Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume II. The History of Creeds.

Profession of the Tridentine Faith. A.D. 1564

II. PROFESSIO FIDEI TRIDENTINÆ.

Profession of the Tridentine Faith. A.D. 1564.

[From the bulls of Pope Pius IV., 'Injunctum nobis,' Nov. 13, 1564, and 'In sacrosancta,' Dec. 9, 1564 (in the Bullar. Rom., also in Streitwolf and Klener, Libri Symb. Eccles. Cath. Tom. II. pp. 315–321). The Latin text of the Creed is given also by Streitwolf and Klener (Tom. I. p. 98, sub tit.: Forma juramenti professionis fidei), by Denzinger, and in other collections of Roman Symbols. See Vol. I. § 25, pp. 96–99.]

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I. Ego —— firma fide credo et profiteor omnia et singula, quæ continentur in symbolo fidei, quo sancta Romana Ecclesia utitur, videlicet:	I. I, —— with a firm faith believe and profess all and every one of the things contained in that creed which the holy Roman Church makes use of:
'Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotontem,' etc. [Symbolum Nicenum. See p. 27.]	'I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,' etc. [The Nicene Creed. See pp. 27 and 98.]
II. Apostolicas et ecclesiasticas traditiones, reliquasque ejusdem Ecclesiæ observationes et constitutiones firmissime admitto et amplector.	II. I most steadfastly admit and embrace apostolic and ecclesiastic traditions, and all other observances and constitutions of the same Church.
III. Item sacram Scripturam juxta eum sensum, quem tenuit et tenet sancta mater Ecclesia, cujus est judicare de vero sensu et interpretatione sacrarum Scripturarum, admitto; nec eam unquam, nisi juxta unanimem consensum patrum accipiam et interpretabor.	III. I also admit the holy Scriptures, according to that sense which our holy mother Church has held and does hold, to which it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scriptures; neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.
IV. Profiteor quoque, septem esse vere et proprie sacramenta novæ legis a Jesu Christo Domino nostro instituta, atque ad salutem humani generis, licet non omnia singulis, necessaria: scilicet baptismum, confirmationem,	IV. I also profess that there are truly and properly seven sacraments of the new law, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and necessary for the salvation of mankind, though not all for every one, to wit: baptism, confirmation,

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eucharistiam, pœnitentiam, extremam unctionem, ordinem et matrimonium; illaque gratiam conferre; et ex his baptismum, confirmationem et ordinem sine sacrilegio reiterare non posse. Receptos quoque et approbatos Ecclesiæ Catholicæ ritus in supradictorum omnium sacramentorum solemni administratione recipio et admitto.	the eucharist, penance, extreme unction, holy orders, and matrimony; and that they confer grace; and that of these, baptism, confirmation, and ordination can not be reiterated without sacrilege. I also receive and admit the received and approved ceremonies of the Catholic Church, used in the solemn administration of the aforesaid sacraments.
V. Omnia et singula, quæ de peccato originali et de justificatione in sacrosancta Tridentina synodo definita et declarata fuerunt, amplector et recipio.	V. I embrace and receive all and every one of the things which have been defined and declared in the holy Council of Trent concerning original sin and justification.
VI. Profiteor pariter, in missa offerri Deo verum, proprium et propitiatorium sacrificium pro vivis et defunctis; atque in sanctissimo eucharistiæ sacramento esse vere, realiter et substantialiter corpus et sanguinem, una cum anima et divinitate Domini nostri Jesu Christi, fierique conversionem totius substantiæ panis in corpus et totius substantiæ vini in sanguinem; quam conversionem Catholica Ecclesia transsubstantiationem appellat.	VI. I profess, likewise, that in the mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead; and that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist there is truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that there is made a change of the whole essence of the bread into the body, and of the whole essence of the wine into the blood; which change the Catholic Church calls transubstantiation.
VII. Fateor etiam, sub altera tantum specie totum atque integrum Christum, verumque sacramentum sumi.	VII. I also confess that under either kind alone Christ is received whole and entire, and a true sacrament.
VIII. Constanter teneo, purgatorium	VIII. I firmly hold that there is

