At the recitation of the Nicene Creed, we say, “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” The Catholic Church possesses these four marks, clear signs by which all people can recognize her as the true Church founded by Jesus Christ.

She is one

The Catholic Church is one because her members are united in doctrine, in worship, and in government.

Father John Hardon, SJ, author of The Question and Answer Catholic Catechism, points out the unity of faith and the unity of Communion in the Catholic Church.

Unity of faith means that “those who belong to the Church believe the same faith proposed to them by the Church.” Catholics today hold the same faith that Catholics in the past held.

Unity of Communion means that “the faithful are submissive to the authority of the bishops under the Roman Pontiff. It also describes the mutual bond among the members themselves because they are joined together socially in sharing the same sacraments and forms of worship as channels of divine grace.”

All Catholics are under the authority of the Pope, the Vicar of Christ. The Catholic Church is truly “one fold” with “one Shepherd.”

She is holy

The Catholic Church is holy because she was founded by Jesus Christ, Who is all-holy. She is holy because she teaches holy doctrines and provides the means of leading a holy life.

Prayer and sacraments are the powerful means for holiness provided by the Church. Through these means, the Church produces holy members in her saints and martyrs.

The Catholic Church has the gift of miracles, which is a sign of holiness. Holy souls proposed for canonization must have worked one miracle before beatification and one more before canonization.

Works of holiness are performed by the Catholic Church everywhere in the world. The Catholic Church instructs numerous children, cares for the sick and the poor, and carries out all kinds of missionary and charitable activities.

She is catholic

The Baltimore Catechism states: “The Catholic Church is catholic or universal because, destined to last for all time, it never fails to fulfill the divine commandment to teach all nations all the truths revealed by God.”

The Catholic Church teaches all the doctrines that Christ commanded His apostles to teach. She teaches all peoples of every nation and admits all into her communion.

Father Hardon wrote, “The Church is universal because Christ wants everyone to belong. Rich and poor, the learned and unlearned, are welcome. No people or culture is to be excluded from what the Saviour instituted to be the universal sacrament of salvation.”

She is apostolic

The Catholic Church was founded by Christ on the apostles, and has always been governed by their lawful successors. The Catholic Church never ceases to teach the doctrine of the apostles.

The Church derives all her holy orders, doctrines, and mission from the apostles. The apostles handed on their powers to others by the laying on of hands. The successors of the apostles are the bishops who are validly consecrated and are in communion with the visible head of the Church, the bishop of Rome.

The Catholic Church holds intact the doctrine and traditions of the apostles, to whom Christ gave authority to teach. The Catholic Church today believes the same truths which the apostles preached and believed.

“The only voice that is certainly of God in the Church is the voice of the Vicar of Christ, and the voice of the hierarchy who are united with him,” Father Hardon says.

「尼西亞信經」經文唸道：「我信唯一、至聖、至公、從宗徒傳下來的教會」—— 同時這也是我們天主教的標記 —— 藉着這四個標記，眾人都認識天主教是耶穌基督親自創立真正宗教。

唯一

天主教教會內，眾人都在唯一的教理、欽崇和轄權內，團結一致。

耶穌會會士、若望.赫頓神父指出在天主教會內有「信仰的統一」和「共融的統一」。

「信仰的統一」是指天主教的信徒偕信仰同一的教理；這些教理是聖教會所教導的。今日的教友堅信昔日的教友所信的教理。

「共融的統一」是指信徒們偕服從在羅馬教宗權下的主教們。「共融的統一」也指信徒們之間因同一的聖事和禮儀在聖寵內共融。

普世的天主教徒都是在主耶穌在世的代表—教宗—的治理權下。天主教確實是「一牧、一棧」。

至聖

天主教教會是至聖的，因為她是至聖的耶穌基督所創立；她是至聖的，因為她教授至聖的道理，予導人成聖的德育；她更提供成聖的方法—-祈禱和聖事—-使人漸臻聖境，因此造就了眾多的精修及殉道聖人。

天主教的聖蹟特恩，是另一種至聖標記；這標記，被教會視作對有關聖賢宣福或宣聖的指引及啟示。

天主教教會的傳教輔導、慈老育幼、扶貧護病等濟世善功，皆屬神聖的使命，惠及寰宇。

至公

博迪模要理手冊詮釋：「天主教教會是大公或普世性的，因為她與世並存，要把天主啟示的真理無誤地教誨萬民。」

天主教秉承宗徒們的遺訓，將耶穌基督的教理，完完本本地傳授，以期各個國家的普世萬民，都能進入聖教會的共融之內。

若望.赫頓神父寫道：「天主教教會是普世性的，因為基督願意所有的人都屬於她。不論貧窮富裕、飽學文盲都歡迎加入。沒有任何人種會被拒於救主建立的普世救恩聖事之外。」

從宗徒傳下來

天主教是基督親自創立於眾宗徒之上，並世世代代由宗徒們的合法繼任者們所治理。天主教會不停地向世人宣告那些來自宗徒們的道理。

聖教會的一切神職權柄、教義真理、和廣傳救恩的使命，都來自宗徒們的。主教們藉神品聖事和與羅馬主教的共融，成為宗徒們的合法繼任者。

天主教教會完整地保持着宗徒們的教義和傳統。今日天主教所信仰和教導的真理與當年宗徒們從基督所接受和親授的真理是相同的。

若望.赫頓神父强調：「在教會內唯一肯定是由天主來的聲音，就是基督的代表[教宗] 的聲音，以及與他共融的聖統的聲音。」