Why Does the Nicene Creed Omit the Saints?

by Admin · January 29, 2021

By Fr Thabang Nkadimeng OMI

Question: Why is the phrase “I believe in the communion of saints” left out in the Nicene Creed?

Answer: There were other early creeds that don’t mention the communion of saints, such as the 6th-century Der-balizeh papyrus from upper Egypt, the Symbol of St Ambrose (397), the Symbol of Rufinus, and the Symbol of Eusebius. Symbolum in Latin means creed.

The ones that do mention the communion of saints (Apostles Creed) were connected to the rite of baptism in the correspondence of St Cyprian and St Firmilian in the 3rd century.

The Nicene creed was first adopted by the Church at the council of Nicea in 325 and later amended at the First Council of Constantinople in 381, as the original authoritative Symbol of the Church.

The communion of saints refers not only to the dead, but also to the living and the dead. Canonisations, the official admission of a dead person into sainthood, came later in history. Before that, the Church had a strict veneration of the Christian martyrs.

The veneration of the saints has always been based on the communion of saints. Therefore, the fact that the Nicene Creed does not mention the communion of saints does not mean that they didn’t believe in this communion, because they were always in this communion (koinonia).

The Nicene Creed has a more detailed theology of Christology, of pneumatology, and of ecclesiology. As the “Profession of Faith of Pope Paul VI” (1968) puts it: “We also believe that in this communion the merciful love of God and his saints is ever turning listening ears to our prayers.”

This question was first asked and answered in the January issue of The Southern Cross magazine.

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Text of 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