History of the Roman Catholic Church
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The History of the Roman Catholic Church covers a period of just under two thousand years, making the Church one of the oldest religious institutions in history. As one of the oldest branches of Christianity, the history of the Roman Catholic Church plays an integral part of the History of Christianity as a whole.
The history of the Catholic Church is vast and complex, covering many different eras in which the Church itself underwent radical and widespread changes. However, the modern day Roman Catholic Church claims to be basically unchanged in its substantial teachings and organisation from the original church of the first century, although some would dispute that.
Over time other religious institutions have broken away from the Roman Catholic Church, one of the most important being the movement of Protestantism. The Catholic Church has been the moving force in some of the major events of world history including the Evangelisation of Europe, the spreading of literacy and the foundation of the Universities, monasticism, the development of Art, Music and Architecture, the Inquisition, the Crusades, and analytical philosophical method.
The various ages of the history of the Roman Catholic Church are as follows.
Prologue: the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth ( c 4 BC – 33 AD)
The Roman Catholic Church was founded on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ. Jesus, himself, was a carpenter from the region of Galilee and practiced as a member of the Jewish faith. Roman Catholicism, therefore, considers itself to be a “successor religion” to Judaism with the Christian God and the God of the Jews seen as one and the same.
The development of the religion which would eventually become Christianity began for Jesus at a young age. Church tradition holds that, sometime in his early teens, Jesus experienced a revelation in the Temple in Jerusalem where he realized that he was the son of God. According to the Gospels, Jesus was found by his parents in the temple, after many hours of being missing, and stated that his parents had only to look for him “in his Father’s house”.
Sometime in his late 20s or early 30s, Jesus declared himself a prophet and left the town of Nazareth to begin his ministry. After gaining a large following, he became known as a Rabbi and preached a practice of universal brotherhood, forgiveness of all sins, and love of one's enemy. Much of what Jesus preached went against traditional Jewish doctrine, and he soon became known as a somewhat radical figure.
The final days of Jesus occurred in Jerusalem when Jesus was approximately in his mid 30s. After several incidents in the Temple of Jerusalem, among them overturning a moneylending table and declaring the Temple corrupt, Jesus was arrested by the Sanhedrin and charged with blasphemy. Jesus proclaimed himself the Messiah to the Sanhedrin, at which time he was handed over to authorities of the Roman Empire, who sentenced him to death after much persuasion from Jewish authorities. So began the Passion of Christ where Jesus was scourged, beaten, and crucified.
According to Church tradition, three days after Jesus died he rose from the dead and sought out his followers. To Simon Peter, Jesus stated that he was entrusting unto him the keys to Heaven and that upon the rock of Peter, Jesus would found his Church. The Roman Catholic Church states its history begins at this point, with Saint Peter as the first Pope.
Key Dates
- c.4 BC: Jesus of Nazareth is born in the town of Bethlehem. Church doctrine states that Jesus was the son of the Virgin Mary and that his father was the Holy Spirit, making Jesus the Son of God.
Although Jesus is regarded as having been born on December 25th in the year 1 AD, Church history places a date of birth more likely sometime in the spring or early summer between 6 and 4 BC.
- c.10 AD: According to Church tradition, Jesus experiences a revelation in the Temple of Jerusalem, where he realizes that he is the Son of God. When his parents find him after several hours of being missing, Jesus states that they had only to look for him "in his Father's house".
- c.25 AD: Jesus declares himself a prophet and leaves Nazareth to begin his ministry. According to Church tradition, shortly thereafter Jesus wandered into the desert where he encountered the Devil. Satan attempted to tempt and corrupt Jesus, to which Jesus resisted and reaffirmed himself as the Son of God.
- c.30 AD: Major preachings and prophecies of Jesus. The teachings of Jesus were recorded during this time period by several Apostles whose written works would later form the Gospel.
- c.33 AD: Jesus of Nazareth is crucified by Roman Empire authorities after Jewish leaders in Jerusalem accuse Jesus of blasphemy. According to Church doctrine, three days after Jesus died he rose from the dead and instructed his followers to continue his teachings and work and establish a new church, with Saint Peter as its head, the first Bishop of Rome, who later comes to be known as the Pope of the Catholic Church.
Early Catholic Church (34 AD – 313 AD)
Key dates
- c. 55 - 67 AD: The ministry of Paul of Tarsus , a convert who proclaimed himself "Apostle to the Gentiles" equal to the 12 apostles in the immediate circle of Jesus, in opposition to James the Just in Jerusalem and the Jewish Christians. He travelled the Eastern Mediterranean preaching and proselytizing.
- 69 AD: The first organized persecution of Christians at Rome, under Nero; Peter is martyred. He is succeeded by Saint Linus as Pope.
- c. 70?: A collection of Paul's Epistles begins to circulate among Pauline Christians.
- c. 70 - c 90 AD: Several narrative Greek gospels circulate, including the Synoptic Gospels and Gospel of Peter (later condemned).
- c. 90 - 120: The Gospel of John and a Book of Revelations are written.
