History of the Roman Catholic Church
Encyclopedia : H : HI : HIS : History of the Roman Catholic Church
The History of the Catholic Church covers a period of just under two thousand years, making the Church one of the oldest religious institutions in history. As the oldest branch of Christianity, the history of the 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 was directional in the formation of civilization as we know it. Yet, the Catholic Church is basically unchanged in its substantial teachings and organisation since the dawn of the Christian era in the first century.
Over time schismatic religious groups have parted ways with the Catholic Church, the two most important being Orthodox Christianity and the movement of Protestantism. The Catholic Church has been the moving force in some of the major events of world history including the Evangelization of Europe and Latin America, 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 Catholic Church are as follows.
Prologue: The ministry of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 4 BC — AD 33)
The Catholic Church was founded on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, known as Jesus Christ, "Christ" meaning the same as "Messiah". Jesus was a carpenter from the region of Galilee and observed the Jewish faith. Catholicism thus considers itself a successor religion to Judaism with the Christian God and the God of the Jews seen as one and the same.
When Jesus was about thirty years of age (Luke 3:23), he left the town of Nazareth and began a ministry of preaching and miraculous healing. In his preaching, he called for repentance (Mark 1:15), presenting God as a loving Father always ready to forgive. He also called on people to imitate the goodness and love of God towards all. He gained a following of people who saw him as a Rabbi, and in some cases wondered if he could be the Messiah; but he provoked the opposition of the religious leadership, who saw his teaching as contrary to traditional doctrine and practice, and felt that his hints about his own personal identity were blasphemous.
The final days of Jesus occurred in Jerusalem when Jesus was approximately in his mid 30s. Arrested by the Sanhedrin and charged with blasphemy, Jesus proclaimed himself the Messiah to the Sanhedrin, and he was handed over to authorities of the Roman Empire, who ruled the region as Iudaea Province, and who sentenced him to death after much persuasion from Jewish authorities. So began the Passion of Christ where Jesus was scourged, beaten, and crucified.
Some of his followers were convinced that, three days after Jesus died, he rose from the dead and sought them out. To Simon Peter, Jesus had earlier stated that he would entrust to him the keys to Heaven and that upon the rock of Peter he would found his Church. The Catholic Church sees its history as beginning 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.
- C. AD 30: Major preachings of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount. The teachings of Jesus were later spread by several Apostles, and formed much of the material of the Gospels.
- C. AD 33: Jesus of Nazareth is crucified by Roman Empire authorities after Jewish leaders in Jerusalem accuse Jesus of blasphemy. He is believed to have been raised from the dead by God three days later, and to have instructed his followers to baptize and form disciples who would constitute his Church, with Saint Peter as its leader, a position that passed to the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope.
- 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.) He is also believed to be the first to advocate rejection of the Sabbath.
- 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.
- C. 195: Pope Victor I, first Latin Pope, excommunicated the Quartodecimans in a growing Easter controversy.
- C. 200: Tertullian, first great Latin Christian writer, invented terms Trinitas, "tres Personae, una Substantia", Vetus Testamentum, Novum Testamentum.
- 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.
- C. 250: Pope Fabian sends out seven bishops from Rome to Gaul to preach the Gospel: Gatien to Tours, Trophimus to Arles, Paul to Narbonne, Saturnin to Toulouse, Denis to Paris, Austromoine to Clermont, and Martial to Limoges.
- 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 (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 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. See also Biblical Canon.
- 391: The Theodosian decrees outlaw most Pagan rituals still practiced 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 Catholicism.
Church of the Early Middle Ages (Key Dates
- 480: St Benedict begins his Monastic Rule, setting out regulations for the establisment of monasteries.
- 496: Clovis I pagan King of the Franks, converts to the Catholic faith.
- 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.
- 638: Christian Jerusalem and Syria conquered by Muslim armies.
- 642: Egypt falls to the Muslims, followed by the rest of North Africa.
- 664: The Synod of Whitby unites the Celtic Church in England with the Catholic Church.
- 711: Muslim armies invade Spain
- 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.
- 756: Popes granted independent rule of Rome by King Pepin the Short of the Franks.
- 793: Sacking of the monastery of Lindisfarne marks the beginning of Viking raids on Christian Europe.
Church of the High Middle Ages (
- 800: King Charlemagne of the Franks is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in the West by Pope Leo III.
