The Deposit of Faith

The Deposit of Faith is the heritage of faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition — the totality of divine revelation entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and handed on through the Church. From it the Magisterium draws all that it proposes for belief as divinely revealed (CCC 84).

What It Contains

The Deposit of Faith is the whole of divine revelation — everything God has revealed for our salvation. It was given once and for all through Jesus Christ and the Apostles. "No new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (CCC 66). Private revelations — even Church-approved ones like Fatima — do not add to the Deposit.

Guarded, Not Created

The task of the Magisterium is not to create new doctrine but to guard, interpret, and faithfully transmit the Deposit. The Church cannot define as dogma anything not already contained — explicitly or implicitly — in Scripture and Tradition. Every authentic doctrinal development must be continuous with what has been handed on (CCC 84–86).

The Role of the Faithful

The whole Church — not only the Magisterium — has a role in preserving the Deposit. The sensus fidei (sense of the faith) of the entire People of God, under the Magisterium's guidance, recognizes and adheres to the faith received from the Apostles (CCC 91–93).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Church define new dogmas? The Church can formally define truths already implicitly contained in the Deposit — this is doctrinal development. What the Church cannot do is define something contradicting what has already been revealed (CCC 84–88).