In the previous column, I reflected on the Nicene Creed, as we celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of its formulation this year.
Two of the principal doctrines professed in the Creed are the Most Blessed Trinity and the identity/nature of Jesus Christ, two beliefs which are absolutely unique to Christianity.
As we observe this Jubilee Year and celebrate the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, the Church also marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, from which came the Nicene Creed, the profession of faith we proclaim every Sunday at Mass.
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Dr. John P. Joy |
Picking up where we left off last time, the next lines of Pope Paul VI’s Creed of the People of God profess our faith in the necessity of the Church:
“We believe that the Church is necessary for salvation, because Christ, who is the sole mediator and way of salvation, renders Himself present for us in His body which is the Church. But the divine design of salvation embraces all men; and those who without fault on their part do not know the Gospel of Christ and His Church, but seek God sincerely, and under the influence of grace endeavor to do His will as recognized through the promptings of their conscience, they, in a number known only to God, can obtain salvation.”
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Dr. John P. Joy |
Continuing our series on St. Pope Paul VI’s Creed of the People of God, we come next to the profession of faith concerning the Church.
This Creed is based on the Nicene Creed we say at Mass, but it goes into greater detail about what Catholics are required to believe in order to be “practicing Catholics” and (more importantly) in order to have that faith without which we cannot be saved.
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John Joy |
After speaking of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Creed of the People of God next professes our faith in the reality of original sin and the mystery of our redemption in Christ through Baptism.
This creed of Pope Paul VI is based on the Nicene Creed we say at Mass, but it goes into greater detail about what Catholics are required to believe in order to be “practicing Catholics” and (more importantly) in order have that faith without which we cannot be saved.
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John Joy |
We’ve been reflecting in this column on the Creed of the People of God, 50 years after its first being proclaimed by Pope Paul VI in 1968.
This modern Creed is based on the Nicene Creed we say at Mass, but it goes into greater detail about what Catholics are required to believe in order to be “practicing Catholics” and (more importantly) in order to have that faith without which we cannot be saved.
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John Joy |
We’ve been reflecting in this column on the Creed of the People of God, 50 years after its first being proclaimed by Pope Paul VI in 1968.
This modern Creed is based on the Nicene Creed we say at Mass, but it goes into greater detail about what Catholics are required to believe in order to be “practicing Catholics” and (more importantly) in order to have that faith without which we cannot be saved.
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John Joy |
Last month we began looking at the Creed of the People of God, in honor of its 50th anniversary. This Creed is based on the Nicene Creed we say at Mass, but it goes into greater detail about what Catholics are required to believe in order to be ‘practicing Catholics’ and (more importantly) in order have that faith without which we cannot be saved. The opening lines of the Creed expressed our faith in God as the creator of all things, visible and invisible.
This month, we’ll continue with the Unity and Trinity of God. In the Nicene Creed, we say, “I believe in one God . . .” and then we go on to mention each of the divine Persons, “the Father almighty . . . one Lord Jesus Christ . . . the Holy Spirit . . .” All this is very compact. The Creed of the People of God expresses the same faith more completely and explicitly.
When we used to say the Apostles Creed at Mass (the Nicene Creed is now the norm), we said we believed in the “communion of saints.” For many of us, this was a phrase we recited so often that we didn’t really think about what it means.
As we prepare to celebrate All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2, it is an opportunity to consider how we are united with the living and the dead.
Dear Friends,
This past Sunday, on the Solemn Feast of Christ the King, we concluded our Year of Faith celebrations.
The occasion was marked by Pope Francis in Rome — as he completed what Pope Benedict had begun, with the inspiration of the Lord.
I marked the occasion at the celebration of my Stational Mass at St. Patrick Church in Madison, and hopefully you all marked the occasion with some particular focus upon the Creed in your own parishes and in your own families.
