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33
Pentecost - The Beginning of the Church
Pentecost can technically be referred to as the birth of the church. On this day, the disciples were blessed with tongues of fire, granting them the ability to speak in different languages, so that they may spread the word of Christ. This was where it all began. “Pentecost” is actually a translation of the Greek word pentekostos, meaning “fifty.” It originates from the ancient Christian expression "pentekoste hemera", meaning “fiftieth day", 50 days from the Passover to the next holiday. -
49
Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem was the first meeting of the Christians, and held a purpose of deciding the authority of the law of Moses, and to adjust the differences between Jewish and Gentile Christianity. It was also to decide whether the teachings of Jesus were only available for the Jews, or whether Gentiles could also become a part of the Church. The council consisted of the Apostles, elders, and brethren. Paul's view that both Jews and Gentiles were saved by Christ was finally accepted. -
64
Great Fire of Rome
The Roman Emperor Nero used the general dislike of the Christian community to start persecuting them. A fire had started in Rome, and many people questioned whether Nero himself started it. In order to regain and avoid losing their sympathy, he starting blaming the Christians, and accused them of arson. Nero murdered the Christians ruthlessly and mercilessly, even using their deceased bodies as decorations. The Apostles Peter and Paul both died to Nero. Christianity was now regarded Illegal -
70
Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem
A growing separation between the Christians and the Jews led to the Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. A new establishment of Judaism was built in Jamnia, and the Jewish leaders began to enforce stricter laws regarding the differences in both thought and practice that had been a part of Judaism before the destruction of the Temple. The Jews and their Synagogue prayers looked towards the coming of the Messiah, but the Christians believed that the Messiah had already come. -
325
First Council of Nicaea
The Council of Nicaea was a significant event that was ordered by Roman Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantine. It held a purpose of defining the nature of God for all of Christianity and eliminating any type of confusion and controversy within the church. It also declared the eternality of Jesus and defined the relationship between the Father and the Son as “of one substance.” It also declared the Trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were listed as three co-equal and co-eternal Persons. -
451
The Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was quite a significant event in church history. The reason behind the council was to further clarify the nature of Christ and the Orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity and to clear up any misconceptions. The Council was also the foundation for one of the biggest events in church history "The Great Schism". The council also declared the authenticity and perfection of both his natures, human and divine. It is famous for upholding an earlier ruling concerning church structure. -
Dec 24, 1054
The Great Schism/East-West Schism
The Great Schism (Otherwise known as the East-West Schism) was an event that divided the church. It occurred when Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael I excommunicated each other, dividing the adopted "Chalcedonian Christianity" (from the Council of Chalcedon) into Western (Roman) Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. It was also a dispute over Papal Authority. The Church split along doctrinal, theological and political lines, and the fundamental gap has never been healed. -
Dec 24, 1347
The Plague/Black Death
The Black Death was also an event that heavily impacted the church. Before it hit Europe, almost everything was under the influence of the church. Many people believed that the Church helped them understand right from wrong. People believed it to be a punishment from God. They often turned to the Church for help. But the priests and bishops could not offer a cure nor explanation. The Catholic Church lost a lot of influence and many people had their view of the world changed drastically. -
Dec 24, 1517
Martin Luther 95 Theses
The 95 Theses was a document written by Martin Luther, A seminal figure in the development and history of the church. The document was questioning and seeking to inform the Archbishop of Mainz that the kingdoms selling of indulgences had become corrupt, and the the sellers were doing it solely for the purpose of obtaining money. Although the church had much controversy and debate, Luther simply intended to reform the agenda for the Church Council, instead of abandoning it. -
Dec 24, 1545
Council of Trent 1545 - 1563
The Council of Trent was a meeting of the churches in order to form the official response of the Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation in the mid 16th century. The Council is responsible for the introduction of measures such as the Strengthening of the Catholic Doctrine, to halt any further spread of Protestantism, to attempt to win back areas lost to Protestantism for the Church, and to spread Catholicism to new areas. They are known as the Counter Reformation, and were successful. -
Dec 24, 1555
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg was an event in church history that determined whether Lutheranism or Roman Catholicism would prevail due to Religious Conflict as a result of the Reformation. The German Princes were given the option to choose from either religion for the domains that they controlled. It made the legal division of Christendom permanent within the Holy Roman Empire. Citizens who did not comply with the chosen religion were free to migrate to regions where their religion had been accepted. -
First Vatican Council 1869 - 1870
The First Vatican Council was convened by Pope Pius IX and was actually held in upmost secrecy for four years. The purpose of the Council was to deal with the problems of the rising influence of rationalism, liberalism, materialism and inspiration of Scripture. It was also supposed to define the Catholic doctrine and explore the dogma of papal infallibility. It was supposed to continue after a summer break, but the Franco-Prussian war intervened, and the council was indefinitely suspended. -
Second Vatican Council
When Pope John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council (also known as Vatican II), it shocked the world. There hadn't been an assembly of Roman Catholic religious leaders to settle doctrinal issues in nearly 100 years. Cultural changes following the aftermath of World War II called for a need to reconsider church practices. These meetings accomplished this, with 16 documents in total coming out of it, laying a foundation for the church as we know it today. -
Decree of Ecumenism
The Decree of Ecumenism was a document that provided a major step forward for the Church. It held a purpose of restorating the ties between other Christian communities, rather than making them return to Rome. It states that the causes of separation exist on both sides and declares that a change of heart must be made in order to make Ecumenism possible. The document was part of reforming the Church in order to restore broken ties. -
Pope Paul VI Lifting the Excommunications
Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras agree on the lifting of the excommunications held since 1054 AD by Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael. They hope to re-establish lost and broken ties within the Christian communities. -
Pope John Paul II Returns Relics
Pope John Paul II returns the bones (relics) of the deceased Patriarchs John Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzen to Instanbul (Formerly known as Constantinople). He did this hoping that the gesture would resurface the talks over the unification of Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I along with other Eastern Church Leaders were among the many present at Pope John Paul II funeral on April 8, 2005.
