Apostles' Creed

==Liturgical use in Western Christianity==
The Apostles' Creed is used in its direct form or in interrogative forms by Western Christian communities in several of their [[Christian liturgy|liturgical]] rites, in particular those of [[baptism]] and the [[Eucharist]].

=== Rite of baptism ===
The Apostles' Creed, whose present form is similar to the baptismal creed used in Rome in the third and fourth centuries, actually developed from questions addressed to those seeking baptism.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Apostles-Creed|title=Apostles' Creed |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref> The Catholic Church still today uses an interrogative form of it in the Rite of Baptism (for both children and adults). In the official English translation ([[International Commission on English in the Liturgy|ICEL]], 1974) the minister of baptism asks:
{{poemquote|Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
Do you 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?}}

To each question, the catechumen, or, in the case of an infant, the parents and sponsor(s) (godparent(s)) in his or her place, answers "I do." Then the celebrant says:
{{blockquote|This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.}}

And all respond: Amen.

The [[Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand]] uses the Apostles' Creed in its baptism rite in spite of the reservations of some of its members regarding the phrase "born of the virgin Mary".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://knoxchurch.net/2015/09/30/why-use-the-apostles-creed-in-a-baptism/|title=Why use the Apostles' Creed in a baptism?|date=September 29, 2015|website=Knox Church Dunedin|access-date=2022-01-15|archive-date=February 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203030506/https://knoxchurch.net/2015/09/30/why-use-the-apostles-creed-in-a-baptism/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America]] uses the Apostles' Creed as part of a Baptismal Covenant for those who are to receive the Rite of Baptism. The Apostles' Creed is recited by candidates, sponsors and congregation, each section of the Creed being an answer to the celebrant's question, "Do you believe in God the Father (God the Son, God the Holy Spirit)?"<ref>{{cite book|title=Holy Baptism |work=The (Online) Book of Common Prayer|date=1979|publisher=The Episcopal Church|edition=revised 2007|url=https://www.bcponline.org/Baptism/holybaptism.html|access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref> It is also used in an interrogative form at the [[Easter Vigil]] in The Renewal of Baptismal Vows.<ref>''The Book of Common Prayer'' (1979). New York: Church Publishing. pp. 292–293.</ref>

The [[Church of England]] likewise asks the candidates, sponsors and congregation to recite the Apostles' Creed in answer to similar interrogations, in which it avoids using the word "God" of the Son and the Holy Spirit, asking instead: "Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?", and "Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?" Moreover, "where there are strong pastoral reasons", it allows use of an alternative formula in which the interrogations, while speaking of "God the Son" and "God the Holy Spirit", are more elaborate but are not based on the Apostles' Creed, and the response in each case is: "I believe and trust in him."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/christian-initiation/baptism-and|title=Baptism and Confirmation|website=The Church of England|access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref> The ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]'' may also be used, which in its rite of baptism has the minister recite the Apostles' Creed in interrogative form. Asking the godparents or, in the case "of such as are of Riper Years", the candidate: "Dost thou believe in God the Father ..." The response is: "All this I stedfastly believe."<ref>''Book of Common Prayer'': "[https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/book-common-prayer/public-baptism-infants The Ministration of Public Baptism to Infants]"; "[https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/book-common-prayer/public-baptism-such-are-riper The Order of Baptism for those of Riper Years]"</ref>

[[Lutheran]]s following the ''[[Lutheran Service Book]]'' ([[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] and the [[Lutheran Church–Canada]]), like Catholics and Anglicans, use the Apostles' Creed during the Sacrament of Baptism:
{{poemquote|Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth?
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead?
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?}}

Following each question, the candidate answers: "Yes, I believe". If the candidates are unable to answer for themselves, the sponsors are to answer the questions.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Lutheran Service Book|last=The Commission on Worship of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod|publisher=[[Concordia Publishing House]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7586-1217-5|location=St. Louis|pages=268–271}}</ref>

For ELCA ([[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]]) Lutherans who use the [[Evangelical Lutheran Worship]] book, the Apostles' Creed appears during the Sacrament of Holy Baptism Rite on p. 229 of the hardcover pew edition.

The [[United Methodist Church]] in the United States uses the Apostles' Creed as part of their baptismal rites in the form of an interrogatory addressed to the candidate(s) for baptism and the whole congregation as a way of professing the faith within the context of the Church's sacramental act. For infants, it is the professing of the faith by the parents, sponsors, and congregation on behalf of the candidate(s); for confirmands, it is the professing of the faith before and among the congregation. For the congregation, it is a reaffirmation of their professed faith.
{{poemquote|Do you believe in God?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.<ref>{{Citation | title = The United Methodist Hymnal | chapter = Baptismal Covenant I | page = 35}}.</ref>}}

=== Eucharistic rite ===
Since the 2002 edition, the Apostles' Creed is included in the [[Roman Missal]] as an alternative, with the indication, "Instead of the [[Nicene Creed|Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed]], especially during Lent and Easter time, the baptismal Symbol of the Roman Church, known as the Apostles' Creed, may be used."<ref>{{Citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwV6-e0juMEC&q=Roman+Missal+%22baptismal+Symbol%22&pg=PA528 |title=Roman Missal |publisher=Liturgy Training Publications |year=2011 |access-date=2 February 2019|isbn=9781568549910 }}.</ref> Previously the Nicene Creed was the only profession of faith that the Missal gave for use at [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]], except in Masses for children; but in some countries use of the Apostles' Creed was already permitted.

=== Canonical hours ===
The Apostles' Creed is used in [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] services of [[Matins]] and [[Evening Prayer (Anglican)|Evening Prayer (Evensong)]]. It is invoked after the recitation or singing of the [[Canticle]]s, and is the only part of the services in which the congregation traditionally turns to face the altar, if they are seated transversely in the [[Choir (architecture)|quire]].

The Episcopal Church (United States) uses the Apostles' Creed in Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.<ref>''The Book of Common Prayer'' (1979). New York: Church Publishing. p. 66 (Evening Prayer, Rite I, traditional), p. 120 (Evening Prayer, Rite II, ICET).</ref>

Before the 1955 [[General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII|simplification of the rubrics]] of the [[Roman Breviary]] by [[Pope Pius XII]], the Apostles' Creed was recited at the beginning of [[matins]] and [[prime (liturgy)|prime]], at the end of [[compline]], and in some ''[[preces]]'' (a series of versicles and responses preceded by, eleison ("Lord, have mercy") and the [[Our Father]]) of prime and compline<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2010/10/compendium-of-reforms-of-roman-breviary_24.html|title=Compendium of the Reforms of the Roman Breviary, 1568 - 1961: Part 9.1 - The Simplified Rubrics of 1955}}</ref> on certain days during Advent and Lent.