By the example of three rods plaited together, which cannot be broken comparing to only one rod which breaks easily, was Svatopluk (1) pleading his three sons to stay in accord.
Second Vatican council in the constitution Dei verbum (Word of God, DV) in the end of DV 10 reminds us the trio, which should stay together as follows: „the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the Word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed. It is clear, therefore, that sacred tradition, Sacred Scripture and the teaching authority of the Church, in accord with God’s most wise design, are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others, and that all together and each in its own way under the action of the one Holy Spirit contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.“ (2)
The protestant principle „sola scripture“ – „only the Sacred Sricputures“ holds only one part of the required trio according Dei verbum 10. Protestantismus deforms and not reforms almost for 500 years the the christian life. Our Lord Jesus in the Gospel actually said, that he would establish His (not Peter´s) Church, which is only one and for this intention He administered Peter and proclaimed this teaching in Mt 16, 18-19: „And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on eart shall be loosed in heaven.“ The sacred Tradition is required by Sacred Sriptures in II. Thess 2,15: „So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.“ The fruit of the protestants´ protesting, which we can recognise (Mt 7,16), brought into life already hundreds of societies which each understands the one Sacred Scripture in a heretical way. Tertullian, + 220 in Prescription against Heretics (chapter 37) (3) condemns the princip of sola scripture in this way: „If this is the case, that the truth stands on our side, and we follow what Church recieved from the apostles, the apostles from Christ and Christ from God, we conclude from this, that it is not acceptable for heretics to appeal to Sacred Scriptures. We can prove to them also without the Sacred Scriptures, that they do not act according the Sacred Scriptures. If they are heretics, they cannot be christians at the same time, because – as their name already bears – they do not recieve from Christ, what they choose according their will (heresy).
St. Basil the Great, + 379 in his book On Holy Spirit, 27 also refuses the princip sola scriptura and writes about the sacred tradition concerning the sacraments and the liturgy: „Of the beliefs and practices whether generally accepted or publicly enjoined which are preserved in the Church some we possess derived from written teaching; others we have received delivered to us in a mystery by the tradition of the apostles; and both of these in relation to true religion have the same force. And these no one will gainsay — no one, at all events, who is even moderately versed in the institutions of the Church. For were we to attempt to reject such customs as have no written authority, on the ground that the importance they possess is small, we should unintentionally injure the Gospel in its very vitals; or, rather, should make our public definition a mere phrase and nothing more. For instance, to take the first and most general example, who is thence who has taught us in writing to sign with the sign of the cross those who have trusted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? What writing has taught us to turn to the East at the prayer? Which of the saints has left us in writing the words of the invocation at the displaying of the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of blessing? For we are not, as is well known, content with what the apostle or the Gospel has recorded, but both in preface and conclusion we add other words as being of great importance to the validity of the ministry, and these we derive from unwritten teaching. Moreover we bless the water of baptism and the oil of the chrism, and besides this the catechumen who is being baptized. On what written authority do we do this? Is not our authority silent and mystical tradition? Nay, by what written word is the anointing of oil itself taught? And whence comes the custom of baptizing thrice? And as to the other customs of baptism from what Scripture do we derive the renunciation of Satan and his angels? Does not this come from that unpublished and secret teaching which our fathers guarded in a silence out of the reach of curious meddling and inquisitive investigation? (4) By this way the apostles and Church fathers, who at the beginning instituted the rules for celebrating the sacraments, were protecting the sacred mystery in secret and silence. Finally, the mystery is what is not freely carried out to the public.
