A Concise History of The Roman Catholic Church
A Concise History of The Roman Catholic Church
A Concise History of The Roman Catholic Church
by Mary Fairchild
Updated January 26, 2018
The Roman Catholic church based in the Vatican and led by the Pope, is the largest of all
branches of Christianity, with about 1.3 billion followers worldwide. Roughly one in two
Christians are Roman Catholics, and one out of every seven people worldwide. In the United
States, about 22 percent of the population identifies Catholicism as their chosen religion.
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"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades
will not overcome it." (NIV).
According to The Moody Handbook of Theology, the official beginning of the Roman Catholic
church occurred in 590 CE, with Pope Gregory I. This time marked the consolidated of lands
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controlled by authority of the pope, and thus the church's power, into what would later be
known as "the Papal States."
Simon Peter, one of Jesus' 12 disciples, became an influential leader in the Jewish Christian
movement. Later James, most likely Jesus' brother, took over leadership. These followers of
Christ viewed themselves as a reform movement within Judaism, yet they continued to follow
many of the Jewish laws.
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At this time Saul, originally one of the strongest persecutors of the early Jewish Christians, had
a blinding vision of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and became a Christian. Adopting the
name Paul, he became the greatest evangelist of the early Christian church. Paul's ministry, also
called Pauline Christianity, was directed mainly to Gentiles. In subtle ways, the early church was
already becoming divided.
Another belief system at this time was Gnostic Christianity, which taught that Jesus was a spirit
being, sent by God to impart knowledge to humans so that they could escape the miseries of life
on earth.
In addition to Gnostic, Jewish, and Pauline Christianity, many other versions of Christianity
were starting to be taught. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jewish Christian movement
was scattered. Pauline and Gnostic Christianity were left as the dominant groups.
The Roman Empire legally recognized Pauline Christianity as a valid religion in 313 AD. Later in
that century, in 380 AD, Roman Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
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During the following 1000 years, Catholics were the only people recognized as Christians.
In 1054 AD, a formal split occurred between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
churches. This division remains in effect today.
The next major division occurred in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation.
Those who remained faithful to Roman Catholicism believed that the central regulation of
doctrine by church leaders was necessary to prevent confusion and division within the church
and corruption of its beliefs.
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c. 60 CE: Apostle Paul returns to Rome after suffering persecution for attempting to convert
Jews to Christianity. He is said to have worked with Peter. The reputation of Rome as the center
of the Christian church may have begun during this period, although practices were conducted
in a hidden manner due to the Roman opposition. Paul dies about 68 CE, probably executed by
beheading upon order of emperor Nero. Apostle Peter is also crucified around this time.
100 CE to 325 CE: Known as the Ante-Nicene period (before the Council of Nicene), this
period marked the increasingly vigorous separation of the newly born Christian church from the
Jewish culture, and the gradual spread of Christianity into western Europe, the Mediterranean
region, and the near East.
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200 CE: Under the leadership of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, the basic structure of the Catholic
church was in place. A system of governance of regional branches under absolute direction from
Rome was established. The basic tenants of Catholicism were formalized, involving the absolute
rule of faith.
313 CE: Roman emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, and in 330 moved the Roman
capital to Constantinople, leaving the Christian church to be the central authority in Rome.
325 CE: The First Council of Nicaea converged by Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council
attempted to structure church leadership around a model similar to that of the Roman system,
and also formalized key articles of faith.
551 CE: At the Council of Chalcedon, the head of the church in Constantinople was declared to
be the head of the Eastern branch of the church, equal in authority to the Pope. This effectively
was the start of the division of the church into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic
branches.
590 CE: Pope Gregory I initiates his papacy, during which the Catholic Church engages in
widespread efforts to convert pagan peoples to Catholicism. This begins a time of enormous
political and military power controlled by Catholic popes. This date is marked by some as the
beginning of the Catholic Church as we know it today.
632 CE: Islamic prophet Mohammad dies. In the following years, the rise of Islam and broad
conquests of much of Europe leads to brutal persecution of Christians and removal of all
Catholic church heads except for those in Rome and Constantinople. A period of great conflict
and long-lasting conflict between the Christian and Islamic faiths begins during these years.
1054 CE: The great East-West schism marks the formal separation of the Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox branches of the Catholic Church.
1250s CE: The Inquisition begins in the Catholic church—an attempt to suppress religious
heretics and convert non-Christians. Various forms of the forceful inquisition would remain for
several hundred years (until the early 1800s), eventually targeting Jewish and Muslim peoples
for conversion as well as expelling heretics within the Catholic Church.
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1517 CE: Martin Luther publishes the 95 Theses, formalizing arguments against Roman
Catholic Church doctrines and practices, and effectively marking the beginning of the
Protestant separation from the Catholic Church.
1534 CE: King Henry VIII of England declares himself to be supreme head of the Church of
England, severing the Anglican Church from the Roman Catholic Church.
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