The Mass: "I believe in one God."
On every Sunday and on special days of importance throughout the year called solemnities, we recite the creed after the homily. There are two versions of the creed currently found in the Roman Missal. The Nicene Creed has the longest continuous history of use during Mass. The Apostles’ Creed also has a long history, but its use, particularly at Mass, is more recent.
The Nicene Creed originated in the eastern Mediterranean region as the summary of the Church’s beliefs about Jesus Christ established at the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) and about the person of the Holy Spirit codified at the Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.). That creed was given further importance at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. The bishops meeting at those councils wanted to make clear what the Church believed to be true about Jesus Christ in the face of numerous heresies rampant at the time. Only a few decades later, the bishops similarly wanted a clear expression of the divinity of the person of the Holy Spirit and of the Holy Spirit’s ongoing presence and work in the life of believers.
In order to correct some of the heresies about the person of Jesus, which proved to be persistent among newly converted tribes in Europe, the Emperor Charlemagne ordered the introduction of the Nicene Creed at Mass around the year 800 throughout the kingdom of the Franks. By the year 1000, the Nicene Creed was a common element of Mass in most of the churches of Western Europe, although its place during Mass varied. At times, it preceded Communion. At other times, it directly preceded the offertory or the eucharistic prayer. Eventually, the placement of the creed settled in its current position after the Gospel and homily. Since faith comes from hearing, and the creed is the public profession of the faith we hold, it was natural to place the creed after the proclamation of the word of God in the readings and the explanation of the Scriptures in the homily.
Originally, the Nicene Creed was sung or recited by everyone in Latin. In time, the creed was sung only by the choir or recited only by the priest and the servers. Now, it is meant to be sung or recited by everyone once again. The creed begins “I believe” because it is intended as a personal profession of faith. In that way, it is similar to the penitential act at the beginning of Mass where we say together “I confess” in order to acknowledge our personal sinfulness. When we get to the part of the creed that recalls the birth of Jesus, we say, “... and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man,” and we make a profound bow to honor the mystery we are naming. Historically, everyone used to genuflect at those words, so great is the importance of the coming in the flesh of Jesus our Savior.
Instead of the Nicene Creed, it is always possible to recite the Apostles’ Creed at Mass. The Apostles’ Creed is believed to be even more ancient than the Nicene Creed. In fact, oral tradition maintains that each of the Twelve Apostles wrote one of the twelve articles of the creed. While the precise origin of the wording of the Apostles’ Creed is not known for certain, we do know that the Apostles’ Creed in question form was used during baptism ceremonies perhaps as early as the second or third century. Today, apart from devotional use at the beginning of the Rosary for example, the Apostles’ Creed is still used in question form at the celebrations of baptism and confirmation and at the remembrance of baptism at the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday.
The various editions of the Roman Missal through the centuries only ever included the Nicene Creed. The Apostles’ Creed was first allowed as a substitute for the Nicene Creed in 1973 at special Masses largely for children. It was thought that it was easier for young children to learn and recite the Apostles’ Creed since it is shorter than the Nicene Creed. Beginning in 1973, the bishops’ conferences of many countries around the world began requesting permission from the Holy See to use the Apostles’ Creed at any Sunday Mass, not just those taking place primarily with children. Canada, for example, was one of the countries that requested and received that special permission. The bishops of the United States did not make such a request. However, when the third edition of the Roman Missal was published in 2002 and made available to the entire Catholic Church, it included both the Nicene and Apostles’ creeds. Priest celebrants anywhere in the world were now free to choose one or the other creed without any kind of special permission. Whichever form is chosen, we profess our faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit using words that have come down to us from the earliest centuries of the Church.
Msgr. Marc B. Caron
Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Portland
