Sacred Tradition The Authority of the Church The Word of God & the Saving Power of God The Word of God is “effective.” It creates and has the power to recreate– the power to redeem, the power to save. And how is that Word, this Saving Help, communicated to the world? Written down? Whispered? Shouted? Pantomimed? Charades? Pictionary? The WORD made FLESH.

The Saving Work of God, the Redeeming Work of God has Manhood. The Divine becomes human, and God Saves by becoming Jesus, the God-Man, a name that means ‘God Saves.’ The Dignity, the Nobility of Man. “How admirable the plan, the universal law laid down by Providence, that it is through men, that men are to find the way to salvation.”

-Pope Leo XIII, quoted in the Soul of the Apostolate The Principle of the Incarnation

The unrealized potency, the untapped power of Humanity, which Jesus saw, nay, which Jesus sees.

“Our Lord’s great command was, ‘Follow me!’ By calling others to Himself, He introduced the idea that man should have charge over man. It was a prolongation of the principle of His Incarnation: He Who is God would teach and redeem and sanctify through the human nature which He had taken from Mary...

…but He would work also through other human natures, starting with those first twelve whom He called to be His followers…

…It was not angels who would administer to men: the government of the Father would be placed in the hands of human beings. Such is the meaning of the apostolic call to the twelve.” -Fulton Sheen The Meaning of the Apostolic Call: A Trip Down Memory Lane Where do you begin? How do you begin? The Prolongation of the Incarnation

“Our Blessed Lord intended to prolong His teaching, and His reign and His very life ‘unto the consummation of the world;’ but in order to do this He had to call to Himself a body of men to whom He would communicate certain powers that He had brought with Him to earth. This body would not be a social body such as a club, united only for the sake of pleasure and convenience; nor would it be a political body, held together by common material interest; it would be truly spiritual, the cement of which would be charity and love and the possession of His Spirit. If the society or Mystical Body Our Lord wanted to found was to have continuity, it would need a head and members. If it was a vineyard, as He declared in one of His parables, it would need laborers; if it was a net, it would need fishermen; if it was a field, it would need sowers and reapers; if it was a herd, or a flock, it would need shepherds.” -Fulton Sheen Nothing but the Pentecost: Personal Knowledge of Christ Saves “When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send…you too will be witnesses.” No Epistles, No Gospels– Much Faith, Much Theology

The Great Commission

“Whenever our civilization wants a library to be catalogued, or a solar system discovered, or any other trifle of this kind, it uses up its specialists. But when it wishes anything done which is really serious, it collects twelve of the ordinary men standing around. The same thing was done, if I remember right, by the Founder of Christianity.” “The great struggle of the [Ancient] Church.”

GNOSTICISM

Explioit Scripture

Claim Secret Apostolic Traditions Combatting the Gnostics

Christ is the ultimate source of Christian doctrine—the full revelation.

He entrusted the revelation to His Apostles.

St. Irenaeus (c180AD): “Through none other than those by whom the gospel reached us have we learned the plan of our salvation.”

Tertullian (c190AD): “What we believed is what is preached by bishops appointed by apostles, who came from Christ, who came from God.” Thus the sole authority on earth was the Apostles, which meant “Christians must not pick and choose doctrines according to their whims.” Tradition in the Ancient Church

The original message of the Apostles by both men is described as “Tradition.”

St. Irenaeus: “However much Christians may differ in language or mental capacity, the force of tradition, the faith and preaching communicated by the apostles, remains one and the same.”

Tertullian: “the whole body of apostolic doctrine, whether delivered orally or in epistles, is apostolorum traditio” Tradition per St. Irenaeus Once Christ is gone, we rely on Apostles to transmit the Gospel. They transmitted it orally to the Church—a living tradition independent of written documents; St. Irenaeus points to “barbarian tribes which received this faith without letters.”

This communication was entirely public and open (contra Gnostics); he defines tradition in a novel and restricted sense to refer to “the Church’s oral teaching as distinct from Scripture.” He referred to this tradition as the “canon of the truth.” Identity with the Apostles ensures and guarantees the oral tradition. Those successors of the Apostles, the Bishops, are further endowed and guarantors by charisma veritatis certum (infallible charism of truth).

The NT for St. Irenaeus was “the written formulation of the apostolic tradition.” Thus, the Apostolicity prong for canonization. Tradition per Tertullian “Tradition” defined more broadly “to cover what had been customary in the Church for long generations.” Includes triple renunciation, triple immersion, reception of Eucharist in early morning, prohibition of kneeling on Sundays and at Easter, the sign of the Cross. There could be variance, even—but what was sure was that the tradition was “the faith delivered by the Apostles.” Tradition can be found in Scripture, which was the written communication of the Apostles or in the doctrine publically proclaimed by the Churches. The unwritten tradition and doctrines were the “rule of faith,” which he used more often than Scripture to defend the Church from Gnostics. The rule of faith “has been handed down by Christ through the apostles…and it can be used to test whether a man is a Christian or not.” Further, the rule points to correct exegesis. The Church’s continued public witness and tradition is “the indispensable key to Scripture.” Inspired Letters or Inspired Men?

