The Creed is a short summary of what Catholics believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and eternal life .
Catholics use two main forms: the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.
Saying the Creed unites us with the faith of the Church and Christians everywhere .
Think: it’s like a map showing the central truths of our faith.
“Creed” comes from the Latin word “Credo,” which means “I believe.”
When we pray the Creed, we are saying out loud what we believe as Christians.
Saying it with faith connects us to God and to the whole Church .
It’s not just memorizing facts—it’s trusting in God and his promises.
Both Creeds are divided into three parts:
Belief in God the Father, Creator of all .
Belief in Jesus Christ, his Son—born, died, rose, and will come again .
Belief in the Holy Spirit—the Church, forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life .
The most important thing: The Creed starts with God because everything else is connected to Him .
Both teach faith in one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit .
Both mention Jesus’ birth from Mary, his suffering, death, resurrection, and second coming .
Both profess belief in the Church, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the dead, and everlasting life .
These are not two “different” religions—they express the same central Catholic faith .
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen .
The Nicene Creed uses “We believe,” showing it’s used when we pray together; the Apostles’ Creed starts “I believe,” for personal profession .
The Nicene Creed explains more: Jesus is “true God from true God,” “begotten, not made,” and describes the Holy Spirit as “the Lord, the giver of life” .
The Nicene Creed adds: “all things visible and invisible,” “his kingdom will have no end,” “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” and “one baptism” .
The Apostles’ Creed is shorter; the Nicene Creed is longer and more detailed, but both teach the same faith .
The Apostles’ Creed is often prayed during Baptism and the Rosary; it’s the old Roman baptismal Creed .
The Nicene Creed is usually prayed at Sunday Mass and on solemnities .
“I believe” = personal faith; “We believe” = Church united in faith .
Both Creeds gather what the Bible teaches: one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29), Jesus is Lord (John 14:1, John 1:18) .
The Creed reminds us we belong to God’s family, the Church, around the world and throughout history .
We can pray the Creed to remember God's promises and renew our faith every day .
Key idea: The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed both express the heart of the Christian faith—who God is, what He has done, and what we hope for .