There exists the conflict about the understanding the Sacred Scripture and also the sacred Tradition. Pavel K. Mráček in his book „Příručka církevních dějin“ (5) writes: „Old catholics (6) were originally only against the papal infallibility. Later on they changed some points of the church teachings and also introduced the changes into the liturgy.“ The priesthood of women in the oldcatholics circles is not either traditional or catholic, it is protestant and unbiblical. The tradition of the menpriesthood (according the Sacred Sripture) is held also by Eastern Orthodox Church. However, in the name of incorrect tradition they refuse the office of the Pope and for this reason they do not cite the Pope in their liturgy. The tradition of naming the Pope´s name during the liturgy untill the schism of Fotius in 9.th century is the evidence, that omitting the Pope´s name during the Holy mass is the violation of the apostolic tradition. The promulgation of the papal infallibility in 1871 very narrowly restricted and specified the absolute cogency of the papal announcements. What is given in the Word of God (Mt 16, 18-19) and the sacred tradition, it is expressed also by the words: „Roma locuta, causa finita – Rome has spoken, the dispute is over.“ St. Augustin, one of the most prominent bishops, wrote many writings. In his work „Of True Religion“ we read: „What you accept as right, adopt it and give the merits to the catholic Church. What is not right, condemn it and forgive me, as I am also only a men“.(7) He also writes elsewhere: „My readers should not like me more that the catholic truth.“ St. Augustin requires, that the catholic truth is more important than its preacher. These his words have this modification into the general meaning: „We do not like any bishop or Pope more than the catholic truth. Let´s give the merit to the Catholic Church for the sound preaching and if someone is open to accept his fault, then let´s be ready to forgive.“ The teaching office has become but did not finish with Peter. If chaos is not to happen, there must be the harmony between the witness of the present pope and the preceding popes both in faith and the moral teaching.
This is the teaching of the Trident council in the preface about the original sin: „ecumenical and general Synod of Trent, lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost, the three same legates of the Apostolic See presiding therein, wishing now to come to the reclaiming of the erring, and the confirming of the wavering, following the testimonies of the sacred Scriptures, of the holy Fathers, of the most approved councils, and the judgment and consent of the Church itself, ordains, confesses, and declares these things touching the said original sin…“ (8)
For example, if any pope in the future teaches, that there is no need to keep Sunday holy, than it must be denied in the name of the clear teaching of the preceding popes about keeping Sunday holy. If some pope allows not to keep Sunday holy once, than the next pope might add one more etc. This might happen also with other matters. By this in the wake of time the faith and moral teaching would be not identical, but actually different.
The term „older brothers in faith“ and praying in a mosque requires the understanding according to the words of the first pope Peter to the highest officials of the jewish religion in Acts 4,10-12: „Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Also, the apostle Paul says the same: (I was) „testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ“ (Acts 20,21).
St. Ignatius of Antiochia, + 107, in his letter to Magnesians writes: “For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity, that so very tongue which believes might be gathered to God.” (9)
The interreligious meetings of the pope John Paul II. and Benedict XVI. in Assisi are not supported by the similar practice of the preceding popes. Although the action of preceding popes was not there explicitly impeached, it is also true, that after the Assisi meetings there occured many ambiguious pronouncements which leads to uncertainity about the absolute value of faith of the Catholic Church. There is the difference between the trio being plaited properly together like the Svatopluk´s rods – Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and binding teaching of the popes and bishops in unity with him (Magisterium, teaching office of the Church) – and the trio being muddled. If one element is refused or deformed and in its name (for example Sacred Scripture) it is fighting against the rest two (against the Tradition and Church teaching given by the pope) or against one of them (against the papacy in the name of Word of God) or one of them is misunderstood (the office of the pope) or incorrectly joined to the other two, it brings bad results. It is without doubt, that Our Lady obeyed and humbly lived the authority of the Sacred Scripture, the sacred Tradition and the teaching office, and also absolutely resisted all heresies leading astray. May this be the desire of each faithful and devout christian.
1 a ruler of Great Moravia, 870 - 894
3 compare at http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0311.htm
4 http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3203.htm
5 The title in English: Reference book to the church history
6 more information on Old Catholic Church: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Catholic_Church
7 compare in https://archive.org/details/st.augustineoftruerelilgion/page/n7
8 http://www.thecounciloftrent.com/ch5.htm
9 www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm