Mean What You Profess


I've been thinking alot lately about the Nicene Creed and all that we say in it.

The part I've been thinking about the most is, "We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church."

As a Catholic there is no problem with saying this, because we know that "One Holy Catholic and Apostolic" are the marks of the Church.

The Church founded by Jesus who passed it down to the Apostles to the Fathers to the present day.

The Catholic Church.

What concerns me, is that as an Anglican, I said this creed every Sunday. I would say this line of the creed and not really think about it. But now that I am becoming Catholic, it doesn't make sense that I would truthfully be able to say that line as a member of any other denomination than that of the Catholic Church.

The main reason is because of the word "One" in the line of the creed. We believe in "One" Church. Not two, or three, or four, or so forth, but ONE.

When other Churches split from the One Catholic Church, there no longer was ONE Church. There was Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian....

In the Anglican Communion alone there isn't ONE Church. There is the Episcopal Church of AMERICA, the Church of ENGLAND, the AFRICAN Church, the CANADIAN Church, and so on.

With Catholics, there isn't a separate church in every country. There is ONE Church throughout the world. That's why Catholics can faithfully say that we believe in ONE Church.

Now Anglicans might say to me that the line in the creed says that "We believe in One Holy CATHOLIC" Church. And we all know that Catholic in the creed means "universal", so we are all the universal Church under Christ.

However, they fail to see the "ONE" that precedes the "CATHOLIC" in the line. Catholic does mean "universal", it's true, but the line says "One Universal." If you call yourself the Church of England and the Church of America and the Church of Canada, you may be universal...but you are not ONE.

The Catholic Church is universal and one.

The Catholic Church is the fullest expression of the Christian Faith. Each time a group breaks away from the Catholic Church they lose something of the True Faith handed down from Jesus.

Let us also not forget that it was the Catholic Church who came up with the creed in the first place at Nicaea in 325.

The Catholic Church is the One TRUE Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Now, I am aware that this blog is read by Anglicans and I write this post not to attack or look down upon you, but rather to challenge you to think about your faith and the words you say in the creed. I challenge you to really see what it is that you left in leaving the Catholic Church. The Church founded by Christ.

May all who have left (by choice or by being born into another denomination) the One True Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church return home to the fullness of faith in Christ. Amen.