“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”
ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN
The Holy Catholic Church: established by Jesus of Nazareth, in the Upper Room nearly 2,000 years ago.
"Then Jesus approached and said to them,
'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.'"
Matthew 28:18-20
The catalyst of this Great Commission, launched the Acts of the Apostles. The actions of Jesus' twelve apostles would go on to shape the early Church.
'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.'"
Matthew 28:18-20
The catalyst of this Great Commission, launched the Acts of the Apostles. The actions of Jesus' twelve apostles would go on to shape the early Church.
The most succinct summary of the Catholic Church's beliefs are found in the profession of faith, or credo, known as the Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
There are manifold misconceptions about what the Holy Catholic Church professes and teaches,
but we live in a modern age with an abundance of resources.
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Various religious and laypeople have taken up the torch of apologetics (a theological science which has for its purpose the explanation and defense of the Christian religion) and provide many of this free of charge via podcasts, YouTube videos, and other social media outlets. Please see the "Resource Cheat Sheet" for specifically tailored links, and more general resources below.
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