- c 110: Ignatius of Antioch uses the term Catholic Church in a letter to the church at Smyrna (Date disputed, some insist it was a forgery written in 250 or later. Others insist he merely meant "catholic", small "c", as in Universal.)
- c 150: First known versions of the Vetus Latina are circulated among Christian communities: these Latin translations of Koine Greek and Hebrew scriptures will become the foundation for the later formation of the Bible.
- c 155: The teachings of Marcion, the gnostic Valentinus and pentecostal Montanists cause disruptions in the Roman community. Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire continues.
- c 180: Irenaeus' Adversus Haereses brings the concept of "heresy" to the fore, excluding all nonconforming Christians and establishing a "fourfold" canon of gospels.
- January 20, 250: Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Pope Fabian is martyred during this purge; afterwards the Donatist controversy over readmitting lapsed Christians disaffects many in North Africa.
- October 28, 312: Emperor Constantine leads the forces of the Roman Empire to victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. According to Church tradition, the night before the battle Constantine had a vision that he would achieve victory if he fought under the Symbol of Christ. After winning the battle, under which his soldiers had bore the Christian Cross on their shields, Constantine converted to Christianity, though he wasn't actually baptized till just before death.
Church of the Roman Empire (313 AD – 476 AD)
Key Dates
- 313: The Edict of Milan declares the Roman Empire neutral towards religious views, in effect ending the persecution of Christians.
- 321: Granting the Church the right to hold property, Constantine donates the palace of the Laterani to Bishop Miltiades, with its Basilica of San Giovanni for his episcopal seat.
- c 325: The Arian controversy erupts in Alexandria, causing widespread violence and disruptions among Christians, inspiring Constantine to evoke
- 325: The First Council of Nicaea, which establishes the Nicene Creed, declaring the belief of orthodox Trinitarian Christians in the Holy Trinity. The form of the Nicene Creed has undergone controversy over the Filioque clause but is still used by the Roman Catholic Church to this day.
- November 24, 380: Emperor Theodosius I is baptised a Christian and declares Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.
- 382: The Council of Rome under Pope Damasus I sets the Canon of the Bible, listing the accepted books of the Old Testament and the New Testament. No others are to be considered scripture.
- 391: The Theodosian decrees outlaw most Pagan rituals still practed in Rome, thereby encouraging much of the population to convert to Christianity.
- 400:Jerome's Vulgate Latin Bible translation is published. This is a highly influential compilation of Old Testament and New Testament bible books that become the basis for the Bible which is known today.
- 431: The Council of Ephesus declares that Jesus existed both as Man and God simultaneously, clarifying his status in the Holy Trinity. The meaning of the Nicene Creed is also declared a permanent holy text of the early church.
- September 4, 476: Emperor Romulus Augustus is deposed in Rome, marked by many as the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The focus of the early Church switches to expanding in the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, with its capitol at Constantinople. Eventually the Church splits into Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism.
Church of the Dark Ages (476 AD – 850 AD)
Key Dates
- 480: St Benedict begins his Monastic Rule, setting out regulations for the establisment of monasteries.
- 502: Pope Symmachus ruled that laymen should no longer vote for the popes and that only higher clergy should be considered eligible.
- 590: Pope Gregory the Great. Reforms church structure and administration. Establishes Gregorian Chant.
- 596: Saint Augustine of Canterbury sent by Pope Gregory to evangelise the pagan English.
- 664: The Synod of Whitby unites the Celtic Church in England with the Catholic Church.
- 718: Saint Boniface, an Englishman, given commission by Pope Gregory II to evangelise the Germans.
- 726: Iconoclasm begins in the eastern Empire. The destruction of images persists until 843.
- 732: Muslim advance into Western Europe halted by Charles Martel at Poitiers, France.
- 793: Sacking of the monastery of Lindisfarne marks the beginning of Viking raids on Christian Europe.
Church of the Middle Ages (800 AD – 1499 AD)
- 800: King Charlemagne of the Franks is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in the West by Pope Leo III.
- 863: Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius sent by the Patriarch of Constantinople to evangelise the Slavic peoples. They translate the Bible into Slavonic.
- 910: Great Benedictine monastery of Cluny rejuvenates western monasticism. Monasteries spread throughout the isolated regions of Western Europe.
- 1003: Pope John XVII dies 5 months after installation, making this year one of the few when 3 legitimate popes reigned.
- 1012: Burchard of Worms completes his twenty-volume Decretum of canon law.
- 1054: Liturgical and other divisions cause a permanent split between the Eastern and Western Churches, known as the Great Schism.
- 1095: Pope Urban II preaches a Crusade to defend the eastern Christians, and pilgrims to the Holy Land at the Council of Clermont.
- 1098: Foundation of the reforming monastery of Citeaux, leads to the growth of the Cistercian order.
- 1099: Recapture of Jerusalem by the 1st Crusade.
- 1144: The Saint Denis Basilica of Abbot Suger is the first major building in the style of Gothic architecture.
- 1150: Publication of Decretum Gratiani.
- 1205: Saint Francis of Assisi becomes a hermit, founding the Franciscan order of friars.
