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Pope: The Unbreakable Unity between Scripture and Tradition
O'Meara Ferguson News ^ | April 12, 2013 | O'Meara Ferguson

Posted on 04/22/2013 8:27:35 PM PDT by Salvation

Pope: The Unbreakable Unity between Scripture and Tradition

April 12, 2013 by  

Filed under O'Meara Ferguson News

Vatican Radio – April 12, 2013

(Vatican Radio) On Friday Pope Francis received members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission at the end of their plenary assembly here at the Vatican on ‘inspiration and truth in the Bible’.

Listen to the report from Emer McCarthy

Pope Francis told them “the Holy Scriptures are the testimony in written form of God’s Word, the canonical memorial that attests to the event of Revelation. The Word of God, therefore, precedes and exceeds the Bible. It is for this reason that the center of our faith is not only a book, but a history of salvation and especially a Person, Jesus Christ”.

Citing the Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium, he said: “The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living tradition of the Church…. The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of believers…to nourish the faith …respect for this profound nature of Scripture conditions the very validity and effectiveness of biblical hermeneutics”.

Thus the Holy Father concluded, any interpretation that is either “subjective or simply limited to an analysis incapable of embracing the global meaning that has constituted the Tradition of the entire People of God over the centuries” is simply insufficient.

In short there is an unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition.

Below a Vatican Radio translation of the full text of Pope Francis’ discourse to the Pontifical Biblical Commission, April 12, 2013.

Venerable Brother,
Dear Members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission,

I am pleased to welcome you at the end of your annual Plenary Assembly. I thank the President, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, for his greeting and summary of the topic that has been the subject of careful consideration in the course of your work. You have gathered again to study a very important topic: the inspiration and truth of the Bible. It is a matter that affects not only the individual believer, but the whole Church, for the life and mission of the Church is founded on the Word of God, which is the soul of theology and the inspiration of all Christian life.

As we know, the Holy Scriptures are the testimony in written form of God’s Word, the canonical memorial that attests to the event of Revelation. The Word of God, therefore, precedes and exceeds the Bible. It is for this reason that the center of our faith is not only a book, but a history of salvation and especially a Person, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. Precisely because the Word of God embraces and extends beyond Scripture, to understand it properly we need the constant presence of the Holy Spirit who “guides [us] to all truth” (Jn 16:13). It should be inserted within the current of the great Tradition which, through the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Magisterium, recognized the canonical writings as the Word addressed by God to His people who have never ceased to meditate and discover its inexhaustible riches. The Second Vatican Council has reiterated this with great clarity in the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum: “For all of what has been said about the way of interpreting Scripture is subject finally to the judgment of the Church, which carries out the divine commission and ministry of guarding and interpreting the word of God” (n. 12).

As the aforementioned conciliar Constitution reminds us, there is an unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition, as both come from the same source: “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” (ibid., 9).

It follows, therefore, that the exegete must be careful to perceive the Word of God present in the biblical texts by placing them within the faith of the Church. The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living tradition of the Church. This norm is essential to specify the correct relationship between exegesis and the Magisterium of the Church. The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of believers, the Church of Christ, to nourish the faith and guide the life of charity. Respect for this profound nature of Scripture conditions the very validity and effectiveness of biblical hermeneutics. This results in the insufficiency of any interpretation that is either subjective or simply limited to an analysis incapable of embracing the global meaning that has constituted the Tradition of the entire People of God over the centuries, which “in credendo falli nequit” [cannot be mistaken in belief – ed](Conc. Ecum. Vatican II Dogmatic Cost. Lumen Gentium, 12).

Dear Brothers, I wish to conclude my talk by expressing my thanks to all of you and encouraging you in your important work. May the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, the Divine Teacher who opened the minds and hearts of his disciples to understand the Scriptures (cf. Lk 24:45), guide and support you always in your endeavors. May the Virgin Mary, model of docility and obedience to the Word of God, teach you to accept fully the inexhaustible riches of Sacred Scripture not only through intellectual pursuits, but in prayer and throughout your life of believers, especially in this Year of the Faith, so that your work will help to shine the light of Sacred Scripture in the hearts of the faithful. Wishing you a fruitful continuation of your activities, I invoke the light of the Holy Spirit and impart my Apostolic Blessing upon you all.



TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: bible; catholic; tradition
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That is the BOOK OF THE GOSPELS in his hands.
1 posted on 04/22/2013 8:27:35 PM PDT by Salvation
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To: nickcarraway; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; ArrogantBustard; Catholicguy; RobbyS; marshmallow; ...

Catholic Ping!


2 posted on 04/22/2013 8:41:50 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation; Old Sarge; NorthernCrunchyCon; UMCRevMom@aol.com; Finatic; fellowpatriot; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

3 posted on 04/22/2013 8:44:26 PM PDT by narses
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To: All
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"Little Lost Lambeth," What Christian Tradition, Lambeth Conference & Aldous Huxley have in common

4 posted on 04/22/2013 8:58:56 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

If the Pope believed this He’d be an Eastern Orthodox


5 posted on 04/22/2013 10:58:26 PM PDT by Fai Mao (Genius at Large)
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To: Salvation

bookmark


6 posted on 04/23/2013 4:34:22 AM PDT by rwa265
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To: Salvation
"...there is an unbreakable unity between Scripture and Tradition"

Is the Pope a FReeper?

7 posted on 04/23/2013 4:38:49 AM PDT by mitch5501 ("make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fall")
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To: Salvation
The Word of God, therefore, precedes and exceeds the Bible. It is for this reason that the center of our faith is not only a book, but a history of salvation and especially a Person, Jesus Christ”

[..]

the exegete must be careful to perceive the Word of God present in the biblical texts by placing them within the faith of the Church. The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living tradition of the Church.

God bless the Holy Father.

8 posted on 04/23/2013 5:33:23 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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To: Salvation
The texts inspired by God were entrusted to the Community of believers…to nourish the faith …

Your pope is telling untrue stories again...

Psa 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Psa 12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Your religion neither has nor had anything to do with preserving the words of God...God entrusted nothing to your religion...

And what if your religion decided to corrupt the words of God...Oh, it already did, didn't it...Not to worry since God is in charge, not your religion...

Luk 21:33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

There is NOTHING your religion can do to stop or destroy the words of God...We've got 'em and they didn't come from your religion...

9 posted on 04/23/2013 5:52:44 AM PDT by Iscool
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To: annalex
the exegete must be careful to perceive the Word of God present in the biblical texts by placing them within the faith of the Church. The interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be only an individual scientific effort, but must always confront itself with, be inserted within and authenticated by the living tradition of the Church.

Absolutely ridiculous...

1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men (and women) above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another...

That includes Mary...It includes your pope...It includes your religion...And it certainly includes your unwritten (by God), unholy tradition...

Sorry, you will not put your man-made tradition above the written words of God...There is no tradition that your religion or any religion will or can authenticate the words of God by...God's words will authenticcate, and in the case of your religion, NOT authenticate it...

Your pope will not call God a liar and get away with it while I am able to respond...

10 posted on 04/23/2013 6:02:14 AM PDT by Iscool
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: Salvation

God bless Pope Francis. Scripture and tradition — what it’s all about.


13 posted on 04/23/2013 8:35:08 AM PDT by Bigg Red (Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! -Ps80)
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To: CdMGuy; DBeers

Best to ignore the troll’s words and pray for his soul.


14 posted on 04/23/2013 8:37:08 AM PDT by Bigg Red (Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved! -Ps80)
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To: DBeers; Iscool

Read his page.

http://www.freerepublic.com/~iscool/


15 posted on 04/23/2013 8:47:22 AM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Bigg Red

Yep, best policy for trolls: ignore and pray for.


16 posted on 04/23/2013 9:31:32 AM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: Salvation

Salvation: “his page”

I’ll wait for the CliffsNotes.


17 posted on 04/23/2013 9:54:11 AM PDT by MDLION ("Trust in the Lord with all your heart" -Proverbs 3:5)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: Bigg Red; Iscool

“Best to ignore the troll’s words and pray for his soul.”


As long as He confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, sounds to me like he’ll be a-ok even with the Roman Catholics in a rage about it.


19 posted on 04/23/2013 11:19:29 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans; Iscool; Salvation

Simple fact is, without the Catholic Church, there would be no Bible.


20 posted on 04/23/2013 1:06:16 PM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.)
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