To All Clergy, Religious, and Faithful in Christ,
Beloved Brethren,
Grace and peace be with you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, “the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).
The world in which we currently live is marked by confusion, doubt, and competing voices; thus it is necessary for the Church once more to affirm with solemn conviction the divine authority of Holy Tradition and Holy Scripture. These two are inseparable witnesses to the one revelation of God in Christ. Together they preserve the faith once delivered unto the saints, guide the conscience of the faithful, and safeguard the Church from error and novelty.
The Apostle Paul exhorts the faithful, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). In these words, the early Church discerned that divine truth was transmitted not only through written text but also through the living witness of Apostolic teaching. The Holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, breathed by the Spirit; Holy Tradition is the faithful transmission of that Word through worship, doctrine, and life. To sever one from the other is to diminish both.
Throughout the centuries, the Holy Spirit has preserved the Church from destruction not through innovation but through fidelity. Tradition is not the mere repetition of the past, nor is the Bible a relic to be interpreted at whim. Both are living realities, active in the Church through the same Holy Spirit who first inspired the prophets and apostles. When rightly understood, Tradition is the life of the Holy Spirit within the Body of Christ, ensuring that the Scriptures are read, taught, and lived according to the mind of the Church rather than the preferences of men.
We lament that in the modern world, many have come to see divine revelation as a matter of private interpretation or cultural adaptation. The result has been fragmentation, confusion, and the loss of reverence for holy things. Yet the truth of God is not subject to the fashions of an era. The Gospel is not altered by opinion or progress, for as it is written, “The word of the Lord endureth for ever” (1 Peter 1:25). To submit to this truth is not bondage but freedom—the freedom of living in harmony with the eternal will of God.
The faithful must therefore approach both Scripture and Tradition with humility and obedience. The Bible is not a book of personal convenience, but the voice of God calling the soul to repentance and holiness. Likewise, the Sacred Tradition of the Church—expressed in her liturgy, her creeds, her councils, and the witness of the saints—is not a collection of human customs but the unfolding of divine wisdom in time. Together, they form the sure foundation upon which faith is built and by which error is measured.
Let the clergy be diligent in teaching from both Scripture and the living heritage of the Church, for neglect of either leads to spiritual impoverishment. Let the laity study the Holy Scriptures daily, reading not as critics but as disciples. Let families instruct their children in the faith handed down through generations, that the truth may not perish from the land. And let every believer remember that fidelity to the Word of God requires fidelity to the Spirit-filled life of the Church that received it.
We admonish all who claim to speak in the name of Jesus Christ to test their words against the measure of the Holy Scriptures and the witness of the saints. Novelty in doctrine, born of pride or the desire for popularity, has ever been the seed of heresy. The Church must speak with the voice of continuity, not of contradiction, for the Spirit of Truth cannot deny itself.
May the Lord, Who revealed Himself through the prophets and fulfilled His promise in the Word made flesh, grant us steadfast hearts to guard the truth entrusted to us. May the Holy Spirit illumine our minds, that we may discern rightly, live faithfully, and proclaim boldly that which has been given once for all.
Given this day under my hand and seal, at Nashville, Tennessee, this 16th day of October, in the Year of Our Lord 2025.
+ Mar Mattai