- 829: Ansgar begins missionary work in Sweden near Stockholm.
- 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.
Notre-Dame Cathedral - designed in the Gothic architectural style.
- 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 the dangerous Cathar Heresy, at the Council of Toulouse.
- 1231: Charter of the University of Paris granted by Pope Gregory IX.
- 1305: French influence causes the Pope to move from Rome to Avignon.
- 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 (
- 1517 - Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences.
- 1521 - Baptism of the first Catholics in the Philippines, the first Christian nation in Asia. This event is commemorated with the feast of the Sto. Niño.
- 1531 - Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to have appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico, the country with the second largest Catholic population in the world.
- 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 in the Age of Reason (
- 1638 - Shimabara Rebellion leads to a repression of Catholics, and all Christians, in Japan.
- 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 and 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
- 1769 - Junípero Serra establishes Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of the Spanish missions in California
- 1773 - Suppression of the Jesuits
- 1789 - John Carroll becomes the Bishop of Baltimore, the first bishop in the United States
- 1793 - French Republican Calendar and anti-clerical measures
- 1798 - Pope Pius VI taken prisoner
- 1847 - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem resumes residence in Jerusalem.
- 1850 - The Archdiocese of Westminster and twelve other dioceses are erected, reestablishing a hierarchy in the United Kingdom.
- 1852 - The First Plenary Council of Baltimore was held in the United States.
- 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.
- 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 giving aid to downed 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 defined as dogma.
- 1962-1965: Second Vatican Council, the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic church brought many changes in practices, including an increased emphasis on ecumenism; fewer rules on penances, fasting and other devotional practices; and initiating a revision of the services, which were to be slightly simplified and made supposedly more accessible by allowing the use of native languages instead of Latin. Opposition to changes inspired by the Council gave rise to the movement of Traditionalist Catholics who disagree with changing the old forms of worship.
- 1970: Novus Ordo Mass in vernacular languages introduced. This replaces the Tridentine Mass which was said principally in Latin.
- 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.
Benedict XVI, the first Pope elected in the 21st century
The Catholic Church began the 21st century by celebrating the third Christian millennium with the motto "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
It faces the challenge of upholding its religious doctrine in a typically liberal society, in which it comes under heavy criticism from some quarters for its traditional teaching on such issues as birth control, abortion, and women in the priesthood.
While still maintaining that the Church "is necessary for salvation", and that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it",[link] it continues its dialogue with other religious traditions, even outside Christianity, in search of greater mutual understanding and in the hope of attaining greater visible unity among Christians.
It suffered a major scandal in the United States of America when, in 2002, widespread reports began to circulate of several priests who had been involved in molesting teenagers and in child abuse.
In the spring of 2005, the Catholic Church was placed in the centre of world attention following the death of Pope John Paul II. In the age of modern media, the Pope's death and funeral were broadcast for the world, 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. The Church solemnizes the start of the third Christian millennium by extending into part of the year 2001 the jubilee year that it observes at 25-year intervals and that, in the case of the year 2000, it called the Great Jubilee.
- 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 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 modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- April 19, 2005: German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming the first Pope elected during the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.
See also
Key Dates
- 480: St Benedict begins his Monastic Rule, setting out regulations for the establisment of monasteries.
- 496: Clovis I pagan King of the Franks, converts to the Catholic faith.
- 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.
- 638: Christian Jerusalem and Syria conquered by Muslim armies.
- 642: Egypt falls to the Muslims, followed by the rest of North Africa.
- 664: The Synod of Whitby unites the Celtic Church in England with the Catholic Church.
- 711: Muslim armies invade Spain
- 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.
- 756: Popes granted independent rule of Rome by King Pepin the Short of the Franks.
- 793: Sacking of the monastery of Lindisfarne marks the beginning of Viking raids on Christian Europe.
Church of the High Middle Ages (
- 800: King Charlemagne of the Franks is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in the West by Pope Leo III.
- 829: Ansgar begins missionary work in Sweden near Stockholm.
- 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.
Notre-Dame Cathedral - designed in the Gothic architectural style.
- 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 the dangerous Cathar Heresy, at the Council of Toulouse.
- 1231: Charter of the University of Paris granted by Pope Gregory IX.
- 1305: French influence causes the Pope to move from Rome to Avignon.
- 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 (
- 1517 - Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences.