- 1229: Inquisition founded in response to Cathar heresy, at the Council of Toulouse.
- 1231: Charter of the University of Paris granted by Pope Gregory IX.
- 1370: Saint Catherine of Siena calls on the Pope to return to Rome.
- 1378: Western Schism. Opposing Popes elected in Avignon and Rome.
Church of the Renaissance (1500 AD – 1629 AD)
- 1517 - Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences.
- 1534 - Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six others, including Francis Xavier met in Montmartre outside Paris to found the missionary Jesuit Order.
- 1536 to 1540 - Dissolution of the Monasteries in England, Wales and Ireland.
- 1540 - Pope Paul III confirmed the order of the Society of Jesus.
- 1545 to 1563 - Council of Trent convened, to prepare the Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation. Its rulings set the tone of Catholic society for in least three centuries.
- 1568 - St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazianzus, St. Athanasius and St. Thomas Aquinas all made Doctor of the Church
- 1577 - Teresa of Avila writes The Interior Castle, one of the classic works of Catholic mysticism
- 1582 - Beginning of the Gregorian Calendar and adoption of it by Italy, Spain, and Portugal
- 1593 - Robert Bellarmine finishes his Disputationes de controversiis christianae fidei
- 1598 - Papal role in Peace of Vervins
Church of the Age of Reason (1630 AD – 1799 AD)
- 1655 - Queen Christina of Sweden confirmed in baptism by Pope Alexander VII
- 1685 - Louis XIV revokes The Edict of Nantes in hopes of currying Papal favor
- 1691 - Pope Innocent XII declares against nepotism ans simony
- 1713 - Encyclical Unigenitus condemns Jansenism
- 1715 - Clement XI rules against the Jesuits in the Chinese Rites controversy
- 1721 - Kangxi Emperor bans Christian missions in China
- 1738 - Grey Nuns founded
- 1769 - Passionist order granted full rights by Clement XIV
- 1773 - Suppression of the Jesuits
- 1793 - French Republican Calendar and anti-clerical measures
- 1798 - Pope Pius VI taken prisoner
19th Century Catholic Church (1800 AD – 1899 AD)
- 1870: First Vatican Council issues the dogma of papal infallibility among other issues before the fall of Rome in the Franco-Prussian War causes it to end prematurely and brings an end to the Papal States. Controversy over several issues leads to the formation of the Old Catholic Church.
20th Century Catholic Church (1901 AD – 2000 AD)
- 1929: The Lateran treaties establish an independent Vatican City resolving the dispute with Italy since the seizure of the Papal States in 1870.
- 1939: World War II begins in Europe. The Vatican declares neutrality to avoid being drawn into the conflict and also to avoid occupation by the Italian military.
- 1944: The German Army occupies Rome. Adolf Hitler proclaims he will respect Vatican neutrality; however several incidents, such as Vatican aide to down Allied airmen, nearly cause Nazi Germany to invade the Vatican. Rome is liberated by the Allies after only a few weeks of occupation.
- 1950: The Assumption of Mary is adopted as dogma.
- 1962-1965: Second Vatican Council, the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic church brought many changes including making the services more relevant by using native languages instead of Latin. This gave rise to the Traditionalist Catholics who disagree with changing the old forms of worship.
- 1978: Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in 450 years.
- 1992: A Catechism of the Catholic Church is first printed in French.
- Late 20th century: Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal in several countries.
21st Century Catholic Church (2001 AD – PRESENT)
The 21st century Roman Catholic Church faces the challenge of maintaining conservative religious doctrine in a typically liberal society. The modern day church has also come under heavy criticism from some quarters for maintaining traditional teaching on such issues as birth control, abortion, and women in the priesthood.
The Roman Catholic Church, however, has adopted more lenient stances on certain issues, in particular the statement that one does not have to be a Catholic to receive access to God’s grace; the intent being that other world religions such as Judaism, Islam, and the Eastern Religions all share (to lesser extent) an element of the moral teaching given by Jesus and therefore such religions are indirectly accepting Christ as savior.
The Roman Catholic Church began the 21st century by dealing with the question of the new millennium, and the doctrine and precedents that the church would be setting for the centuries to come. The church also suffered a major scandal when, in 2002, widespread reports began to circulate of several priests in the USA who had been involved in the molestation and child abuse of young boys.
In the spring of 2005, the Roman Catholic Church was placed on world display following the death of Pope John Paul II. In the age of modern media, the Pope’s death and funeral was broadcast for the world to see while millions of Catholic pilgrims journeyed to Rome to pay final respects.
Key Dates
- January 1, 2001: The 21st century and the new millennium begin. Church leaders announce the challenges and tasks which lie ahead and set the tone for a more liberal and modern Roman Catholic Church.
- January 18, 2002: Former Priest John Geoghan is convicted of child molestation and sentenced to ten years in prison. The Geoghan case was one of the worst scandals of the Roman Catholic Church in modern times.
- April 2, 2005: Pope John Paul II dies at the age of 84. His funeral is broadcast to every corner of the globe through the means of modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- April 19, 2005: German born Joseph Ratzinger is elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming the first Pope of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.