What is the Creed?

The Creed refers to the statement of the basic truths of our Catholic faith. We recite the Creed every Sunday during Mass, and often at the beginning of prayers like the Rosary. There are two Creeds we use: the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed is the shorter and older of the two Creeds. The Nicene Creed (pronounced “nai-seen”) is named after the Council of Nicaea (in 325 AD), where it was written. It basically takes the words of the Apostle’s Creed and puts it in greater detail, because it was written to counteract false teachings of the day.

The Catechism speaks about the importance of the Creed: “The profession of faith summarizes the gifts that God gives man: as the Author of all that is good; as Redeemer; and as Sanctifier. It develops these in the three chapters on our baptismal faith in the one God: the almighty Father, the Creator; his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; and the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, in the Holy Church” (CCC 14).

When we proclaim the Creed, we are basically reaffirming what happened at our baptism: “Yes, this is the one true God and the Church that I believe in!”