- 1521 - Baptism of the first Catholics in the Philippines, the first Christian nation in Asia. This event is commemorated with the feast of the Sto. Niño.
- 1531 - Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to have appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico, the country with the second largest Catholic population in the world.
- 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 in the Age of Reason (
- 1638 - Shimabara Rebellion leads to a repression of Catholics, and all Christians, in Japan.
- 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 and 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
- 1769 - Junípero Serra establishes Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of the Spanish missions in California
- 1773 - Suppression of the Jesuits
- 1789 - John Carroll becomes the Bishop of Baltimore, the first bishop in the United States
- 1793 - French Republican Calendar and anti-clerical measures
- 1798 - Pope Pius VI taken prisoner
- 1847 - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem resumes residence in Jerusalem.
- 1850 - The Archdiocese of Westminster and twelve other dioceses are erected, reestablishing a hierarchy in the United Kingdom.
- 1852 - The First Plenary Council of Baltimore was held in the United States.
- 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.
- 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 giving aid to downed 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 defined as dogma.
- 1962-1965: Second Vatican Council, the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic church brought many changes in practices, including an increased emphasis on ecumenism; fewer rules on penances, fasting and other devotional practices; and initiating a revision of the services, which were to be slightly simplified and made supposedly more accessible by allowing the use of native languages instead of Latin. Opposition to changes inspired by the Council gave rise to the movement of Traditionalist Catholics who disagree with changing the old forms of worship.
- 1970: Novus Ordo Mass in vernacular languages introduced. This replaces the Tridentine Mass which was said principally in Latin.
- 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.
Benedict XVI, the first Pope elected in the 21st century
The Catholic Church began the 21st century by celebrating the third Christian millennium with the motto "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
It faces the challenge of upholding its religious doctrine in a typically liberal society, in which it comes under heavy criticism from some quarters for its traditional teaching on such issues as birth control, abortion, and women in the priesthood.
While still maintaining that the Church "is necessary for salvation", and that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it",[link] it continues its dialogue with other religious traditions, even outside Christianity, in search of greater mutual understanding and in the hope of attaining greater visible unity among Christians.
It suffered a major scandal in the United States of America when, in 2002, widespread reports began to circulate of several priests who had been involved in molesting teenagers and in child abuse.
In the spring of 2005, the Catholic Church was placed in the centre of world attention following the death of Pope John Paul II. In the age of modern media, the Pope's death and funeral were broadcast for the world, 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. The Church solemnizes the start of the third Christian millennium by extending into part of the year 2001 the jubilee year that it observes at 25-year intervals and that, in the case of the year 2000, it called the Great Jubilee.
- 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 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 modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- April 19, 2005: German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming the first Pope elected during the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.
See also
- 1517 - Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses, protesting the sale of indulgences.
- 1521 - Baptism of the first Catholics in the Philippines, the first Christian nation in Asia. This event is commemorated with the feast of the Sto. Niño.
- 1531 - Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to have appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico, the country with the second largest Catholic population in the world.
- 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 in the Age of Reason (
- 1638 - Shimabara Rebellion leads to a repression of Catholics, and all Christians, in Japan.
- 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 and 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
- 1769 - Junípero Serra establishes Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of the Spanish missions in California
- 1773 - Suppression of the Jesuits
- 1789 - John Carroll becomes the Bishop of Baltimore, the first bishop in the United States
- 1793 - French Republican Calendar and anti-clerical measures
- 1798 - Pope Pius VI taken prisoner
- 1847 - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem resumes residence in Jerusalem.
- 1850 - The Archdiocese of Westminster and twelve other dioceses are erected, reestablishing a hierarchy in the United Kingdom.
- 1852 - The First Plenary Council of Baltimore was held in the United States.
- 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.
- 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 giving aid to downed 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 defined as dogma.
- 1962-1965: Second Vatican Council, the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic church brought many changes in practices, including an increased emphasis on ecumenism; fewer rules on penances, fasting and other devotional practices; and initiating a revision of the services, which were to be slightly simplified and made supposedly more accessible by allowing the use of native languages instead of Latin. Opposition to changes inspired by the Council gave rise to the movement of Traditionalist Catholics who disagree with changing the old forms of worship.
- 1970: Novus Ordo Mass in vernacular languages introduced. This replaces the Tridentine Mass which was said principally in Latin.
- 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.
