Statement of Faith
I, St. Mark, with a firm faith believe and profess each and everything which is contained in the Creed which the Holy Roman Church maketh use of. To wit:
I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, True God of True God. Begotten, not made, of One Substance with the Father. By Whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven. And became Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary: and was made Man. He was also crucified for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried. And on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures. He ascended into Heaven and sits 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. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who Proceeds from the Father and the Son. Who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, and Who spoke through the Prophets. And One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I await the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Apostolic and Ecclesiastical Traditions and all other observances and constitutions of that same Church I firmly admit to and embrace.
On the Scriptures:
I accept the Holy Scripture according to that sense which Holy Mother the Church hath held, and doth hold, and to whom it belongeth to judge the true sense and interpretations of the Scriptures. Neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the holy and orthodox Fathers. I also assent to the judgment of the holy Council of Trent, convened lawfully under the Holy Ghost, that the Latin Vulgate is the authoritative translation of the original languages of Scripture, and I accept every book and every part contained therein, numbering 73 books in total, as the true and infallible written Word of God, and I reject the mutilation of the Divine Scriptures by the pretended Reformers, who blasphemously divided the Sacred Volume and rejected from therein those books and parts which openly and plainly contradicted their false doctrines. I also profess that the true Author of Sacred Scripture is Almighty God, yet He used human authors to write; who were protected from error by Divine Providence and the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
On the Sacraments:
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 are necessary for everyone; to wit, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony; and that they confer grace; and that of these, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders cannot be repeated without sacrilege. I also receive and admit the accepted and approved ceremonies of the Catholic Church in the solemn administration of the aforesaid Sacraments.
On the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass & the Holy Eucharist:
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 a conversion takes place of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood, which conversion the Catholic Church calls Transubstantiation. I also confess that under either Species alone Christ is received whole and entire, and a true Sacrament.
On the Sacrament of Holy Orders:
I profess that Our Lord Jesus Christ, true and eternal High Priest, at the Last Supper, not only instituted the aforementioned Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, but also a sacrificial ministerial priesthood, which He first conferred upon the holy Apostles and which is called the Sacrament of Holy Orders. I likewise profess that every priest has true authority and power from Jesus Christ to confect the Eucharist, to baptism, bless and to execute all the duties proper to their Order. Furthermore, I profess that the same Jesus Christ also conferred the episcopacy upon the same holy Apostles, and which they in turn conferred upon their successors, the bishops of the Catholic Church. Lastly, I also profess that Jesus Christ, in His ineffable Wisdom and Design, conferred the primacy amongst the Apostles to St. Peter, and he in turn conferred his Apostolic Authority to his Successors, the Bishops of Rome. And that the same Bishops of Rome are in very truth the Supreme Heads of the Church on earth, and who also have universal jurisdiction over the entire Church on earth.
On Purgatory & the Saints:
I steadfastly hold that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful.
Likewise, that the Saints, though they be separated from their bodies, live and reign together with Christ, are to be honoured and invoked, and that they offer prayers to God for us, and that their relics are to be venerated. I most firmly assert that the images of Christ, of the Mother of God, Ever Virgin, and also of other Saints, ought to be kept and retained, and that due honour and veneration is to be given them. I also profess that the Saints are to be honoured also by the keeping of their feasts, and of the praying of litanies, novenas and other good prayers composed in their honour.
I also steadfastly hold that the Angels of God are likewise to be honoured and invoked, most especially St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael the Archangels, and of my Guardian Angel, whom Almighty God has been pleased to place over me as my patron and protector. I profess that these same Angels are given to me as my defence against Satan and his reprobate angels, who rebelled against the Most High and were cast from their thrones to eternal perdition; from which they continue to harass and persecute the people of God.
On the Mother of God:
I steadfastly hold that the Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because She bore the Divine Son of the Father and from Her flesh He took His Sacred Humanity, in accordance with the pronouncement of the holy Council of Ephesus, convened lawfully under the Holy Ghost and ratified by Pope St. Sixtus III. I profess that She was conceived in the womb of Her mother, St. Anne, without Original Sin and that She lived a perfect, sinless life. I profess, likewise, that She was a virgin both before, during and after the nativity of Jesus Christ, even for ever, and that She bore no other children besides the Redeemer. At the end of Her natural life, She was assumed body and soul into Heaven by Jesus Christ, and now reigns as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Because of Her esteemed position, I profess that the act of hyperdulia, that is, super-veneration, is to be shown to Her, and I recognise those apparitions of Her which the Church has declared worthy of belief.
On Indulgences:
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.
On the Church & the Roman Pontiff:
I acknowledge the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church as the Mother and Teacher of all churches; and I promise true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, successor to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ, and the submission of my will and intellect to his Magisterium, whether Ordinary or Extraordinary.
On the rejection of heresy:
I likewise undoubtedly receive and profess all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred Canons, and general Councils. I condemn, reject, and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and all heresies which the Church hath condemned, rejected, and anathematized.
Conclusion:
This true Catholic Faith, outside of which no one can be saved, which I now freely profess and to which I truly adhere, I do so profess and swear to maintain inviolate and with firm constancy with the help of God until the last breath of life. And I shall strive, as far as possible, that this same Faith shall be held, taught, and professed by all those over whom I have charge.
