One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church

One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase that appears partly in the Apostles Creed ("the holy catholic church") and fully in the Nicene Creed. (Creeds are common statements of doctrine in Christianity.) It refers to the premise that all true Christians belong to a single united group, which was founded by the apostles and which remains holy. However, opinions vary within different parts of Christianity on how to define or interpret that grouping. In this case, "catholic" means universal (from the Greek katholikos).

The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and the Anglican Communion claim that the phrase is explicitly referring to an unbroken and personal lineage from Christ and his disciples symbolized in the laying on of hands when a priest is ordained. This is the Apostolic Succession. With this practice comes the conviction that branches of Christianity which do not claim descent from the apostolic succession have not properly ordained their leadership as Christ taught. Implicitly, then, such churches are mere sects.

The tradition within the Protestant churches is more complicated. Anglicans of the 'high church' or 'Anglo-Catholic' tradition define themselves as part of the 'Catholic Communion' associated with the apostolic succession, but not in submission to the Roman Church. Like Roman Catholicism and the various Orthodox Churches, they share similar beliefs in the sacraments and a use of ritual in church ceremonial. However while many Protestants and the majority of Anglicans also affirm the Nicene Creed, they believe that no one denomination embodies the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church referred to in the Creed to exclude all others. Instead, they believe that this Church is the aggregation of all true Christians, likely encompassing multiple denominations but whose full membership is known only to God.