Sacred Tradition

Sacred Tradition is the living transmission of the message of the Gospel in the Church — the oral preaching of the Apostles, together with Sacred Scripture, conserved and handed on through apostolic succession as the Deposit of Faith (CCC 75–82).

Tradition vs. traditions

Sacred Tradition (capital T) must be distinguished from the human traditions, customs, and disciplines of the Church that can change over time — liturgical practices, devotional customs, disciplinary rules. Sacred Tradition is the handing-on of the faith itself: the sum of all that Christ revealed and entrusted to the Apostles, transmitted through the Church under the Holy Spirit's guidance (CCC 83).

Tradition and Scripture Together

Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are not two separate sources of revelation — they flow from the same divine source and together form the one Deposit of Faith. Neither is complete without the other. The Catholic Church rejects sola scriptura because it is Tradition that tells us what books belong in Scripture, how to interpret them, and what they mean (CCC 80–81).

The Magisterium as Guardian

The Magisterium — the Pope and bishops — is the authentic interpreter of both Scripture and Tradition. Its task is not to create new revelation but to guard and faithfully transmit what has been handed on (CCC 85–87).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we know what is Sacred Tradition and what is merely human tradition? The Magisterium makes this determination. Sacred Tradition is that which has been held universally and constantly from the Apostles onward — the teaching of the whole Church across time and place (CCC 83, 85).