Why Do We Have a Creed?

By John Graveline, Director of Parish Life

December 7, 2025

“I handed on to you first of all what I myself received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried and, in accordance with the Scriptures, rose on the third day . . . this is what we preach and this is what you believed.”
–1 Corinthians 15:3-4,11

Last week, Pope Leo made the first Apostolic Journey of his pontificate when he visited Türkiye to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which is now called İznik. From that Council came the beginnings of the Nicene Creed which we profess at Mass every weekend. He used this opportunity to plea for peace and to emphasize unity, both between Christians and between Christians and believers of non-Christian religions, calling all people “to walk together by appreciating what unites us, breaking down the walls of prejudice and mistrust, promoting mutual knowledge and esteem in order to give to all a strong message of hope.”

As we commemorate this anniversary, it may be a good opportunity to ask, “why do we have a creed?”

Creeds began as statements of faith that were made in the midst of the liturgical assembly immediately before baptism. As time went on, some people were teaching things about God and Jesus that could not be supported by the entirety of Scripture. Therefore, these professions of faith over time became more theologically sophisticated to counteract these heresies, eventually becoming outgrowths of Ecumenical Councils. In the case of the Nicene Creed, many of its statements directly address the popular-at-the-time and false teachings of Arius, a priest in Alexandria.

Usually, when we recite the Nicene Creed at Mass (although sometimes we use the Apostles’ Creed or the question and response format), we do so after hearing the Word of God proclaimed in the context of the Liturgy of the Word. We call this the Profession of Faith. Faith is always our response to hearing God’s revelation. We listen to the Word, we ponder it, and we profess it in our words and deeds. This is why our Profession of Faith at Mass should be thoughtful and robust. In Pope Leo’s recent Apostolic Letter on this anniversary, he invites us to let the Creed question us, “What does God mean to me and how do I bear witness to my faith in him? Is the one and only God truly the Lord of my life, or do I have idols that I place before God and his commandments? Is God for me the living God, close to me in every situation, the Father to whom I turn with filial trust? Is he the Creator to whom I owe everything I am and have, whose mark I can find in every creature? Am I willing to share the goods of the earth, which belong to everyone, in a just and equitable manner? How do I treat creation, the work of his hands? Do I exploit and destroy it, or do I use it with reverence and gratitude, caring for and cultivating it as the common home of humanity?”

What is it that we profess belief in when we recite the Creed?

The “outline” of the Creed highlights the most central beliefs of Christians: the Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, the redeeming power of his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, the necessity of the Church, and our expectant hope of eternal life. “The Church never ceases to proclaim her faith in one only God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 152) The core of the Creed is our faith in Jesus Christ. This is symbolized in the manner in which we bow during the lines, “by the Holy Spirit [Jesus Christ] was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man.” In their recent commentary on the Nicene Creed, Drs. Jared Ortiz and Daniel A. Keating explain it thus, “we can also—in our own way—seek to imitate the great humility of the Word.” The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. (John 1:14) Just as the Son of God descended to become human and descended to wash the feet of his disciples, Jesus descended to become the victim of human sin and violence through his Cross. If we unite ourselves with the humble “attitude of Christ,” then we will share in his being raised to glory. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Finally, our profession of the Creed is symbolic of our unity.

“Faith is a personal act—the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in a great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 166) Faith is at once intimately personal and expansively communal. The Nicene Creed in Greek begins, “We believe,” and the Nicene Creed in Latin begins, “I believe.” Both are true at the same time.

May this commemoration be for us an opportunity to reflect on what we believe and why we believe it.

May our Profession of Faith each week at Mass give evidence to our deepest convictions. May we heed Pope Leo’s call to live in greater unity with our fellow Christians (most Christian denominations also recognize and profess the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds) and peace with all people, whatever their beliefs. As he says in his Apostolic Letter, “Wars have been fought, and people have been killed, persecuted and discriminated against in the name of God.” Let our faith and our Creed proclaim a God who is love and mercy, who heals and saves, and who invites all people into an intimate, eternal communion of love, compassion, and peace.