Traditions Rock!

Just before Christ ascended to heaven, he left the Apostles in charge, telling them to go out to all the nations and spread the Good News (Mt 28:16-20). Of course, we find at the end of John’s Gospel that he told Peter (specifically), “Feed my sheep” (21:15-17). This is to mean that Peter was in charge, as he is the rock on which Christ built his Church. Today, we have the Pope as Peter’s successor. And just as Peter was told “Feed my sheep”, so too is each Pope told (CCC 937).

But the Pope is not the only one. We also have all of the Bishops and Priests. We have Bishops of the world as the successors of the Apostles, leading our Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And in the individual parishes, we have Priests representing and acting in the name of their respective Bishop. We are rich in traditions ordained by Christ himself. And this is only one of the most apparent ones.

For example, after Pentecost, the Apostles went out and spread the Word of God. And they laid hands upon others (Acts 13:3), leaving them in charge of local parishes. Today, this practice is continued in Priestly ordinations!

CCC 1369, 882, 893