The Creed, or Profession of Faith, is proclaimed by Roman Catholics at each Sunday Mass and other solemnities (see Chapter 19). This prayer succinctly, yet powerfully, encapsulates the core beliefs of Roman Catholics. Developed through an evolutionary process and finalized at the second ecumenical council, held at Constantinople in 381, the Creed is a radical statement of faith that exemplifies the countercultural nature of Roman Catholicism in the twenty-first century. For those who profess its teachings, it stands as a testimony to a system of belief often not fully appreciated today.