But, this was not your point as much, I believe? But merely that there are practices within certain Churches that are permissible, but are not binding on the whole congregation, community, or Christendom, that may have been handed down by tradition?
HI DNB,
Yes, that was my point. And after 2000 years, there is a plethora of devotions, practices, missions, communities, rules.. yet all in unity of the one Faith that we received from the apostles.
I think its important to recognize the distinction. In fact one of the responsibilities of our bishops is to investigate and test these things to ensure they contain nothing contrary to the deposit of Faith that was everywhere received wherever the Apostles planted the Church.
what do I mean by apostle? The generic meaning of the term is 'one who is sent' if I recall correctly.. so in that sense all Christians are apostles to the world. Indeed the word 'Mass', that we use for our celebration of the Eucharist comes from the dismissal, wherein we are 'sent' to bring the Love of Christ that we have just shared in, to all those whom we meet..
But when I speak of the Apostolic tradition or the Apostles of the Church, I am referring to those through whom Jesus established His Church. The original 12 and Matthias and finally Paul (the last of the Apostles).
I believe you asked earlier about Apostles today, and no.. there are none, neither will there be another before Christ returns in glory.
The original 12 were all chosen personally by Christ, trained and ordained by Him to build govern and tend His Church.
It is these to whom He was referring when he told the priests and levites that authority over the vineyard would be taken from them and given to others..
It is these to whom Jesus gave His authority to 'bind and loose', to whom He said ' who's sins you forgive they are forgiven, whos you retain they are retained, and specifically to Peter, gave they keys to the Kingdom...
These passages (and others along these lines) make it clear that the Apostles had executive, legislative and judicial authority over the Church. This authority is clearly shown in the Council of Jerusalem and its decision which was binding on the whole Church everywhere.
The choice and ordination of Matthias, demonstrates that the Apostles had the authority to ordain others (through the laying on of hands) with the same authority that they had received from Jesus. Matthias is the first such to receive an office (Bishopric!) through ordination by those with the authority to give it. He is counted an Apostle because He takes Judas' share in the ministry and because He had been there as a witness from the very beginning...
Paul, like the 12, is also personally chosen and ordained by Jesus. This was so extraordinary that He had some difficulty being accepted as an Apostle until Peter and John confirm that He is indeed one of them....
The example of Titus and Crete clearly shows how the apostles ordained bishops over a particular Church with a certain territory and that the bishops also have the authority to ordain others..
In every apostolic Church established by the Apostles, you find the Tradition, that each particular territory is governed by its duly ordained Bishop, and that these in communion with the bishops in other territories, govern the One Church spread throughout the world.
Further we find that if a Bishopric is empty, a replacement must be ordained by other legitimately ordained Bishops (just as Matthias is ordained by the Apostles!)
Nowhere, do we find a community established by an Apostle that has any other means of either receiving or giving authority to govern within the Church.
That this Sacrament is practiced everywhere by the whole Church, is evidence that it is indeed the Tradition of the Apostles, as are all the 7 Sacraments of the Church.
Peace!