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7. In His gracious goodness, God has seen to it that what He had
revealed for the salvation of all nations would abide perpetually in its
full integrity and be handed on to all generations. Therefore Christ
the Lord in whom the full revelation of the supreme God is brought to
completion (see Cor. 1:20; 3:13; 4:6), commissioned
the Apostles to preach to all men that Gospel which is the source of
all saving truth and moral teaching, [8] and to impart to them
heavenly gifts. This Gospel had been promised in former times through
the prophets, and Christ Himself had fulfilled it and promulgated it
with His lips. This commission was faithfully fulfilled by the
Apostles who, by their oral preaching, by example, and by
observances handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ,
from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned
through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The commission was
fulfilled, too, by those Apostles and apostolic men who under the
inspiration of the same Holy Spirit committed the message of salvation
to writing. [9]
But in order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the
Church, the Apostles left bishops as their successors, "handing
over" to them "the authority to teach in their own place."[10]
This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the
Old and New Testaments are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church
on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until
she is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face (see 1
John 3:2).
8. And so the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special
way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an unending
succession of preachers until the end of time. Therefore the
Apostles, handing on what they themselves had received, warn the
faithful to hold fast to the traditions which they have learned either
by word of mouth or by letter (see 2 Thess. 2:15), and to
fight in defense of the faith handed on once and for all (see Jude
1:3) [11] Now what was handed on by the Apostles includes
everything which contributes toward the holiness of life and increase in
faith of the peoples of God; and so the Church, in her teaching,
life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that
she herself is, all that she believes.
This tradition which comes from the Apostles develop in the Church
with the help of the Holy Spirit. [12] For there is a growth in
the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed
down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by
believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke,
2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual
realities which they experience, and through the preaching of those who
have received through episcopal succession the sure gift of truth. For
as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves
forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God
reach their complete fulfillment in her.
The words of the holy fathers witness to the presence of this living
tradition, whose wealth is poured into the practice and life of the
believing and praying Church. Through the same tradition the
Church's full canon of the sacred books is known, and the sacred
writings themselves are more profoundly understood and unceasingly made
active in her; and thus God, who spoke of old, uninterruptedly
converses with the bride of His beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit,
through whom the living voice of the Gospel resounds in the Church,
and through her, in the world, leads unto all truth those who believe
and makes the word of Christ dwell abundantly in them (see Col.
3:16).
9. Hence there exists a close connection and communication between
sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing
from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity
and tend toward the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of
God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the
divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted
by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands
it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light
of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word
of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known.
Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church
draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed.
Therefore both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be
accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and
reverence.[13]
10. Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit
of the word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this
deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always
steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles, in the common life, in the
breaking of the bread and in prayers (see Acts 2, 42, Greek
text), so that holding to, practicing and professing the heritage of
the faith, it becomes on the part of the bishops and faithful a single
common effort. [14]
But the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether
written or handed on, [15] has been entrusted exclusively to the
living teaching office of the Church, [16] whose authority is
exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not
above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been
handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and
explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the
help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith
everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed.
It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture
and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God's most
wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand
without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under
the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the
salvation of souls.
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