Catholics: what exactly is considered sacred tradition?

Question

for example I'm guessing apostolic succession is one, right? if so what else?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 AD.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
+ The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
+ Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
+ The Communion of Saints
+ Which writings include in the New Testament?

Things that are even more modern like
+ Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
+ Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

Do Christians who do not allow the continuing guiding force of the Holy Spirit to make their beliefs more and more perfect, still endorse slavery as Colossians 3:22 commands, "Slaves, obey your human masters in everything"?

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Sacred Tradition is a term that refers to the workings and the nuances of the Holy Spirit, in the everyday life of the Church, and it would also include the specific teachings of Jesus, in both oral and written form.

Apostolic tradition is a term that refers to the practice of the faith according to the instructions and teachings that were handed down to the church by the apostles, in both oral and written form.

Apostolic succession is rooted in the old testament scriptures and traditions, and was practiced by the apostles, the first bishops of the church, who layed hands on, and anointed those who would succeed them. So apostolic succession would rightly be termed an apostolic tradition, based on a sacred tradition, that was rooted in the old testament scriptures.

The new testament of the Bible is a sacred tradition of the Church, based on written and oral apostolic tradition.

The Church's selection and canonization of all the scriptures would be a sacred tradition, too.

Gregorian Chant as the official form of liturgical hymns ... the methods presently used to select bishops, cardinals, and popes ... the rites used to celebrate Mass ... excathedra dogmatic statements by the pope, and the canonization of saints would probably be included in sacred tradition, as well.

In general, if a belief or practice can be traced directly to the apostles, it's an apostolic tradition.

If a belief or practice can be traced directly to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit, to the old testament scriptures, or to the magisterium of the Church, it's a sacred tradition.

Most all Catholic Church beliefs and practices can be confirmed by both.

Answer 3

Sacred Tradition are the things not written in the bible but made up part of the life of the Church. For example, what they were saying, or what we call oral tradition. For example, the apostles treated Mary with veneration because she was the mother of the Savior. Peter as the first Pope. The Magisterium. The Pope and the bishops make up the magisterium. Peter and the apostles were the teaching authority of the Church. The Councils or the way they decide dogmas of the Church etc.
The sacraments were instituted by Christ.

Answer 4

Jesus spoke to his disciples long before the things he taught were written down. While tradition means a “handing down,” Sacred Tradition means the handing down of divine revelation from one generation of believers to the next, as preserved under the divine guidance of the Catholic Church established by Christ.

The Second Vatican Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum), defines Sacred Tradition as what “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 learned from the prompting of the Holy Spirit” (DV 7). Sacred Tradition, of which Sacred Scripture is a part, is a deeply penetrating, living reality. It is transmitted to us through the practices of the Church since apostolic times. These include official professions of faith, from the Apostles’ Creed (circa A.D. 120) and Nicene Creed (325) to the Credo of the People of God by Pope Paul VI (1968); the official teachings of the 21 ecumenical councils of the Church, from Nicea I (325–381) to Vatican II (1962–65); the writings of Church Fathers and doctors; papal documents; sacred Scripture; sacred liturgy; and even Christian art that portrays what we believed and how we worshiped over the centuries.

May God bless you

Answer 5

Apostolic succesion, that is the only one I know.

Answer 6

http://www.catholic.com/library/Scripture_and_Tradition.asp

see also scripturecatholic.com
fisheaters.com

sorry to use links and offer sites as an answer but it would take some time to narrow it down.