There has always been sin, suffering and injustice in the Catholic Church, yet it continues to thrive after 2000 years. There has also always been saintliness and scholarship in the Church. This is a true sign that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are with the Church, as Jesus promised.

The following is a brief chronological listing of some of the significant events in Church history from its beginning to the present day.

c. 32	Jesus Christ promised to found His Church. "... you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church..." Matthew 16:18
c. 33	Jesus, the Good Shepherd, fulfills His promise to Peter by commissioning him to "Feed My lambs... Tend My sheep... Feed My sheep." John 21:15-18
c. 33	Pentecost - The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, the Apostles and about 120 Disciples. Three thousand came into the Church that day. Jesus' followers took Him seriously. They preached the Gospel.
c. 34	Judaizers begin teaching that one must become a Jew before they can become a Christian. The Council of Jerusalem answered the Judaizers in c. 50 (Acts 15).
c. 45	The Didache, an important record about the beliefs, practices and rule of early Christians, was in existence. We have it today.
c. 67	St. Peter and St. Paul were martyred (killed for their faith).
70	The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans.
c. 50-313	Emperors Nero, Domitian, Decius and Dioletian persecuted the Church. In Rome, the Church had to meet in secret to worship, receive instruction, and receive the Sacraments.
96	Clement of Rome settles a dispute in the Corinthian church by exercising his papal authority as successor of Peter. St. John is still alive.
108	St. Ignatius of Antioch, on his way to be martyred in Rome, was the first to call the Church "Catholic".
125	The heresy of Gnosticism begins. Gnostics mixed some fundamental Christian ideas and traditions with their basically non-Christian, pagan speculations and theories. In doing so they denied Jesus' humanity and taught that all matter (including humanity) was evil. Famous Gnostics of the 2nd century were Basilides, Carpocrates, Valentinus, Marcion, and Bardesanes. Gnosticism continued for centuries in Manichaeism, which lasted well into the Middle Ages and also the heretical sects of the Bogomils, Catharis and Albigenses.
156	Montanists claim new revelation from God in addition to the revelations taught by Jews and Christians. Declared that second marriages (even after the death of a spouse) were a form of adultery. They refused reconciliation to all guilty of adultery, murder or idolatry; stating that the church did not have the authority to forgive these sins. The movement gradually lost its formal identity as its members returned to the Catholic Church or passed over to other sects such as the Manicheans. The last mention of Montanism is in the 9th century. The ultimate defeat of Montanism marks the renunciation of the eschatological enthusiasm of the early Church, the affirmation of a hierarchy based upon an apostolic succession, the universality of the Church as opposed to individual prophecy, and the right of the Church to pardon the sins of all its members.
c. 180	St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, stated that the teaching and tradition of the Roman See was the standard for belief.
c. 244	The Manichaean heresy teaches that there are two gods, one good the other evil, rejects the Old Testament and teaches reincarnation.
251	Novatian, failing to be elected pope, has himself consecrated bishop and anti-pope. He teaches the heresy that sins committed after baptism can not be forgiven, idolatry can never be pardoned, baptism by aspersion (sprinkling) only. Novatian and his followers were excommunicated by a synod of bishops in Rome in 261.
c. 310	Arius, a priest in Alexandria, begins teaching a Trinitarian heresy which was named after him, Arianism. Arianism was probably the most troublesome to Christianity and at one point almost two-thirds of the bishops had embraced it, although the pope held firm. Arius' argument was "If the Son is a real Son, then a Father must exist before a Son; therefore the Divine Father must have existed before the Divine Son. Therefore there was a time when the Son did not exist. Therefore He is a creature; the greatest indeed and the eldest of all creatures and Himself a God, but still created; therefore, like all creatures, of an essence or substance which previously had not existed." Arianism was condemned by the Council of Nicea (325) which drew up the Nicene Creed as an expression of orthodox Trinitarian faith.
312	Donatus, bishop of Tisgris (N. Africa), teaches the heresy that the church consists only of the elect and that only a Donatist may baptize, re-baptizing all others. The Council of Carthage (404) condemned Donatism and St. Augustine wrote against it. The Donatist controversies led to the clarification of a number of important questions, e.g., the efficacy of the sacraments ex opere operato; the nature of the Church, of schism, and of heresy; and the relations between Church and State and of heretics to a Christian state. Donatism continued in N. Africa until most converted to Muslim in the 6th century.
313	Edict of Milan by Constantine. Christianity was tolerated in the Roman Empire. That ended the persecution. New problems arose for the Church after the Edict of Milan: Heresies e.g. Montanism, Arianism, etc. Emperors began to interfere in Church matters. This problem lasted for centuries. Tension between Rome (West) and Constantinople (East) emerged, though Rome was always recognized as the Chief See. This lasted for centuries, finally coming to a head in 1054 when Constantinople broke away. Roman Empire began to fall apart.
300's	The heroes of the Faith were the martyrs. Now, new heroes emerge - the Desert Fathers - these men left everything and went into the desert to pray, do penance, and to be alone with God. Many of these monks lived in Egypt. The most famous was Anthony, who stayed in the desert for more than 30 years. St. Athanasius (c.297-373) wrote about him. The most important spiritual force in the making of Catholic Europe was the popes; the second most important force was the monks. Monks still serve the Church today. Great intellectuals arose in the Church. They are called "Fathers of the Church". Some of them are: St. Clement, martyred in 98; St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred about 110; St. Polycarp, who was born about 69 and martyred about 155; St. Justin the Martyr (c.105-c.165); St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (205-258), who was beheaded and wrote "The Unity of the Catholic Church"; St. Athanasius (c.297-373); St. Basil the Great (330-379); St. Gregory of Nyssa (331-396); St. Gregory of Nazianzen (393-396); St. Ambrose (339-397), Bishop of Milan; St. John Chrysostom (345-407); St. Jerome (347-419), the Father of Biblical Scholarship; St. Augustine (c.354-430), Bishop of Hippo in North Africa; etc.
