depositum fidei
Deposit of Faith
The whole body of Revelation, contained in Scripture and Tradition, that Christ entrusted to the apostles and the Church guards, hands on and explains — but cannot add to.
that which has been entrusted
“Guard the deposit,” St Paul tells Timothy. The deposit of faith is everything God has revealed for our salvation, handed on by the apostles in writing and in living tradition, and entrusted to the whole Church. Public revelation closed with the death of the last apostle; nothing new can be added to the deposit. What the Church does across the centuries is understand it more deeply and state it more precisely, under the guidance of the Spirit. The Magisterium serves the deposit; it does not own it.
Councils
Where the Church settled or debated this. Follow a council to read our article on it, or the decrees themselves.
- 1545–1563Council of Trentthe decrees
- 1869–1870First Vatican Councilthe decrees
- 1962–1965Second Vatican Councilthe decrees
Sources checked 29 September 2026