Читать книгу Catholicism For Dummies - Rev. Kenneth Brighenti - Страница 41

Catholicism carefully distinguishes between mere human tradition and divinely inspired Sacred Tradition:

 Human traditions are man-made laws that can be changed. An example of a human tradition is Catholics not eating meat on Fridays during Lent. Celibacy for priests of the Western (Latin) Church is another human tradition, which any pope can dispense, modify, or continue.

 Sacred Tradition is considered part of the unwritten word of God because it has been believed for centuries, since the time of the Apostolic Church, which refers to that period of time in Church history from the first (while the Apostles were still alive) to the second century A.d. (before the second-generation Christians died). It’s called Apostolic because the Apostles lived at that time.An example of a Sacred Tradition is the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. A dogma is a revealed truth that’s solemnly defined by the Church — a formal doctrine that the faithful are obligated to believe. Although it’s not explicit in Sacred Scripture, the Assumption of Mary means that Mary was assumed (physically taken up), body and soul, into heaven by her divine Son. Even though it wasn’t solemnly defined until 1950 by Pope Pius XII, this doctrine has been believed (and never doubted) by Catholic Christians since the time of the Apostles. Other examples of Sacred Tradition can be found in the doctrines defined by the 21 General or Ecumenical Councils of the Church, from Nicea (A.d. 325) to Vatican II (1962–1965). (See Chapter 6 for more on the councils.)