The Creed

The Creed is the summary of the Christian faith — from the Latin credo, "I believe" — the profession of faith held by the whole Church. The two principal creeds of the Catholic Church are the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed (CCC 187).

The Apostles' Creed

The Apostles' Creed is considered a faithful summary of the faith of the Apostles, developed from the baptismal creed of the ancient Church of Rome. Structured around the three Persons of the Trinity, it is used at Baptism, in the Rosary, and as a daily prayer by many Catholics (CCC 194).

The Nicene Creed

The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD) to address the Arian heresy — which denied the full divinity of the Son — and the Macedonian heresy, which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. It is professed by the faithful at Sunday Mass worldwide.

The Structure of the Creed

Both creeds are organized Trinitarially: belief in God the Father (Creator), the Son (Redeemer), and the Holy Spirit (Sanctifier), followed by belief in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life (CCC 190).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Filioque controversy? The Latin Church added the word Filioque ("and from the Son") to the Nicene Creed to affirm that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Eastern Orthodox Churches object to this addition, which remains one of the theological issues in Catholic-Orthodox dialogue (CCC 246–248).