The History of the Church
God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to bring people of every land and nation both healing and new life. For 2000 years the Church has responded to Christ's call "Proclaim the Good News". The interaction between the Church and world, at times wonderful and good and at other times painful and sorrowful has changed both. While there are a variety of ways of looking at the history below are some highlights.
God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to bring people of every land and nation both healing and new life. For 2000 years the Church has responded to Christ's call "Proclaim the Good News". The interaction between the Church and world, at times wonderful and good and at other times painful and sorrowful has changed both. While there are a variety of ways of looking at the history below are some highlights.
Overview: History of the Catholic Church
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Church Foundations 30 -440AD
The first four hundred years of the Church experienced dramatic growth and painful struggle to survive.
Church Foundations 30 -440AD
The first four hundred years of the Church experienced dramatic growth and painful struggle to survive.
On Easter Sunday Mary Magdalene ran to tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord, yet even after the Risen Christ appeared to them, they remained skeptical and fearful until the day of Pentecost. Then the Spirit promised by Christ came upon the disciples in the form of wind and fire. Filled with courage and conviction, they proclaimed the Good News of God's Kingdom as revealed by Jesus. On the day of Pentecost 3,000 people were baptized.
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Saul, a dedicated Pharisee, began to persecute the followers of Christ. As he made his way to the city of Damascus the Lord appeared to him. Saul experienced a conversion in the very depths of his heart. Saul, who later took the name Paul, became a great preacher to those who were not Jews, the Gentiles. Eventually the Christian Community, the Church, had to decide whether the Gentiles had to become Jews, that is become circumcised and follow Jewish laws, before they could become Christians. At the Council of Jerusalem held around 50 AD, the Church decided they did not have to so. This decision enabled the Church to grow rapidly.
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From 60 - 312 AD persecutions of Christians were sporadic but severe. As a result Christians dispersed to various areas of the Roman Empire. During this time several plagues through the Roman world. Many were converted to Christianity because they saw how Christians risked their lives to care for their sick neighbors and gave up their lives as martyrs for their beliefs.
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In 312 AD Constantine consolidated his position as Roman Emperor with his victory at the Malvian bridge. Attributing his victory to the "Sign of the Cross" he had seen in the heavens and realizing that Christians were an asset to the Empire he issued the Edict of Milan in 313 putting an end to all persecutions. Constantine also built churches for the Christians. In 325 AD he convened the Council of Nicea, a gathering of Bishops, to clarify the relationships between the three persons of the Trinity and to proclaim that Christ was truly divine. In 330 AD, having put down a revolt in the Eastern part of the Empire, Constantine established Constantinople as the Eastern Capital. Doing this eventually lead to a split both in the empire and the Church.
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Augustine became the Bishop of Hippo in 395 AD. His is a story of true conversion. Augustine became one of the great figures and theologians of the early Church and his ideas still influence the Church today. In his book the "City of God”, Augustine reflected on the turmoil occurring in the Roman Empire as it was being assaulted by the Goths, Visigoths, Huns and others. In 410 AD Rome was sacked by Alaric, the Goth and in 431 AD Hippo was sacked. Augustine's thesis was simple. Only the City of God would endure; the City of Man no matter how glorious would disappear.
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A Light in the Darkness (440 -800 AD):
As the Roman Empire collapsed, the Church became a light in the darkness, providing both civil leadership, care for the people and a source of hope for the discouraged.
- Pope Leo the Great (440-461 AD) provided such hope both the Church and civil society by bringing a sense of direction and order. In 452 AD he persuaded Attila the Hun to forego sacking Rome again.
- Monasteries also served as centers of learning and stability. St. Patrick travelled to Ireland in 461 AD. St. Benedict founded Monte Cassino in 529 AD and his sister, St. Scholastica, founded a parallel order of religious women. The Benedictines brought a sense of order to monastery life and to the world. Today monasteries all over the world.
- In 622 AD Mohammed and his followers began to proclaim a new way of life: Islam, which means "peace through the submission of the will of Allah (God)." Those who practice Islam are known as Muslims. Islam quickly spread in the East and into Spain.
- In 771 AD Charlemagne became ruler of the Franks eventually extendeding his kingdom to include what had been the Western part of the Roman Empire. Pepin, Charlemagne's father had confirmed the Pope as ruler of Italy. In 800 Charlemagne went to Rome to investigate accusations of adultery and perjury against the Pope. He found the Pope innocent. Then while celebrating Mass on Christmas day, the Pope crowned Charlemagne as Emperor. Thus was born the Holy Roman Empire. The relationship between Church and State seemed to be firmly established, but in future years King and Pope would vie with one another for power and control.
New Challenges (800 - 1500 AD):
By end of the first millennium, the Church and society were very much intertwined. In many ways the Church created the climate for the development of modern Europe but not without challenges.
- When Constantine moved the seat of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in 324 AD he unwittingly laid the groundwork for a series of future clashes between East and the West. In 1054 AD, due to numerous disputes, made more complicated by politics, Christians in Constantinople and those in Rome split from one anohter in what is called a schism. Only recently have there been successful efforts at Reconciliation.
- In 1071 Seljuk Turks captured Jerusalem and made it very difficult for Christians to go on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Crusades which occurred on and off from 1096 until 1270, freed much of the Holy Land, but more importantly brought the West into contact with the rich civilizations of the East.
- From 1084 to the early 1400's outstanding men and women helped create a new culture in the Church and society. A number of religious communities were founded. St. Francis founded the Franciscans. St. Clare began the Franciscans for women. The Franciscans dedicated themselves to caring for the poor. St Dominic founded the Dominicans who devoted themselves to preaching and teaching the Gospel.
