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4 BCE
Nativity of Jesus
(4 BC) Mary, the Blessed Virgin, and her husband Joseph walked all the way to Bethlehem to avoid King Herod's Massacre of the Innocents. After being rejected from seeking shelter within 3 different people's inns, they decide to rest in a nearby stable. Whilst in the stable however, Mary gives birth to Jesus Christ, son of God. Three Wise Men who have tracked Jesus down following the North Star in the sky arrive to offer gifts. This moment in church history is seen as the birth of Christianity. -
30
Birth of the Church
This recounts the story of Pentecost, when Jesus appeared to the apostles in the form of the Holy Spirit. He then appeared as tongues of fire above their heads, gifting them with the power to speak different languages. Jesus then sent them to deliver the message of God to everyone around the world. This event can be seen as the birth of the modern-day Church, as it was the first time when Jesus sent his apostles to gather followers and form a community. -
51
Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem was a conference between a delegation of apostles, led by Paul and companion Barnabas, and the elders of the Church. The conference was brought forth due to the insistence of Judaic Christians for Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians to participate in the Mosaic tradition of circumcision. The conference agreed in favour of the Gentiles, which meant the Gentiles were free to participate in their own traditions and rituals. -
64
Persecution of Christians
The first recorded persecution of Christians with imperial supervision began in the year 64 CE after the Great Fire of Rome. The Roman Emperor of the time, Emperor Nero, accused the Christian community of causing the massive fire that broke out in the city of Rome, despite strong theories that Nero himself orchestrated the catastrophe. Persecution of Christians continued throughout the Roman Empire for many years until Emperor Constantine's conversion in 312 -
195
Council of Caesarea
Shortly after Jerusalem had been destroyed, it was unanimously decided that Caesarea take the place of Jerusalem, which meant being the centre for Christian life and worship within Palestine. A council was held here between esteemed members of the Church, in which those in attendance discussed exactly what day the celebration of Easter is to fall on. After thorough discussion between all the members of the church that were at the council, it was decided that Easter was to fall on a Sunday. -
312
Conversion of Emperor Constantine
One of the major turning points in Christian Church History was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity during the year 312. Current Roman Emperor Constantine decided to end the persecution of Christians as well as declare Christianity the dominant religion of the entire Roman Empire when he converted to Christianity. His reasons for converting remain unknown and there is still a fierce debate over wether the conversion was sincere or politically motivated -
313
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was a declaration produced by Roman Emperors Constantine and Licinius in February 313. This declaration permanently granted religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire. It was initially produced by Licinius for Eastern Rome, and permitted freedom for all practising Christians to worship the deities they please, guaranteed legal rights for Christians and allowed the return of previously confiscated property. -
325
First Council of Nicea
The Council of Nicea was the first non-denominational meeting of Christian churches, and was organised by Roman Emperor Constantine I. He created this conference in the hopes of eliminating the heresy proposed by Arius of Alexandria that Christ was created and not divine. Arius was condemned and sent to execution and a creed was developed to declare that the Son and the Father are truly equal, currently known as the Nicene Creed. -
Jan 1, 787
Second Council of Nicea
The Second Council of Nicea (the 7th non-denominational meeting of Christians) was called to action by Empress Irene in order to deal with the rising issue of the Iconoclast Controversy, which was a debate over the use of religious icons and symbols within the Byzantine Empire. Iconoclasm condemned the use of religious icons within Christianity, however it was decided at the council that the concept of Iconoclasm was damned, and the use of icons was reestablished. -
Jan 1, 1054
The Great Schism
There were many differences between the Eastern churches, which were run by the patriarch of Constantinople, and the Western churches, which were governed by the Pope. These included the language used, the sacraments celebrated and the traditions that were practiced during Mass. There was also the question of who possessed total papal authority. As a result of these differences, the East and West churches split through the from of mutual ex-communications. -
Nov 27, 1095
First Crusade
