Trento Creed

The Trento Creed is also known under the name The Creed of the Church Assembly in Trento and dates from 1564.

The formula comes from Pope Pius IV , who prescribed it in the papal bull Iniunctum nobis mainly at the insistence of Petrus Canisius . Even today it is required before certain ecclesiastical offices are taken on (e.g. episcopal ordination ).

The creed contains the Nicano-Constantinopolitanum .

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The full text is in German translation:

I, NN, believe and confess with firm faith everything and every single thing that is contained in the creed that the Holy Roman Church uses, namely:

I believe in the one God, the Almighty Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible; and to the one Lord Jesus Christ, God's onlyborn Son, and born of the Father before all ages, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, like the Father; through him everything came about; He came down from heaven because of us humans and for our salvation, and was made flesh of the Holy Spirit out of Mary the Virgin, and became man; he was crucified even for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures, and went up into heaven; he sits at the right hand of the Father and will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; his kingdom will have no end; and to the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who is adored and glorified at the same time with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets; and the one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess the one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and expect the resurrection of the dead and the life of the time to come. Amen.

I recognize and hold firmly to the apostolic and ecclesiastical traditions and other customs and regulations of the church. Likewise, I acknowledge the scriptures according to that sense which Holy Mother Church has held and holds, whose task it is to judge the true meaning and interpretation of the scriptures, and I will never understand and interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous one Agreement of fathers.

I also confess that there are truly and in the proper sense seven sacraments of the New Covenant instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ and necessary for the salvation of the human race - even if not all for everyone - namely baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, Final unction, consecration and marriage, that they bestow grace and that from them baptism, confirmation and consecration cannot be repeated without sacrilege. I also acknowledge and approve of the recognized and approved rites of the Catholic Church in the solemn dispensing of all of the above-mentioned sacraments.

Everything and every single thing that was defined and explained at the Holy Council of Trent about original sin and justification, I hold fast and I acknowledge.

I also confess that in the Mass God is offered a true, authentic and atoning sacrifice for the living and the dead, that in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist the body and blood are truly, truly and essentially present together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and that there is a change of the whole bread substance in the body and the whole wine substance in the blood; The Catholic Church calls this change of essence. I confess that even under just one of the two figures one consumes the whole and whole Christ and the true Sacrament.

I firmly hold that there is a cleansing place and that the souls held there are helped by the intercessions of the believers; also that one should venerate and invoke the saints ruling together with Christ, that they should offer prayers to God for us, and that one should venerate their relics.

I firmly affirm that the images of Christ and the ever-virgin Theotokos and other saints should be kept and preserved and given the honor and veneration they deserve; I also affirm that the authority to indulge has been left in the Church by Christ and its use is most salutary for the Christian people.

I recognize the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church as the mother and teacher of all churches; and I pledge and swear true obedience to the Roman Bishop, successor of the blessed Apostle Prince Peter and Vicar of Jesus Christ.

I also undoubtedly acknowledge and acknowledge everything else that has been handed down, defined and explained by the holy canons and ecumenical councils, mainly the holy council of Trent and the ecumenical Vatican council , above all with regard to the primacy and the infallible magisterium of the Roman Bishop ; And everything that is contrary to this, as well as all heresies that have been condemned, rejected and given the anathema by the Church, I also condemn, reject and give proof of the anathema.

I, NN, pledge, promise and swear that with God's help I steadfastly keep and confess this true Catholic faith, outside of which no one can be saved, which I currently confess and truly hold onto of my own free will, until the last breath of life, intact and flawless and that, as far as it is up to me, I will see to it that he is held, taught and proclaimed by my subordinates or those whose care will be entrusted to me in my office: so help me God and these holy Gospels God.

The text parts in the penultimate section "and from the Vatican Ecumenical Council" and "especially with regard to the primacy and the infallible magisterium of the Roman bishop" were added by the decree of the Council Congregation of January 20, 1877 and have since been added when making this creed be discussed.