- The Inquisition (1233 AD) began in response to a heresy. (In religious terms, a heresy is the embracing of a partial truth as if it were the whole truth.) This original Inquisition is distinguished from the Spanish Inquisition of 1479 which was motivated more by political than religious issues. In any case there were some definite excesses during these Inquisitions.
- St. Thomas Aquinas (1266-1274 AD) integrated the whole of Christian theology using the philosophy of Aristotle which had been lost in the West but preserved in the East. Eventually Aquinas' approach became the standard way theologians right up to th 1900's understood God and how God relates to the world and people. His teaching remains very influential today.
- One of the great women of this period was Catherine of Siena (1347-1380 AD). She was a mystic, a person of great charity and a peacemaker who advised both kings and popes.
- The Black Death of 1347 AD was caused by the bubonic plague. In just a few years it killed 1/3 to 1/2 of Europe's population. Medieval life was never the same. The spirit of earlier centuries was lost. Negativity, fear and guilt increased. Due to the large loss of life, the monastic system was weakened.
- Renaissance (meaning rebirth) began in the early 1400's. This was a period of profound change in commerce, culture, literature, the arts, politics and religion. It was a period of new hope and new life. A good number of artists, scientists and others of the time were Catholic.
The Reformation ( 1500 - 1914 AD):
Over the centuries the Church became complacent and comfortable with the power and authority it had obtained. Martin Luther, a Catholic priest and monk, finally challenged the Church to reform itself.
- Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517 AD. Martin Luther's action eventually led to the Protestant Reformation and a split in the Western Church. In recent years a good deal of progress has been made in preparing the way for reconciliation and hoped for reunion.
- The Council of Trent (1545--1563 AD). In response to the Protestant Reformation, the Bishops of the Church gathered in Council to clarify its teachings, how it would celebrate its liturgy and how to live as a Christian. The decisions of this Council continued in force until the Bishops gathered for the Vatican Council from 1962-1965.
- The Condemnation of Galileo (1633 AD). The condemnation of Galileo was the result of the tension that developed between the Church and those embracing the new sciences developed as a result of the Enlightenment. Experience and observation organized and expressed in mathematical terms rather than Scripture and Church teaching became the standard for truth. The Church, for the most part, was unable to adapt to this new approach and remained suspicious of modern sciences up to recent times.
- The French Revolution of 1789 AD shattered the Church which had intertwined itself strongly with the nobility and stablished order. It was not until the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) that the Church regained the notion that it can best be described as the "People of God" and that collegiality is one of its fundamental characteristics. The hierarchy Pope, Bishops, Priests and Deacons exist to serve the people of God.
Renewal ( 1914 - Present )
- World War I was supposed to be the War to end all wars. It devasted Europe and shattered the illusion innocence. Nancy Cooper a British socialite who lost many friends during the war expressed the sadness of the times when she said, “Every boy I ever danced with is now dead.”
- World War II followed with even more horrors, especially the holocaust. Apart from the devastation and rebuilding after the war other questions remained unanswered. How could we do this as a human family? The bishops of the Second Vatican Council called us to a new awareness of how to live as disciples of the Risen Christ.
- Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) lived during a time of significant transition. A world that had been somewhat stable was rocked by two world wars. Major advances were made in all the sciences. After becoming Pope, he convened the Second Vatican Council (1962- 1965). The purpose of this Council was not so much to state new teachings but to decide how best to proclaim the Gospel in a new world. The Bishops called all Catholics to live more fully as disciples of the Risen Christ.
- Beside entering into dialogue with people of other denominations , the Church has also commenced dialogues with people of every culture. It has opened communication with politicians, economists, and many scientists including those versed in cosmology, sociology, psychology and other fields of modern study.
- Saint John Paul the II who served as Pope from 1968 to 1997 helped implement the decisions of the Vatican Council.
- Mother Teresa (1910-1997) served the poorest of the poor in Calcutta India. She cared for orphans and those left to die on the streets. Her example of what it meant to love one's neighbor continues to be an inspiration for all Christians.
- Pope Francis was elected in 2013. In a few short years he has brought a great deal of vigor and life to the Church and the world. Once again we are witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit and the presence of the Risen Christ with his Church, the community of disciples.
Our Catholic Story:
As Catholics we believe:
apologized and expressed sorrow for The Church’s wrongdoings, such as incidents during the Crusades, the
Inquisition, and the persecution of Jews. Indeed the Church, like each person, is always called to renewal and
reform.
As Catholics we believe:
- The Church, like Christ, is enfleshed in history. Like Christ, ultimately speaking, the Church will not fail in making God's gracious love visible. At the same time it means that the Church, like every human person, is limited. As a human organization the Church falls short, makes mistakes and even sins.
apologized and expressed sorrow for The Church’s wrongdoings, such as incidents during the Crusades, the
Inquisition, and the persecution of Jews. Indeed the Church, like each person, is always called to renewal and
reform.
- The Church makes it clear that, just as Christ came to announce Good News, so the Church desires to live among the people of the world as a loving servant so that all may have life and life to the full.
Your story
As you consider the 2,000 plus years of Church History what thoughts do you have?
In what way does the history of the Church give you hope for the future?
Other Questions
What other questions do you have or would like to ask?
A) ________________________________________________________________
B) ________________________________________________________________
C) ________________________________________________________________
As you consider the 2,000 plus years of Church History what thoughts do you have?
In what way does the history of the Church give you hope for the future?
Other Questions
What other questions do you have or would like to ask?
A) ________________________________________________________________
B) ________________________________________________________________
C) ________________________________________________________________