Roman Catholic Creed

Preserve equality at publicly-funded Roman Catholic schools

Coptic Christians in Ontario, and across Canada, should not be preaching intolerance in the education system. Yet this is the message of Father Jeremiah Attaalla, a Coptic Orthodox priest in Toronto, who has admonished parishioners to remove their children from the publicly-funded Roman Catholic school system over its proposed policy to accommodate gay students.

While individual faith groups are entitled to retain their traditional beliefs, publicly-funded Roman Catholic schools in Canada must abide by the equality principles in the Canadian Constitution – even if they are out-of-step with the church’s own teachings. Students’ welfare and equality rights trump official religious dogma.

The Toronto Catholic District School Board is set to vote later this month on a long-overdue Equity and Inclusive Education policy. The policy advocates opposing all forms of social and cultural discrimination, and pledges to treat people with respect, regardless of their race, place of origin, creed, sex or sexual orientation. The Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association also has a task force which is drafting a framework for anti-homophobia support groups.

These are welcome developments. And the Catholic school system should not be swayed by threats of withdrawal from parents and supporters.

Faith communities need to recognize that high school students who identify themselves as gay are at a greater risk for suicide and for bullying – outcomes religious leaders presumably want to avoid. These students need support, not public vilification.

Efforts to form alliances of gay and heterosexual students – a flashpoint in this debate – have proven helpful for vulnerable teenagers. “If you’re going to accept public money, you have to accept social norms. We live in a diverse environment and all students must feel safe in order to be able to learn,” says Paul Marai, an openly gay trustee of the Halton Catholic District School Board.

Coptic Christian leaders should ask themselves why they would not want to show compassion and tolerance toward all young people. Surely that is the least that our society can expect from faith communities.

Apostles' Creed?

My answer to her was no, it is not original enough, as it is not an apostolic document.  Yet, many Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics believe that the creeds that they tend to say are not only “original” but are actually the creed of the original Apostles.

And while they have somewhat been led to believe that, that simply is not the case.  The leaders of their respective churches know that their creeds are not original.  First notice what an Orthodox priest wrote about that creed:

The Nicene Creed, which was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea in 325 and of Constantinople in 381, has been recognized since then as the authoritative expression of the fundamental beliefs of the Orthodox Church. The Creed is often referred to as the “Symbol of Faith.” (Fitzgerald T. Teachings of the Orthodox Church. Copyright @2006 Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church)

Throughout the Middle Ages it was generally believed that the Apostles, on the day of Pentecost, while still under the direct inspiration of the Holy Ghost, composed our present Creed between them, each of the Apostles contributing one of the twelve articles. This legend dates back to the sixth century (see Pseudo-Augustine in Migne, P.L., XXXIX, 2189, and Pirminius, ibid., LXXXIX, 1034) (Thurston, Herbert. “Apostles’ Creed.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 21 Jul. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01629a.htm>)

Though no uniform type of Creed can be surely recognized among the earlier Eastern writers before the Council of Nicaea, an argument which has been considered by many to disprove the existence of any Apostolic formula, it is a striking fact that the Eastern Churches in the fourth century are found in possession of a Creed which reproduces with variations the old Roman type. (Thurston, Herbert. “Apostles’ Creed.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 21 Jul. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01629a.htm>)

Notice that the above refers to the oldest creed as the old Roman type.  Whether it was “Roman” or not can be debated as its statements seem to come from either the Bible or writings of those who were NOT based in Rome such as the Irenaeus of Lyons , Tertullian of Carthage, Novatian the “antipope”, Marcellus of Ancyra, and Origen of Alexandria.

The Roman Catholic Creed, with observations

The creed, the apostolic faith in contemporary theology

Explanation of the Apostles' Creed, a thorough exposition of Catholic faith

Delineation of Roman Catholicism, drawn from the authentic and acknowledged standards of the Church of Rome : namely, her creeds, catechisms, decisions of councils, papal bulls, Roman Catholic writers, the records of history...

The Apostles' Creed, its relation to primitive Christianity