Benedict XVI, the first Pope elected in the 21st century
The Catholic Church began the 21st century by celebrating the third Christian millennium with the motto "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
It faces the challenge of upholding its religious doctrine in a typically liberal society, in which it comes under heavy criticism from some quarters for its traditional teaching on such issues as birth control, abortion, and women in the priesthood.
While still maintaining that the Church "is necessary for salvation", and that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it",[link] it continues its dialogue with other religious traditions, even outside Christianity, in search of greater mutual understanding and in the hope of attaining greater visible unity among Christians.
It suffered a major scandal in the United States of America when, in 2002, widespread reports began to circulate of several priests who had been involved in molesting teenagers and in child abuse.
In the spring of 2005, the Catholic Church was placed in the centre of world attention following the death of Pope John Paul II. In the age of modern media, the Pope's death and funeral were broadcast for the world, 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. The Church solemnizes the start of the third Christian millennium by extending into part of the year 2001 the jubilee year that it observes at 25-year intervals and that, in the case of the year 2000, it called the Great Jubilee.
- 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 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 modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- April 19, 2005: German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming the first Pope elected during the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.
See also
- 1847 - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem resumes residence in Jerusalem.
- 1850 - The Archdiocese of Westminster and twelve other dioceses are erected, reestablishing a hierarchy in the United Kingdom.
- 1852 - The First Plenary Council of Baltimore was held in the United States.
- 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.
- 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 giving aid to downed 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 defined as dogma.
- 1962-1965: Second Vatican Council, the 21st ecumenical council of the Catholic church brought many changes in practices, including an increased emphasis on ecumenism; fewer rules on penances, fasting and other devotional practices; and initiating a revision of the services, which were to be slightly simplified and made supposedly more accessible by allowing the use of native languages instead of Latin. Opposition to changes inspired by the Council gave rise to the movement of Traditionalist Catholics who disagree with changing the old forms of worship.
- 1970: Novus Ordo Mass in vernacular languages introduced. This replaces the Tridentine Mass which was said principally in Latin.
- 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.
Benedict XVI, the first Pope elected in the 21st century
The Catholic Church began the 21st century by celebrating the third Christian millennium with the motto "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
It faces the challenge of upholding its religious doctrine in a typically liberal society, in which it comes under heavy criticism from some quarters for its traditional teaching on such issues as birth control, abortion, and women in the priesthood.
While still maintaining that the Church "is necessary for salvation", and that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it",[link] it continues its dialogue with other religious traditions, even outside Christianity, in search of greater mutual understanding and in the hope of attaining greater visible unity among Christians.
It suffered a major scandal in the United States of America when, in 2002, widespread reports began to circulate of several priests who had been involved in molesting teenagers and in child abuse.
In the spring of 2005, the Catholic Church was placed in the centre of world attention following the death of Pope John Paul II. In the age of modern media, the Pope's death and funeral were broadcast for the world, 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. The Church solemnizes the start of the third Christian millennium by extending into part of the year 2001 the jubilee year that it observes at 25-year intervals and that, in the case of the year 2000, it called the Great Jubilee.
- 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 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 modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- April 19, 2005: German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming the first Pope elected during the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.
See also
The Catholic Church began the 21st century by celebrating the third Christian millennium with the motto "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
It faces the challenge of upholding its religious doctrine in a typically liberal society, in which it comes under heavy criticism from some quarters for its traditional teaching on such issues as birth control, abortion, and women in the priesthood.
While still maintaining that the Church "is necessary for salvation", and that "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it",[link] it continues its dialogue with other religious traditions, even outside Christianity, in search of greater mutual understanding and in the hope of attaining greater visible unity among Christians.
It suffered a major scandal in the United States of America when, in 2002, widespread reports began to circulate of several priests who had been involved in molesting teenagers and in child abuse.
In the spring of 2005, the Catholic Church was placed in the centre of world attention following the death of Pope John Paul II. In the age of modern media, the Pope's death and funeral were broadcast for the world, 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. The Church solemnizes the start of the third Christian millennium by extending into part of the year 2001 the jubilee year that it observes at 25-year intervals and that, in the case of the year 2000, it called the Great Jubilee.
- 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 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 modern media. Millions of Catholic pilgrims journey to Rome, Italy to pay final respects.
- April 19, 2005: German-born Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected by the College of Cardinals as Pope Benedict XVI, thus becoming the first Pope elected during the 21st century and the 3rd millennium.
See also
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