I do so pledge, promise, and swear, so help me God and these Holy Gospels of God. Amen
I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, True God of True God. Begotten, not made, of One Substance with the Father. By Whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven. And became Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary: and was made Man. He was also crucified for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried. And on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures. He ascended into Heaven and sits 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. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who Proceeds from the Father and the Son. Who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, and Who spoke through the Prophets. And One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I await the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Apostolic and Ecclesiastical Traditions and all other observances and constitutions of that same Church I firmly admit to and embrace.
On the Scriptures:
I accept the Holy Scripture according to that sense which Holy Mother the Church hath held, and doth hold, and to whom it belongeth to judge the true sense and interpretations of the Scriptures. Neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the holy and orthodox Fathers. I also assent to the judgment of the holy Council of Trent, convened lawfully under the Holy Ghost, that the Latin Vulgate is the authoritative translation of the original languages of Scripture, and I accept every book and every part contained therein, numbering 73 books in total, as the true and infallible written Word of God, and I reject the mutilation of the Divine Scriptures by the pretended Reformers, who blasphemously divided the Sacred Volume and rejected from therein those books and parts which openly and plainly contradicted their false doctrines. I also profess that the true Author of Sacred Scripture is Almighty God, yet He used human authors to write; who were protected from error by Divine Providence and the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
On the Sacraments:
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 are necessary for everyone; to wit, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony; and that they confer grace; and that of these, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders cannot be repeated without sacrilege. I also receive and admit the accepted and approved ceremonies of the Catholic Church in the solemn administration of the aforesaid Sacraments.
On the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass & the Holy Eucharist:
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 a conversion takes place of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood, which conversion the Catholic Church calls Transubstantiation. I also confess that under either Species alone Christ is received whole and entire, and a true Sacrament.
On the Sacrament of Holy Orders:
I profess that Our Lord Jesus Christ, true and eternal High Priest, at the Last Supper, not only instituted the aforementioned Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, but also a sacrificial ministerial priesthood, which He first conferred upon the holy Apostles and which is called the Sacrament of Holy Orders. I likewise profess that every priest has true authority and power from Jesus Christ to confect the Eucharist, to baptism, bless and to execute all the duties proper to their Order. Furthermore, I profess that the same Jesus Christ also conferred the episcopacy upon the same holy Apostles, and which they in turn conferred upon their successors, the bishops of the Catholic Church. Lastly, I also profess that Jesus Christ, in His ineffable Wisdom and Design, conferred the primacy amongst the Apostles to St. Peter, and he in turn conferred his Apostolic Authority to his Successors, the Bishops of Rome. And that the same Bishops of Rome are in very truth the Supreme Heads of the Church on earth, and who also have universal jurisdiction over the entire Church on earth.
On Purgatory & the Saints:
I steadfastly hold that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls therein detained are helped by the suffrages of the faithful.
Likewise, that the Saints, though they be separated from their bodies, live and reign together with Christ, are to be honoured and invoked, and that they offer prayers to God for us, and that their relics are to be venerated. I most firmly assert that the images of Christ, of the Mother of God, Ever Virgin, and also of other Saints, ought to be kept and retained, and that due honour and veneration is to be given them. I also profess that the Saints are to be honoured also by the keeping of their feasts, and of the praying of litanies, novenas and other good prayers composed in their honour.
I also steadfastly hold that the Angels of God are likewise to be honoured and invoked, most especially St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael the Archangels, and of my Guardian Angel, whom Almighty God has been pleased to place over me as my patron and protector. I profess that these same Angels are given to me as my defence against Satan and his reprobate angels, who rebelled against the Most High and were cast from their thrones to eternal perdition; from which they continue to harass and persecute the people of God.
On the Mother of God:
I steadfastly hold that the Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because She bore the Divine Son of the Father and from Her flesh He took His Sacred Humanity, in accordance with the pronouncement of the holy Council of Ephesus, convened lawfully under the Holy Ghost and ratified by Pope St. Sixtus III. I profess that She was conceived in the womb of Her mother, St. Anne, without Original Sin and that She lived a perfect, sinless life. I profess, likewise, that She was a virgin both before, during and after the nativity of Jesus Christ, even for ever, and that She bore no other children besides the Redeemer. At the end of Her natural life, She was assumed body and soul into Heaven by Jesus Christ, and now reigns as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Because of Her esteemed position, I profess that the act of hyperdulia, that is, super-veneration, is to be shown to Her, and I recognise those apparitions of Her which the Church has declared worthy of belief.
On Indulgences:
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.
On the Church & the Roman Pontiff:
I acknowledge the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Church as the Mother and Teacher of all churches; and I promise true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, successor to St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ, and the submission of my will and intellect to his Magisterium, whether Ordinary or Extraordinary.
On the rejection of heresy:
I likewise undoubtedly receive and profess all other things delivered, defined, and declared by the sacred Canons, and general Councils. I condemn, reject, and anathematize all things contrary thereto, and all heresies which the Church hath condemned, rejected, and anathematized.
Conclusion:
This true Catholic Faith, outside of which no one can be saved, which I now freely profess and to which I truly adhere, I do so profess and swear to maintain inviolate and with firm constancy with the help of God until the last breath of life. And I shall strive, as far as possible, that this same Faith shall be held, taught, and professed by all those over whom I have charge.
I do so pledge, promise, and swear, so help me God and these Holy Gospels of God. Amen