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esse, animasque ibi detentas fidelium suffragiis juvari. Similiter et sanctos una cum Christo regnantes venerandos atque invocandos esse, eosque orationes Deo pro nobis offerre, atque eorum reliquias esse venerandas.	a purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful. Likewise, that the saints reigning with Christ are to be honored and invoked, and that they offer up prayers to God for us, and that their relics are to be had in veneration.
IX. Firmissime ²⁶⁶²⁶⁶ Bullarium Rom.: firmiter. assero, imagines Christi ac Deiparæ semper Virginis, nec non aliorum sanctorum habendas et retinendas esse, atque eis debitum honorem ac venerationem impertiendam. Indulgentiarum etiam potestatem a Christo in Ecclesia relictam fuisse, illarumque usum Christiano populo maxime salutarem esse affirmo.	IX. I most firmly assert that the images of Christ, and of the perpetual Virgin the Mother of God, and also of other saints, ought to be had and retained, and that due honor and veneration are to be given them. I also affirm that the power of indulgences was left by Christ in the Church, and that the use of them is most wholesome to Christian people.
X. Sanctam Catholicam et Apostolicam Romanam Ecclesiam omnium ecclesiarum matrem et magistram agnosco, Romano que pontifici, beati Petri apostolorum principis successori ac Jesu Christi vicario veram obedientiam spondeo ac juro.	X. I acknowledge the holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church for the mother and mistress of all churches; and I promise and swear true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, successor to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ.
XI. Cætera item omnia a sacris canonibus et œcumenicis conciliis, ac præcipue a sacrosancta Tridentina synodo tradita, definita et declarata indubitanter recipio atque profiteor; simulque contraria omnia, atque hæreses quascumque ab Ecclesia	XI. I likewise undoubtingly receive and profess all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the Sacred Canons and General Councils, and particularly by the holy Council of Trent; and I condemn, reject, and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and all

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damnatas, rejectas et anathematizatas ego pariter damno, rejicio et anathematizo.

heresies which the Church has condemned, rejected, and anathematized.

XII. Hanc veram Catholicam fidem, extra quam nemo salvus esse potest, quam in præsenti sponte profiteor et veraciter teneo, eundem integram et inviolatam ²⁶⁷²⁶⁷ [Note.—As it was promulgated by Pius IX., Jan. 20, 1877—Acta sedis sanc. X., 382—and is now offered to Catholic priests and professors, Pius IV.'s Profession contains in article XI, after the words Tridentino synodo, the clause et ab œcumenico concilio Vaticano (tradita, definita et declarata) præsertim de Romani pontificis primatu ac infallibili magisterio. The insertion conforms to Pius IX.'s letter to a German bishop, Nov. 6, 1876, that it is altogether necessary that priests with full and unreserved assent of will accept the definition of papal infallibility unless they want to abandon the right faith, pleno et absoluto intellectus et voluntatis assensu definitionem complectantur, nisi a recta fide aberrare velint. In the same letter, Pius wrote that 'nothing could be more absurd than to think that the Holy Spirit would vouchsafe truths and that, at the same time, it might be inopportune to teach them.' The Profession is printed with the insertion in Benedict's Code of Canon Law.—Ed.] usque ad extremum vitæ spiritum constantissime, Deo adjuvante, retinere et confiteri, atque a meis subditis vel illis, quorum cura ad me in munere meo spectabit, teneri, doceri et prædicari, quantum in me erit, curaturum. Ita ego idem —— spondeo, voveo ac juro. Sic me Deus adjuvet, et hæc sancta Dei Evangelia.

XII. I do, at this present, freely profess and truly hold this true Catholic faith, without which no one can be saved; and I promise most constantly to retain and confess the same entire and inviolate, with God's assistance, to the end of my life. And I will take care, as far as in me lies, that it shall be held, taught, and preached by my subjects, or by those the care of whom shall appertain to me in my office. This I promise, vow, and swear—so help me God, and these holy Gospels of God.

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Profession of the Tridentine Faith. A.D. 1564

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