The Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed is a brief profession of Christian faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Catholics commonly pray it on the crucifix at the beginning of the Rosary, after the Sign of the Cross. Its words name the faith within which we contemplate the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus.
On this page
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.
Listen to the prayer
In Latin
Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipoténtem, Creatórem cæli et terræ.
Et in Iesum Christum, Fílium eius únicum, Dóminum nostrum,
qui concéptus est de Spíritu Sancto, natus ex María Vírgine,
passus sub Póntio Piláto, crucifíxus, 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.
Credo in Spíritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclésiam cathólicam,
sanctórum communiónem, remissiónem peccatórum,
carnis resurrectiónem, vitam ætérnam. Amen.
A profession of faith
The Apostles' Creed summarizes the Christian faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Its roots lie in the early Church's baptismal profession, especially the tradition of the Church of Rome. The Catechism describes this relationship in §194. Its name expresses fidelity to the apostles' teaching; it does not mean that the twelve apostles each wrote one sentence of the Creed.
At the beginning of the Rosary, the Creed places the mysteries within the whole faith of the Church. We will contemplate the Son of God becoming man, giving his life, rising from the dead, and bringing us into communion with God. The Creed names these events before we remain with them more slowly in the decades.
What do its words mean?
“He descended into hell” refers here to the abode of the dead, where Christ brought the good news of salvation to the righteous who had gone before him. It does not mean that Jesus suffered the punishment of the damned. The Catechism explains this distinction in §§632–635. His descent belongs to his victory over death.
“The holy catholic Church” names the universal Church. “Catholic” means universal: Christ gathers his people across nations and times. The communion of saints joins believers in Christ, including those on earth, those being purified, and those in heaven. The final articles affirm forgiveness, the resurrection of the body, and everlasting life. The resurrection of the body is also contemplated in the Glorious Mysteries, especially when praying for the departed.
Praying the Creed on the crucifix
After the Sign of the Cross, hold the crucifix and pray the Creed once. Move to the first large bead for the Our Father. The Creed is an introductory prayer; it is not repeated on the ten small beads of a decade.
The Apostles' Creed and the longer Nicene Creed both profess the Church's faith, but they are distinct texts. The Apostles' Creed is commonly used to begin the Rosary. English versions may differ in phrases such as “Creator” and “Maker,” or “he rose again” and “he arose.” A shared text lets everyone profess the same words together.