15 Catholic Symbols of Faith

For College Catholics

In this episode I will begin the presentation of the Catholic Creed, that is, a summary of the Truths of Faith that we profess as Catholics. This particular episode was recorded away from home, in Chicago, IL…! I am joined by Fr. Matthew Maxwell, to discuss some of the main “professions of faith” that were put forth through the centuries. We will look at the purpose of these written professions or summaries of our Faith, and then we will look at some of the most important ones that have been handed down to us from the very beginnings. We will mention some of the “professions” that appear in the Old and New Testament (Deut 26:5-9; Mt 28:19; 1 Co 15:3-5; 1 Tim 3:15-16; Philippians 2:6-11). After that, we will mention the “Regula Fidei” and the “Old Roman Creed”, the structure of which could be traced to the times of the Apostles themselves. Then we will look at the forms of the Creed that have been kept and used by the Catholic Church from very early centuries until today, particularly, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Nicene Creed (also called Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed).

Here is the approximate text of the “Old Roman Creed”. This text is taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia. There are other ‘forms’ of the text, that include some additions, and that were found in different parts of the Church in later years. You can read the whole article about the Old Roman Creed here: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01629a.htm

Old Roman Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; Who was born of (Latin: “de”) the Holy Spirit, and of (Latin: “ex”) the Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate and buried; The third day he rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, sits on the right hand of the Father, From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit, The holy Church, the Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body.

This Old Roman Creed is one of the earliest written versions that are extant, and, because in the first centuries of Christianity this Creed was not meant to be put into writing but only recited, it is very reasonable to think that its origin—at least in the main points and ideas—can be traced back to the Apostles Peter and Paul, who lived and died in Rome.

From this Old Roman Creed later came the “Apostles’ Creed”. And eventually, this one was used as a basis for the Nicene Creed.

The Apostles’ Creed can be found here: https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/prayers-of-the-rosary

The Nicene Creed can be found here: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe

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- Miles Christi Religious Order website: https://www.mileschristi.org

- This Podcast’s Website: https://www.forcollegecatholics.org

- To learn about the Spiritual Exercises and find the upcoming dates and locations, visit: https://www.mileschristi.org/spiritual-exercises/

This episode was recorded on the road, in Chicago, Illinois—after having a deep dish pizza! 😊