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Catechism of the Catholic Church IntraText - Text |
Article 2
WE BELIEVE
166
Faith is a personal act - the free response of the human person to the
initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one
can believe alone, just as no one can live alone.
You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. the
believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our
love for Jesus and for our neighbour impels us to speak to others about our
faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot
believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help
support others in the faith.
167 "I believe" (Apostles' Creed) is the faith of the Church professed personally by each believer, principally during Baptism. "We believe" (Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) is the faith of the Church confessed by the bishops assembled in council or more generally by the liturgical assembly of believers. "I believe" is also the Church, our mother, responding to God by faith as she teaches us to say both "I believe" and "We believe".