The First Crusade was the beginning of countless crusades that was launched in an attempt to recapture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Muslim rule. It was launched by Pope Urban II who initially just wanted to aid Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in repelling Turkish invaders from Anatolia. The crusade had successfully finished their mission on the 13th of July, 1099 when many of the city's Muslim and Jewish citizens were brutally killed and they regained authority of Jerusalem. -
Jan 1, 1209
Order of Friars
Francis of Assisi felt the spiritual call in 1207 to dedicate himself to a life of total poverty. He was quickly accompanied by a small group of followers, unofficially forming the very first Order of Friars. He received approval from Pope Innocent III of his rule, which dictated that his friars could not obtain any individual or communal possessions. The friars dedicated their lives to preaching their message of good will, helping and aiding the poor and diseased along the way. -
Jan 1, 1378
The Western Schism
The Western Schism was a temporary period within Roman Catholic history in which there were three opposing popes, whom all had their own followers. It started with the election of Pope Urban VI by the Roman population, who had wanted an Italian pope in authority. The pope was so hostile, however, that the cardinals elected a new pope, Clement VII, themselves. Cardinals from both rulers tried to end the schism by electing a third pope, Alexander V, which eventually ended the schism in 1417. -
Oct 31, 1517
The Protestant Reformation
The current pope at the time, Pope Leo X, was collecting contributions towards the development of St. Peter's Basilica by granting people 'indulgences' , which meant that they were helping a loved one escape purgatory. Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, disagreed with this act of corruption and decided to circulate Ninety-five Theses, which were statements about indulgences. The statements gained popularity and people unwillingly used his ideas to start revolutions, particularly in Germany. -
Jan 1, 1534
Church of England
Henry VIII, second son of Henry VII, split away from the Catholic Church and created the Church of England (now known as Anglicanism) as result of the Pope's rejection of Henry VIII's wish to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and remarriage to Anne Boleyn. His new Church would allow him to divorce much more easily in order for him to bing about a new heir to the throne. The Act of Supremacy he also created allowed for total authority over the Church of England. -
Dec 13, 1544
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 19th non-denominational meeting of Christians, and was prompted as a result of the Protestant Reformation, particularly Martin Luther's excommunication from the Catholic Church. It was split up into three distinct periods, however the general discussion was self-reform as well as the explanation of all doctrines that were challenged by the Protestants. It is known as the time when the community reinvigorated Church life. -
First Vatican Council
Pope Pius XI called for the First Vatican Council, or the 20th ecumenical council of Catholic Church, to deal with the rising issues of rationalism, liberalism and materialism in the modern society. There were 51 proposed decrees that were to be considered during the meeting, only 6 of which became actual discussions between the 700 council members in attendance. The council began promoting two new doctrinal constitutions: Del Filius (faith & reason) and Pastor Aeternus (authority of the Pope). -
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council (21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholics) was called for by Pope John XXIII. Pope John XXIII decided to propose this council as a means of spiritual regeneration, which he believed was needed within the various Church communities. He also created this event for the Christians who were religiously separated from Rome in order to seek reunion. The Pope opened the council by asking the fathers to strive for pastoral perfection within their church communities. -
Decree on Ecumenism
This decree, that was originally proclaimed during the Second Vatican Council, promoted the unity of all Christian denominations. Although it acknowledged the fact that there were various groups who believed in all different ideas and traditions, it stated that we should have knowledge of this and continue to love one another, despite our differences. It suggested that the various denominations participate in communication with each other, as well as band together in times of need. -
The Great Jubilee
The Great Jubilee celebrated the second millenium of Christianity. Special services were held at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome virtually every Sunday, and often included participation of Pope John Paul II himself. The Pope had also previously expressed in his papal encyclical "Incarnationis Mysterium" that he believed the Great Jubilee was a time of exploring new ideas within the Church, however he also stated that, like previous Jubilees, it would be a time to repent and celebrate God's mercy
