The Athanasian Creed

[Stone]

Excerpt from Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year - Trinity Sunday

For this end, we will unite with holy Church, who in her Office of Prime, recites on this Solemnity, as also on every Sunday not taken up by a Feast, the magnificent Symbol known as the Athanasian Creed. It gives us, in a summary of much majesty and precision, the doctrine of the holy Doctor, Saint Athanasius, regarding the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation.

It is a psalm or hymn of praise, of confession, and of profound, self-prostrating homage, parallel to the Canticles of the elect in heaven. It appeals to the imagination quite as much as to the intellect. It is the war-song of faith, with which we warn first ourselves, then each other, and then all those who are within its hearing, and the hearing of the Truth, who our God is, and how we must worship Him, and how vast our responsibility will be if we know what to believe, and yet believe not.

The Athanasian Creed

Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est ut teneat Catholicam fidem.
Whosoever would be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold that Catholic faith.

Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio inæternum peribit.
Which faith, except every one doth keep entire, and unviolated, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

Fides autem Catholica hæc est, ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in Unitate veneremur;
Now the Catholic Faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes.
Neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance.

Alia est enim persona Patria, alia Filii, alia Spiritus sancti.
For one is the person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.

Sed Patris, et Filii, et spiritus sancti una est divinitas, æqualis gloria, coæterna majestas.
But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis Spiritus sanctus.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, such is the Holy Ghost.

Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus spiritus sanctus.
The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, the Holy Ghost is uncreated.

Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus Spiritus sanctus.
The Father is incomprehensible, the Son is incomprehensible, the Holy Ghost is incomprehensible.

Æternus Pater, æternus Filius, æternus Spiritus sanctus.
The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Ghost is eternal.

Et tamen non tres æterni, sed unus æternus.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.

Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus.
And also they are not three uncreateds, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens Spiritus sanctus.
In like manner the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Ghost is almighty.

Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.
And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus Spiritus sanctus.
So, the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God.

Et tamen non tres Dii, sed unus est Deus.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus Spiritus sanctus.
So, the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Ghost is Lord.

Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus est Dominus.
And yet they are not three Lord, but one Lord.

Quia sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri Christiana veritate compellimur: ita tres Deos aut Dominos dicere, Catholica religione prohibemur.
For, as we are compelled, by the Christian truth, to acknowledge each person, by himself, to be God and Lord: so, are we forbidden, by the Catholic religion, to say there are three Gods, or three Lords.

Pater a nullo est factus, nec creatus, nec genitus.
The Father is made of no one, neither created, nor begotten.

Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus.
The Son is from the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.

Spiritus sanctus a Patre et Filio, non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens.
The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son; not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres; unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus sanctus, non tres Spiritus sancti.
There is, then, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nohil majus aut minus: sed totæ tres personæ coæternæ sibi sunt, et coæquales.
And in this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less; but the whole three Persons are co-eternal to one another, and co-equal.

Ita ut per omnia, sicut jam supra dictum est, et Unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in Unitate veneranda sit.
So that, in all things, as hath been already said above, the Unity is to be worshipped in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity.

Qui vult ergo salvus esse: ita de Trinitate sentiat.
He, therefore, that would be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

Sed necessarium est ad æternam salutem: ut Incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Jesu Christi fideliter credat.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Est ergo fides recta, ut credamus et confiteamur: quia Dominus noster Jesus Christus Dei Filius, Deus et homo est.
Now the right faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and Man.

Deus est ex substantia Patris ante sæcula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in sæculo natus.
He is God, of the substance of his Father, begotten before the world; and he is Man, of the substance of his Mother, born in the world.

Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali, et humana carne subsistens.
Perfect god, perfect Man: subsisting of a rational soul, and human flesh.

Æqualis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.
Equal to the Father according to his Godhead: lesser than the Father, according to his Manhood.

Qui licet Deus sit, et homo: non duo tamen, sed unus Christus.
Who although he be both God and Man, yet he is not two, but one, Christ.

Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.
One, not by the conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by the taking of the Manhood unto God.

Unus omnino, non confusione substantiæ, sed unitate personæ.
One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo, ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.
For, as the rational soul and the flesh is one man, so, God and Man is one Christ.

Qui passus est pro salute nostra, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.
Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again, the third day, from the dead.

Ascendit ad cœlos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis: inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos.
He ascendeth into heaven; he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis, et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.
At whose coming, all men shall rise again, with their bodies; and shall give an account of their own works.

Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam æternam; qui vero mala, in ignem æternum.
And they that have done good, shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

Hæc est fides Catholica: quam nisi quisque fideliter, firmiterque crediderit, salvus ese non poterit.
This is the Catholic faith: which except every man believe faithfully and steadfastly, he cannot be saved.