On Francis' 5th, "Credere In Deum"

In the solitary yet complete awareness of the history he would make over its course, to mark a half-century from the opening of Vatican II, in late 2011 the 265th Bishop of Rome summoned his 1.2 billion-member fold to observe a Year of Faith.

Like no one could foresee at the outset, the celebration would end just as he planned – in life, with his successor on Peter's Chair, bearing the bones of the first Pope in the sight of the world as never before... and with them in his hands, bringing the foundational charism of Christianity into a new era.

For all the attempts at analysis of this day and the extraordinary half-decade now past, at least to begin, it'd all be dust and ashes if the Church at its core didn't remind itself of why this moment means what it does, and why this historic exercise was so carefully and meaningfully borne out in the first place....

I Believe in one God,
The Father almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated 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.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

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