Apostles’ Creed
Traditional Catholic Prayer
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come 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 life everlasting.
Amen.
In Latin
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipoténtem, Creatorem cæli et terræ,
et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui concéptus est de Spíritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Póntio Piláto, crucifixus, mórtuus, et sepúltus, descéndit ad ínferos,
tértia die resurréxit a mórtuis, ascéndit ad cælos, sedet ad déxteram Dei Patris omnipoténtis, inde ventúrus est iudicáre vivos et mórtuos.
Et in Spíritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclésiam cathólicam, sanctórum communiónem, remissiónem peccatórum, carnis resurrectiónem, vitam ætérnam.
Amen.
About this prayer
The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest summaries of Christian belief used by the Catholic Church. Its name reflects the apostolic faith it professes rather than a claim that the Twelve Apostles themselves wrote the final text word for word.
The Creed moves through the heart of the Christian faith: God the Father and Creator, Jesus Christ and the events of His Incarnation, death, Resurrection and Ascension, the Holy Spirit, the Church, forgiveness, the resurrection of the body and eternal life.
To pray the Creed is more than reciting a list of teachings. Each time we say “I believe,” we personally profess the faith handed down by the Church and place ourselves within the story of salvation those words describe.
Scripture to pray with
- Matthew 28:19 – Jesus reveals the Trinitarian faith into which Christians are baptized: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 – St. Paul summarizes the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ as truths at the heart of the Gospel.
- Acts 2:38-42 – The earliest Christians receive baptism, forgiveness and the Holy Spirit and devote themselves to the life of the Church.
When to pray it
The Apostles’ Creed is prayed at the beginning of the Rosary and in other Catholic devotions. It is also closely connected with Baptism because it expresses the faith into which Christians are baptized.
You can also pray it on its own when you want to return to the foundations of what you believe. Read it slowly rather than rushing through familiar words, pausing at the lines that are easiest to overlook.