The Nicene Creed is the profession of faith Catholics say together at Mass on Sundays and solemnities. Its full name is the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, because it comes from the first two ecumenical councils, Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. The Catechism notes that “it remains common to all the great Churches of both East and West to this day” (CCC 195). In 2025 the Church marked the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Below you will find a traditional English text and the Latin, a line-by-line explanation, the creed’s history, and how it is prayed at Mass.
The Nicene Creed in English (traditional text)
This is the English printed in Catholic prayer books before the liturgical reform. It follows the Latin closely, as does the current Mass translation.
I believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God;
and born of the Father before all ages;
God of God;
Light of Light;
true God of true God;
begotten, not made;
consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost, of the Virgin Mary;
and was made man.
Was crucified also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried;
and the third day he rose again, according to the scriptures;
and ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead;
of whose kingdom there shall be no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son;
who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified;
who spake by the prophets.
And one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
And I expect the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
At Mass today, English-speaking Catholics use the wording of the current English translation of the Roman Missal (2011). It is printed in every missal and missalette, and you can read it on the U.S. bishops’ website. It differs from the older text above only in a few words. For example, it says “Holy Spirit” for “Holy Ghost,” “born of the Father before all ages,” and “consubstantial with the Father.”
The Nicene Creed in Latin (Credo)
The Latin Credo is the text sung at Latin Masses and in the great musical settings of the Mass.
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem cœli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum;
et ex Patre natum ante omnia sæcula;
Deum de Deo;
Lumen de Lumine;
Deum verum de Deo vero;
Genitum non factum;
consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt.
Qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem, descendit de cœlis, et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto, ex Maria Virgine;
et homo factus est.
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis, sub Pontio Pilato passus, et sepultus est;
et resurrexit tertia die, secundum scripturas;
et ascendit in cœlum, sedet ad dexteram Patris et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos;
cujus regni non erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit;
qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur;
qui locutus est per prophetas.
Et unam sanctam Catholicam et Apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.
Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi sæculi.
Amen.
What the Nicene Creed means, part by part
The creed has three main parts, one for each Person of the Trinity, followed by the Church and the life to come (CCC 190).
- God the Father. “One God,” the Creator of everything, “visible and invisible,” which means the material world and the spiritual world of the angels.
- God the Son. This is the heart of the Council of Nicaea. Jesus is “God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God.” He was “begotten, not made,” which means he is not a creature. He is “consubstantial” with the Father, that is, of the same divine substance (Greek homoousios). The Catechism explains that the council confessed that the Son is “one only God” with the Father (CCC 242).
- The Incarnation and the Paschal mystery. “For us men and for our salvation” the Son became man by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, rose on the third day, ascended and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
- God the Holy Spirit. “The Lord and Giver of Life,” worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Son, who “spoke through the prophets.” The Council of Constantinople added most of this section in 381.
- The Church. One, holy, catholic and apostolic: the four marks of the Church (CCC 811).
- Baptism, resurrection and eternal life. One baptism for the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead and “the life of the world to come.”
A short history
Early in the fourth century, Arius, a priest of Alexandria, taught that the Son of God was the first and greatest creature, so that “there was a time when he was not.” In 325 the Emperor Constantine called the bishops to Nicaea, now İznik in Türkiye. Tradition counts 318 of them. The council professed that the Son is “consubstantial” with the Father and condemned Arius’s teaching (CCC 242, 465).
In 381 the First Council of Constantinople confirmed the faith of Nicaea. It professed the divinity of the Holy Spirit and gave the creed the form we know. The Council of Chalcedon (451) received it as the faith of the whole Church.
In the West the words “and the Son” (Filioque) were added to the line on the Holy Spirit. The Catechism explains that the Latin liturgy admitted them gradually “between the eighth and eleventh centuries” and that they remain “a point of disagreement with the Orthodox Churches” (CCC 247). The Orthodox recite the creed without them; see the Orthodox Nicene Creed.
For the 1700th anniversary, Pope Leo XIV published the apostolic letter In unitate fidei on November 23, 2025. Days later he made an apostolic journey to Türkiye, which included İznik, the ancient Nicaea.
How Catholics pray the creed at Mass
- When: after the homily on Sundays and solemnities, and at other solemn celebrations (GIRM 68). See the order of the Mass.
- Posture: everyone stands. At the words about the Incarnation, from “by the Holy Spirit” to “became man,” everyone makes a profound bow. On Christmas and on the Annunciation (March 25) everyone genuflects instead (GIRM 137).
- The Apostles’ Creed instead. The Roman Missal allows the shorter Apostles’ Creed in place of the Nicene Creed, especially during Lent and Easter Time.
- After the creed comes the Universal Prayer, or Prayers of the Faithful.
Nicene Creed vs. Apostles’ Creed
| Nicene Creed | Apostles’ Creed | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) | Baptismal creed of the Church of Rome |
| Length | Longer, with precise terms about Christ and the Spirit | Shorter, twelve articles |
| Used at | Sunday and solemnity Masses | Baptism, the Rosary, and Mass in Lent and Easter Time |
| Shared by | Catholic, Orthodox and most Protestant churches | Mainly Western churches |
Both creeds profess the same faith. The Catechism calls them the two creeds that “occupy a special place in the Church’s life” (CCC 193–195).
A traditional act of faith
To make the creed your own prayer during the day, Catholics have long said a short act of faith. This one is from the Baltimore Catechism (1891):
O my God! I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Mass say “I believe” and not “we believe”?
The Latin text used at Mass begins Credo, “I believe.” The 2011 English translation returned to it so that each person makes the profession personally, as at Baptism. The Councils originally wrote “We believe.”
What does “consubstantial” mean?
“Of the same substance or being.” It translates the Greek word homoousios chosen at Nicaea: the Son is not a lesser god but fully God, one with the Father.
Is the Nicene Creed the same for Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants?
Almost. The Orthodox say it without “and the Son.” Anglicans, Lutherans and many other Protestants use it with “and the Son,” as Catholics do. In the creed, “catholic” means universal.
Why do we bow during the Nicene Creed?
To honor the Incarnation, when the Son of God became man for us. On Christmas and the Annunciation the whole assembly genuflects.
Is the Nicene Creed in the Bible?
The words are not a single Bible passage, but each phrase sums up biblical teaching. For example, “begotten” echoes John 1:14, and “Light of Light” echoes Hebrews 1:3.
More Catholic prayers
- Apostles’ Creed vs. Nicene Creed
- St. Athanasius
- St. Hilary of Poitiers
- St. Leo the Great and the Council of Chalcedon
- The Athanasian Creed
- The Apostles’ Creed
- The Our Father
- The Sign of the Cross
- The Glory Be
- The order of the Mass
- Catholic prayers: the basic prayers every Catholic should know
Texts and sources
- English and Latin texts: William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, Ordinary of the Mass, Project Gutenberg #62988, public domain. Scan errors corrected (“ail ages” to “all ages”; “unam Baptisma” to “unum baptisma”); a footnote marker removed; lines broken at the punctuation for reading.
- Act of faith: Baltimore Catechism No. 3 (1891), Project Gutenberg #14553.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 193–195; 242 and 247; 465; 811.
- General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 68 and 137.
- Leo XIV, Apostolic Letter In unitate fidei (November 23, 2025).