Christian Dogmas
A “dogma” is defined as a truth of faith taught by the Church as revealed by God. The dogma is proclaimed, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, by the Pontiff (successor of Peter) or by the successors of the Apostles in communion with the Pontiff.
The contents of the “Apostolic Symbol”, namely of the “Apostles Creed”, are dogmas of faith.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Universal Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and Life everlasting.
Amen
The “Apostles Creed” was amended in an enlarged version by the Councils of Nicaea (325 a.C.) and that of Constantinople (381 a.C.) till the formulation of the so-called “Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed”.
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed
I believe in One God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth,
and of all things, visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages:
God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God;
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father,
by Whom all things were made;
Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from Heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made Man.
He was crucified also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
he died and was buried.
The third day he arose again,
according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;
And He shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Lifegiver,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son;
Who, together with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified;
Who spoke by the prophets.
And One, Holy, UNIVERSAL, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
～
Subsequently, through further “Councils” or, directly, by the Pontiff of the Church, new dogmas of faith were proclaimed.
Other than to the “Apostolic Creed” and the “Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed”, whose contents are to be considered “dogmas”, the main truths of faith proclaimed by the successors of the Apostles throughout the history of Christianity can be summarized as follows:
God is One and Triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Council of Nicaea, 325 a.C. and Council of Constantinople, 381 a.C.).
God is one in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The divine Persons are distinct from each other, but their distinction does not divide the divine Unity.
Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, eternal and immutable, incarnate, dead and risen (Council of Nicaea, 325 a.C.).
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he was generated before all ages, he was not created but is of one essence with the Father and, therefore, like the Father he is eternal and immutable.
Mary is the Mother of God (Council of Ephesus, 431 a.C.).
Mary is the Mother of God because she is the mother of Jesus. Indeed, He who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and who truly became His son, is the eternal Son of God the Father. He Himself is God.
Jesus Christ is true God and true Man (Council of Ephesus, 431 a.C. and Council of Chalcedon, 451 a.C.).
Jesus Christ, in the unity of His Person, has two inseparable natures: human and divine, He is perfect as regards to His divinity and perfect as regards to His humanity.
Mary is always virgin (II Council of Constantinople, 553 a.C.).
Mary is virgin, before, during and after the birth of Jesus Christ.
Transubstantiation (IV Lateran Council, 1215 a.C. and Council of Trent, 1545-1563 a.C.).
This is the conversion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ in the very moment of consecration. While not denying the doctrine of Transubstantiation, the Universal Christian Church of the New Jerusalem (UCCNJ™) believes that the time has come to fully understand the essence and the substance of the words of Jesus: «The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life». In this respect, everyone is invited to live in Communion with Christ, with heart, soul and spirit, to feed on His infinite Love and share in His eternal Life.
Purgatory exists (Council of Lyons, 1274 a.C., Council of Florence, 1439 a.C. and Council of Trent, 1545-1563 a.C.).
It is the condition of those who die in God’s grace but, although destined for eternal salvation, still need purification to enter the heavenly bliss.
Immaculate Conception (dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius IX on December 8th, 1854).
The Virgin Mary was conceived pure, without original sin. That is, She was preserved from the universal condemnation of sin since Her conception.
Pontifical infallibility (Vatican Council I, July 18th, 1870).
The Pontiff must be considered infallible when he speaks ‘ex cathedra’, that is, when he exerts his “supreme office as Pastor and Doctor of all Christians” and “defines a doctrine about faith and morals”. Therefore, what established by him binds the whole Church forever. Infallibility is such when the Pontiff acts under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Assumption of Mary (dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1st, 1950).
The Virgin Mary, at the end of the course of her earthly life, was “assumed” into Heaven in body and soul, alongside her Son and God the Father.
～
With the Renewal of the New Covenant between the Father and his people:
Mary Most Holy is the Universal Coredemptrix (dogma proclaimed by Pontiff Samuel on December 22nd, 2019).
Mary is Coredemptrix of humanity. Mary has conquered and conquers the world, to redeem, together with Her Son, the world. Mary, with Her Son, through Her Son and in Her Son, saves, in the inseparable union of Heart, Soul and Spirit.
