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Sacred Tradition

3/5/2025

Catholic Living

Sacred Tradition

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Question: Is there a compilation of Catholic traditions that hold the same weight as sacred Scripture? I was informed that the Bible is not the sole authority, but that sacred Tradition also plays a significant role.

— Julie Robinson, via email

Answer: Paragraphs 75-100 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church discuss sacred Tradition as the shared life, worship, and doctrine of the Catholic faith. However, requesting a list of sacred Traditions is akin to inquiring, “What is culture, and how can I obtain a list of it?” It is not that straightforward.

Sacred Tradition represents the experiential reality of the Church, a substantial portion of which existed before the composition and canonization of the New Testament texts. Indeed, Scripture is the textual dimension of sacred Tradition and is both included within it and suggested by it, since it was not until the fourth century that the assembly of the texts that constitute the Bible was ratified by the bishops and the pope.

Even the Protestants, who often disregard the concept of sacred Tradition, must acknowledge that numerous practices originate from it. For instance, there is no scripture in the Bible that explicitly and categorically states that we are to observe worship on Sunday and thus honor the Sabbath. The clear transition from Saturday to Sunday as the day for observing the commandment of keeping the Sabbath holy stems from sacred Tradition, rooted in the practices of the early Church.

Other important concepts like “Trinity” are absent from Scripture but originate from holy Tradition. Although the doctrine of the Trinity is undoubtedly present in Scripture, it required nearly three hundred years to refine all the specifics and formulate terms such as “Trinity” (a term that conveys the “three (tri) in one (unity)” nature of God). I believe the nearest equivalent to a list may be located in Henrich Denzinger’s “Enchiridion Symbolorum“A more approachable reference, arranged thematically instead of chronologically, is Ludwig Ott’s “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma.”

Nonetheless, even these extensive lists cannot completely encompass sacred Tradition, just as your photo albums cannot thoroughly illustrate your life. Sacred Tradition conveys more than just doctrinal teachings. It reflects the Church’s lived experiences and her ongoing method of interpreting Scripture, as well as embodying all that Christ and the apostles bequeathed to us, whether inscribed or passed down orally.

Thus St. Paul declares, “Therefore, brethren, remain steadfast and cling to the traditions that you received, whether through an oral proclamation or by a letter from us” (2 Thes 2:15). In other passages, St. Paul refers to the model he provided them, urging that we should “consider as your standard the wholesome words you heard from me, in the faith and love that are found in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:13). Sacred Tradition signifies the framework of sound doctrine and illustrates how the Church, particularly in its initial centuries, practiced and encountered that.

Confession

Question: In admitting our wrongdoings, why can’t we approach God directly? Even clergy members have their own faults.

— Leo Leduc, via email

Answer: You can approach God directly and should repent of your transgressions daily before Him. Nevertheless, Jesus himself established the practice of confession in the Gospel of John when he exhaled on the apostles and instructed them, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:23). Therefore, he anticipates that they will exercise this authority, and that others will seek them and their successors. It is clear that priests also sin. Doctors too fall ill, yet we continue to seek their help.

Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C., and writes for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., blog at blog.adw.org. Send questions to msgrpope@osv.com.

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