The Catholic Church affirms the traditional reading of John 1:1 as asserting the divine nature of the Word (Logos). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (§§ 241-242) interprets the Prologue to John as establishing the pre-existence and divinity of Christ, and this interpretation is foundational to Catholic Christology. The phrase 'kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai ho Logos ēn Theos' is read to mean the Word was distinct from the Father yet possessed the same divine nature.

This interpretation aligns with the Council of Nicaea I (325), which used the term 'homoousios' (of one substance) to describe the relationship between Father and Son. The Vulgate translation, widely used in Catholic tradition, renders this passage in a way that emphasizes the divinity claim. Catholic exegesis, drawing on the Greek Fathers and St. Augustine, interprets this verse as the opening statement of John's Christological argument throughout the Gospel.