The authority of the Catholic Church can be explained (albeit not perfectly) in an analogy. Imagine that this authority stands on 3 legs! These 3 legs are:
Sacred Scripture
CCC120 Catholics hold the Bible as the written word of God. This means that God is the author of the contents of the Bible. This makes sense because we believe that the contents of the Bible have been written under inspiration by the Holy Spirit. (CCC105) Sacred Scripture is the collection of holy and inspired writings officially and solemnly recognized in the Christian canon. They are written through the instrument of human hands but authored by God (CCC 105-106). In the time of Christ it is well known that the Jews possessed several books that were distinguished in use and character from every other writing, though some of these collections varied. These scriptures recorded history, collected wisdom and poetry, and preserved the events and prophecies of major and minor characters in the history of the Hebrew people. The most prominent of these pre-Christian collections was the Septuagint, a Greek translation from about 300-200 B.C. Many New Testament authors quote from the Septuagint, thus demonstrating its widely accepted authority. After the apostolic age (A.D. 33-100), the early Christians were also in possession of many writings from apostles, their successors, and others. Some of these were immediately debated for authenticity and heterodoxy (e.g., the Gospel of Thomas), others were widely accepted as useful in Christian moral teaching (e.g., The Shepherd of Herman, the Didache), and others were nearly universally known to be authentic teachings and records of the apostles and their successors (the Acts of the Apostles, perhaps a third letter from Paul to the Corinthians, and the epistles of Clement). Read more... https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/sacred-scripture
Apostolic Tradition
Is Scripture the sole rule of faith for Christians? Not according to the Bible. While we must guard against merely human tradition, the Bible contains numerous references to the necessity of clinging to apostolic tradition. Thus Paul tells the Corinthians, “I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you” (1 Cor. 11:2), and he commands the Thessalonians, “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thess. 2:15). He even goes so far as to order, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). To make sure that the apostolic tradition would be passed down after the deaths of the apostles, Paul told Timothy, “[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of apostolic succession—his own generation, Timothy’s generation, the generation Timothy will teach, and the generation they in turn will teach. This “Tradition”, with a capital T, is different from tradition. To explain Tradition, we can look towards CCC83, “The Tradition here in question comes from the apostles and hands on what they received from Jesus’ teaching and example and what they learned from the Holy Spirit. The first generation of Christians did not yet have a written New Testament, and the New Testament itself demonstrates the process of living Tradition.” Read more.. https://www.catholic.com/tract/apostolic-tradition
Living Magisterium
The term magisterium is based on the Latin word for “teacher” (magister). In contemporary Catholic usage, it has several meanings. First, it refers to the teaching authority which Christ has given to the Church. Here the term refers to the authority itself, not those who exercise it. This usage appears in statements like, “The Church exercises its magisterium when it authoritatively proclaims Christ’s teachings.”
Second, the term refers to those who exercise this teaching authority—in other words, to the pope and the bishops teaching in union with him. Collectively, they are referred to as the “Magisterium,” as in “the Magisterium has infallibly taught that God is a Trinity.” Third, the term can refer to a particular body of teachings that have been authoritatively proclaimed. This usage appears in statements like, “Humanae Vitae belongs to the magisterium of St. Paul VI.” Read more... https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/magisterium
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