What is Tradition (capital T)?

• A. A personal opinion on faith
• B. A formal decree
• C. The living transmission of the Gospel message through the Church, including creeds, sacraments, and teachings
• D. A single written document

Answer: (C)

Tradition with a capital T is the living handover of the Gospel that the Church preserves and passes on through time. It includes what the Church professes in creeds, the sacramental life and liturgy, and the authoritative teachings handed down by the apostles through their successors, all guided by the Holy Spirit. This isn’t just a personal opinion about faith, nor is it a single written document or a formal decree issued once in history. It is the ongoing, communal transmission of the faith that complements Sacred Scripture, together forming the deposit of faith safeguarded by the Church’s teaching authority. Examples include the creeds, the practice of the sacraments, and the teachings and traditions handed down through ecumenical councils and the apostolic succession.