MAY32023

St. Paul was adamant about being an apostle. Even though he hadn’t walked the dusty roads of Galilee with Jesus like the twelve, his encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus conferred on him apostolic authority. Yet even St. Paul acknowledged that his personal encounter with Jesus could only be understood in light of the traditions he had received from the first generation of believers.  I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received. The traditions Paul inherited were of “first importance” and grounded his own experience of faith. That remains the constant tradition of Catholics. While we are confident in the ongoing presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church we can only understand what the Spirit is saying to us in light of the traditions we have received. Any developments in how the Church operates (for example, Pope Francis has asked scholars to research the role of women deacons in the early Church) must flow out of the traditions we have received.