Creeds

Apostles' Creed

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the Forgivenessof sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

An adaptation of the Roman Creed of the early 5th century, used as a profession of faith by Roman Catholics and some Protestants. The Protestant version usually omits "He descendeth into hell."

A tradition of the Middle Ages said this Creed originated on the Day of Pentecost. Peter shouted, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth." Andrew continued, "And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord." Each Apostle added a sentence. THE CATHOLIC DICTIONARY OF THEOLOGY, Vol II, page 1, states that this was contained, as fact, in the Catechism of the Council of Trent.

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Make of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father. By whom all things were made. Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven. And He became flesh by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. He was also crucified for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried. And on the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And of His kingdom there will be no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. Who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, and who spoke through the prophets. And one holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. And I await the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the world to come. Amen.

Athanasian Creed

We believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at once both God and Man. He is God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds, and He is man, of the substance of his Mother, born in the world; perfect God; perfect man, of reasoning soul and human flesh consisting; equal to the Father as touching His Godhead; less than the Father as touching His manhood. Who, although He be God and man, yet He is not two, but is one Christ; one, however, not by change of Godhead into flesh but by taking of manhood into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

For as reasoning soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; who suffered for our salvation, descended to the world below, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father to come from thence to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own deeds. And they that have done good will go into life eternal; they that have done evil into eternal fire.

CREED OF POPE PIUS IV (1559-1566)

(Drawn up after the Council of Trent)

1. I most firmly admit and embrace Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Traditions, and all other constitutions and observations of the same church.

2. I also admit the Sacred Scriptures according to the sense which the Holy Mother Church has held, and does hold, to whom it belongs to judge the true sense and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, nor will I ever take or interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.

3. I profess, also, that there are truly and properly Seven Sacraments of the New Law, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and for the salvation of mankind, though not all are necessary for every one; namely, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Orders and Matrimony; and that they confer grace; and of these, Baptism, Confirmation and Orders cannot be reiterated without sacrilege.

4. I receive and admit the Ceremonies of the Catholic Church, received and approved by the solemn administration of all the above said Sacraments.

5. I receive and embrace all and every one of the things which have been defined in the Holy Council of Trent, concerning original sin and justification.

6. I profess, likewise, that in the Mass is offered to God a true, proper and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead; and that in the holy sacrament there is truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and there is made a conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood, which conversion the Church calls transubstantiation.

7. I confess, also that under either kind alone, whole and entire, Christ and a true Sacrament are received.

8. I constantly hold that there is a Purgatory, and that souls detained there are helped by the suffrages of the faithful.

9. Likewise, that the saints reigning together with Christ, are to be honored and invoked; that they offer prayers to God for us and that their relics are to be venerated.

10. I most firmly assent, that the images of Christ and the Mother of God ever-Virgin, and also of the other saints, are to be had and retained, and that due honor and veneration are given to them.

11. I also affirm, that the power of Indulgences was left by Christ to the Church, and that the use of them is most wholesome to Christian people.

12. I acknowledge the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church, the Mother and Mistress of all Churches, and I promise and swear true obedience to the Roman Bishop, the successor of St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ.

13. I also profess and undoubtedly receive all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the Sacred Canons and General Councils, and particularly by the Council of Trent; and likewise I also condemn, reject, and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and all heresies whatsoever, condemned, rejected and anathematized by the Church.

14. The true Catholic Faith, out of which no one can be saved, which I now freely profess, and truly hold, I, N______, promise, vow, and swear most constantly to hold and profess the same, whole and entire, with God's assistance, to the end of my life and to procure as far as lies in my power, that the same shall be taught, and preached by all who are under me, or are entrusted to my care by virtue of my office, so help me God and these Holy Gospels of God. (Translated by R.C. Charles Butler in THE BOOK OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, p. 5, which work is listed as ZMX pv 1 in the New York Central Public Library.

(At the opening of Vatican II Pope John XXIII reaffirmed his belief in the doctrines of the Council of Trent (AD LIMINA TALKS, p. 68)

POST VATICAN II

In The "Credo" of the People of God, issued in 1968, the cover says, "the Pope re-states the faith." On page 10, it says, "We believe in one Baptism instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." On page 12, while having nice words to say about Christians not yet in full communion, it states, "We believe that the Church is necessary for salvation." On page 13, it says, "We believe the Mass...is the Sacrifice of Calvary rendered sacramentally present on our altars." Adoration of the Blessed Host is encouraged on page 14, which also defines the word transubstantiation as the mysterious change that takes place during Mass. Purgatory is taught on page 15. All in all, it is the same basic teaching as the Creed of Pius IV, quoted above.