History of Roman Catholic Church

Throughout its history, the Catholic Church has powerfully impacted western civilization.

The Early Church (A.D. 30 to 400)

Christians mark the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' Apostles in A.D. 30 as the birth of the Church. Over the next 50 years, the New Testament was written, and Christian communities sprang up in the Mediterranean. Christians were persecuted until A.D. 313, when the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized the religion.

Early Middle Ages (A.D. 400 to 1000)

Constantine moved the Roman Empire's capital east, to Constantinople. Meanwhile, Christianity spread in Western Europe, where Benedict founded monasteries and Jerome translated the Bible from Hebrew into Latin.

Late Middle Ages (A.D. 1000 to 1500)

This period opens with the split between the Eastern and Roman Churches, followed by the Crusades---violent attempts to save Palestinian holy places. It ends with the Inquisition, which sought to destroy heresies.

Reformation and Counter Reformation (A.D. 1500 to 1869)

Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation by nailing 95 theses to the doors of a German church in 1517. The Church responded with the Council of Trent, making needed reforms. Missionaries were sent to the Americas and China.

Modern Era (A.D. 1869 to Present)

In 1869, The First Vatican Council--or Vatican I--defined papal infallibility. In the 1960s Vatican II produced profound liturgical changes. Pope John Paul II made 20th century history by helping restore relations between the Roman and Eastern Churches.

References

• The Usbourne Encyclopedia of World History, 2000
• Blest Are We: The Story of Our Church; Rev. Richard N. Fragomeni, Ph.D.; Maureen Gallagher, Ph.D.; Jeannine Goggin, M.P.S.; Michael P. Horan, Ph.D., 2003

Resources

• The Vatican Library
• Catholic Encyclopedia