Four Marks of the Catholic Church
Every time a Catholic recites the Nicene Creed , he is proclaimingbelief in the “Four Marks of the Church.” He joins with all other believers and professes a faith which says, “We believe in one , holy , catholic , and apostolic church…” These “four marks” are called “indelible” in that they cannot be changed or removed. They are the same as when Christ founded the church and will remain the same until his return. As indicated in the Nicene Creed , they bind together the believers in a unique and significant way. The first mark: the church is one . As diverse as we are, we are also considered one in that we are one body in Christ. Even as we bring our different cultures to the one body of Christ, we all believe that this Christ is our Lord and Savior; in him we have our redemption. All who have been baptized are part of his one, true church. The second mark: the church is holy . The teachings of the church lead each believer to holiness . They never lead away from God—who