What exactly does a Roman Catholic believe?
Our faith is stated in the Apostles' Creed...
"I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all that
is seen and unseen.
I believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God
from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten not made, One in being with the Father. Through Him all
things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down from Heaven:
By the power of the Holy Spirit He was born
of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.
On the Third day He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures; He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of
the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father
and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken throught the prophets.
I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen."
In addition, to the Apostles' Creed is the Nicene Creed.
The Nicene Creed was a response to the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. It takes its name from Nicaea,
city of an ecumenical council in A.D. 325. Subsequent to the meeting in Nicaea, the original
creed underwent some changes--at meetings in Constantinople in 381 and Chalcedon in 450. The Nicene Creed is the only
Christine creed accepted in common as authoritative by the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant Churches.
"We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen."