St. Paul writes first: 50 A.D. to the Church in Corinth (very local, population 400K)

In fact, all epistles and Gospels were to local audiences or families, none actually meant for wide distribution. First canons were local.

In fact, people copied local letters and Gospels because of Truth therein– but it is important to ask from whence the Truth comes.

Is it happenstance that the letter contains Truth, or is it the writer who is inspired– meaning what he writes is inspired, as well, but also what he says, what he does, how he leads, &c. It takes a Foundation to build a Church

“But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me.” St. Augustine

“It is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about which everything has been revealed.” Dei Verbum 9 Traditio & Conserve

Traditio: trado; bequeath, the process of handing over.

Conserve: com-servare; an intense, maintenance or guard. 2 Thes 2:15: “Stand firm then brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”

1 Cor. 15:3-4: “In the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins…” Sacred Tradition

Doctrine: what the Church believes, teaches, and confesses on the authority of the will of God.

Belief is seen implicitly in the way we pray, worship, & live. Teach in explicit day-to- day lessons. Confess in solemn creeds & dogmas. Dogma: Truth officially proposed by the Church as Doctrinal development seeks to penetrate being part of or necessarily God’s Truth, is ever-ongoing and often connected to Revelation in a jagged. The process and fruits require binding, definitive way. fidelity to the Church & Her teachings. On the Authority of the Will of God

Matthew 16:18-19 “So I now say to you, ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’” On the Authority of the Will of God

Matthew 16:18-19 “So I now say to you, ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’” Petrine Primacy: the Papacy

Authority & Unity

Peter as the head of the Church & the represents the unity and universality. Christ’s personally trusting Peter with the Keys and the task of feeding His sheep.

Apostles recognized (John at the tomb), St. Paul in Gal. 2:11. Peter leads. Election of Matthias, Pentecost address & baptisms, Temple addresses, address to the Sanhedrin, miracles in Acts, baptism of pagans, uncircumcised visits, controversy on the Law, &c. Petrine Primacy: the Papacy “Of Peter the most is known. Peter is mentioned 195 times; the rest of the Apostles only 130 times. The one mentioned next in frequency to Peter is John, to whom there are 29 references. Peter’s original name was Simon, but it was changed by Our Blessed Lord to Cephas (cite Jn 1:42). The word Cephas meant “rock;”…In Scripture, whenever God changed the name of a man, it was to raise him to a higher dignity and role in the community to which he belonged… Petrine Primacy: the Papacy

[Peter was a very fickle, impulsive & unreliable]…He was an emphatic man, swinging swords, cursing, protesting against the Savior washing his feet; though named head of the Church, he had none of the ambition of James and John. But through the power of his Divine Master this impetuous man, as fluid as water, was turned into a rock on which Christ built His Church… Petrine Primacy: the Papacy The Divine Savior constantly linked Himself verbally with His Heavenly Father; but the only human being He ever united with Himself and spoke of Himself and that one as “we,” was Peter. From that day on, Peter and his successors have always used “we” to indicate the unity between the invisible Head of the Church and the visible head. But this same Peter, who is always tempting Our Lord from the Cross, proves to be a rock of fidelity, for later on in his life the constant theme of his letters was the Cross of Christ.” The Authority & Our Response

Degree of Frequency Fallibility Faithful Response Magisterium Pope ex cathedra Extraordinary Infallible Full Assent of Faith

Bishops in Union Extraordinary Infallible Full Assent of Faith with Pope (Council) Bishops proposing Ordinary Infallible Full Assent of Faith definitive, dispersed in unison (w/ Rome) Pope Ordinary Authoritative but not Religious submission of infallible intellect & will Bishops Ordinary Authoritative but not Religious submission of infallible intellect & will Theologians Neither authoritative Legitimate disagreements nor infallible Authority & Response

Why Popes & Bishops?! Do I Have to Believe This?!

Charism of the Holy Spirit Full Assent of Faith requires definitive assent. Eph 4:11: “to some his gift was to be apostles…” Religious Submission of intellect & will: if you dissent: Acts 20:28: “Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of • Must be informed and made sincere which the Holy Spirit has made you effort to succomb; the overseers, to feed the Church…” • Inform your Bishop of your issue The Sacrament of Holy Orders with the teaching;

• Be docile, available and open to being taught;

• Remain in dialogue. Infallibility

“When the Roman pontiff speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole church, he possesses by the divine assistance promised to him in the Blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or moral.” Vatican I Infallibility

“…that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his church to enjoy…” “Never shall the gates of Hell prevail against it [the Church].” The Gates of Hell, Satan, the Deceiver. Extraordinary, solemn, formal, guards against false teaching (not sin or error). Sacred Tradition & the Kingdom

“‘Thou are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church’ It is on him that he builds the Church and him that he entrusts the sheep to feed. And although he assigns a like power to all the apostle, yet he founded a single Chair, thus establishing by his own authority the source and hallmark of the Church’s oneness…If a man does not hold fast to this oneness of Peter, does he still imagine that he still holds the faith? If he deserts the Chair of Peter upon whom the Church was built, has he still the confidence that he is in the Church?” -St. Cyprian, 251 AD