salvation, he came down from heaven,
by the power of the Holy Spirit he was
born of the Virgin Mary and became
man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius
Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On
the third day he rose again in fulfillment of
the Scriptures, he ascended into heaven and
is seated at the right hand of the Father. He
will come again in glory to judge the living
and the dead, and his kingdom will have no
end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the
giver of life, who proceeds from the Father
and the Son. With the Father and the Son,
he is worshipped and glorified. He has
spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
Church. We acknowledge one baptism for
the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to
the resurrection of the dead, and the life of
the world to come. Amen.
A SUMMARY OF SACRED TRADITION:
Council of Nicaea, 325

12. Richard McBrien
CATHOLICISM
Winston Press, 1980
James O. McDonnel
JUST THE FAQ’s: WHAT CATHOLICS REALLY BELIEVE
Makati: Word and Life Publications, 1994
Fr. Ian Knox, C.S.Sp.
THEOLOGY FOR TEACHERS
Ottawa:Novalis Press, 1994