Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est
“What has been believed everywhere, always and by all.”
Vincent of Lérins, Commonitorium 2
What does “Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est” mean?
Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est translates as “What has been believed everywhere, always and by all.”
True Christian doctrine, according to this rule, is what the whole Church has believed everywhere, always and by everyone. It is a test of universality, antiquity and consensus that theologians still discuss.
“Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab …” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Quod | what | relative pronoun (neuter nominative singular); the thing that is believed, understood in each of the three clauses |
| ubique | everywhere | adverb of place |
| quod | what | relative pronoun (neuter nominative singular), repeated for the second clause |
| semper | always | adverb of time |
| quod | what | relative pronoun (neuter nominative singular), repeated for the third clause |
| ab omnibus | by all | preposition ab with the ablative plural of omnis, “all”; ab marks the agent (the people who believe) |
| creditum est | has been believed | perfect passive indicative of credo, “I believe”: creditum (neuter participle) + est, agreeing with quod |
How to pronounce “Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab …”
The two systems differ only slightly: the i in omnibus and creditum is a short “ih” in Classical and a clearer “ee” in Church Latin. Stress falls on OO in ubique, SEM in semper, OM in omnibus and KREH in creditum.
The story behind it
Word for word the line reads “what everywhere, what always, what by all has been believed”. It comes from the Commonitorium, written around 434 by Vincent, a monk of the island monastery of Lérins off southern Gaul, who wrote under the pen name Peregrinus.
Vincent was asking how a believer can tell true Catholic teaching from novelty and error. His answer is that one should hold to what has been believed everywhere (universality), always (antiquity) and by all (consensus).
The rule is often called the Vincentian Canon. Theologians still debate and apply it, especially in discussions of tradition and the development of doctrine.
How to use “Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab …”
An exact epigraph for a theology or church history essay on tradition, orthodoxy or the development of doctrine. It also suits a lecture or a book on the sources of Christian belief.
- Latin
- Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est
- English
- What has been believed everywhere, always and by all.
- Source
- Vincent of Lérins, Commonitorium 2
- Era
- Late Antiquity
- Theme
- Faith
Common mistakes
- The line is not a complete sentence in Vincent’s text. It is the object of the verb tenendum est (“must be held”), so quoting it alone leaves out the command.
- It is often quoted as “what everyone has always believed”. Vincent names three separate tests: place, time and persons.
- The sentence is about doctrine of the Church, not a general claim that popular belief proves a thing true.
- It is sometimes attributed to Augustine or other fathers. The source is Vincent of Lérins.
Questions about “Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab …”
What does “Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est” mean?
It means “what has been believed everywhere, always and by all”. In Vincent of Lérins it is the test of what counts as authentic Catholic doctrine.
Who said “Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus”?
Vincent of Lérins, a monk in Gaul, in his Commonitorium (about 434). It is known as the Vincentian Canon.
What are the three tests in this quote?
Ubique means universality, semper means antiquity and ab omnibus means consensus. Together they are a rule for telling genuine tradition from novelty.
How do you pronounce “Quod ubique, quod semper”?
Classical: kwod OO-bee-kweh, kwod SEM-per. Church Latin sounds nearly the same.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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