325	Council of Nicaea (a council is a meeting of bishops called together by their lawful head, in order to decide questions of faith, morals or discipline). The Council condemned Arianism, set the date for Easter, and declared that God the Father and God the Son were of the same substance.
370-405	The Catholic Church decided what books were inspired by God, and put them into one book, "The Bible". The list of the 73 inspired books, as we have them today in the Catholic Bible, was first compiled by St. Athanasius (c.297-373). This list was confirmed by the Council of Hippo (393), Council of Carthage (397) both in North Africa (St. Augustine was active in both councils), Pope Innocent I (405), and the Council of Trent (1545-63). The Bible was preserved by the monks, who copied it over and over again in handwriting for the next 1000 years until the printing press was invented in 1450.
381	Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire.
382-420	St. Jerome translated the Old Testament from the original Hebrew and Greek into Latin, and revised the existing Latin text of the New Testament. This is known as the "Vulgate" and was the official version of the Bible used in the Catholic Church.
431	Council of Ephesus - Bishops declared that Mary is the Mother of God. The missionaries who evangelized in the West were formed by monasticism. St. Cyril (825-869) and St. Methodius (826-884), brothers, brought Catholicism to the Slavs.
432	St. Patrick brought Catholicism to Ireland and established monasteries. These monks were the leading missionaries of the 6th and 7th centuries, and pioneers in the making of beautiful books. They Christianized the countryside. Irish monasticism was close to the Egyptian type of monasticism.
451	The Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon condemns the heresy Monophytism, which denied the humanity of Christ by holding that He had only one, the divine, nature.
529	St. Benedict founded a monastic community at Monte Cassino, Italy. These monks, over the years, would change Europe.
533	John II became the first pope to change his name. The practice didn't become general until Sergius IV (1009).
c. 545	Dionysius Exiguus died. He began the dating of history from the birth of Christ. From this we have A.D. ("Anno Domini", translated into "in the year of the Lord"), and B.C. ("Before Christ").
590-604	Pontificate of Pope Gregory the Great. He wrote on many subjects and promoted chant, specifically, Gregorian Chant.
597	St. Augustine brought Catholicism to England.
622	A new, active and militant religion came on the scene - the Muslim Religion. Muslims took over Egypt, Palestine, Persia, Syria and Arabia. By 695, it had also taken over North Africa, which had been actively Catholic. They were defeated at Constantinople in 717 by Leo III, and at Poitiers, France, in 732 by Charles Martel. The Muslims never blended into civilizations which they had conquered.
c. 657	A dualistic sect called Paulicians originates in obscure circumstances in Asia Minor. They are called Paulicians because of similarities of their doctrines with those of Paul of Samosata, patriarch of Antioch from 260 to 272. Paul of Samosata was deposed for heresy in 269 by a council at Antioch but held on to his patriarchate until 272 because of his entrenched power base. Paulician theology is a close elaboration of the Manichean heresy. Paulicians were dualistic, differentiating between God, who is Lord of heaven and creator of souls, and the Demiurge, creator of the evil material universe. They rejected the use of images, abhorring especially the visible representation of the cross. They also subordinated the Old Testament, repudiated veneration of the Virgin Mary and the saints and interpreted the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist spiritually. Beginning in the 9th century Paulicians began to be assimilated into Islam and the sect ceased to exist as a separate group by the middle of the 11th century.
680-754	St. Boniface brought the Faith to Germany.
814-990	There was corruption within the Church. From 814 (the death of Charlamagne) until the end of the 10th century, we find it was a time of violence, ruthlessness and chaos in Europe. There were many bad priests, bad bishops, and even a few bad popes. The papacy even became a worldly prize worth seizing, and some families fought to have their candidate chosen as pope. The Emperor often appointed archbishops and bishops for political reasons. The pope had become a territorial prince, as well as Supreme Pastor. At times popes appointed family members as cardinals, archbishops and bishops, many of whom were totally unsuited. However, during this turbulent time, not one false doctrine was proclaimed, nor was even one doctrine denied, by any pope.
910	A Benedictine Monastery was founded in Cluny, central France, which was the cause of the renewal of other monasteries, and the Church in general. More than 1000 monasteries of this kind were founded in western Europe. The piety and asceticism in Cluny drew good men from all over Europe. Some of the monks became archbishops, bishops, and some even became pope.
1054	The Orthodox Church broke away from the Catholic Church.
1059	A Lateran Council issued new regulations for the election of a Pope. The voting would be done by the Roman Cardinals.
1073	Pope Gregory VII spearheaded the renewal of the Church.
1084	St. Bruno started the Carthusian Order.
1097	1st Crusade, 2nd Crusade (1146), 3rd Crusade (1189-92), 4th Crusade (1202), 5th Crusade (1218-21), and 6th Crusade (1228-29), were organized to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims. They were mostly failures, and some, having gotten out of control, did not achieve the goal for which they were intended, and even plundered and massacred at times.
1098	St. Robert of Molesnes set up a monastery at Citeaux, France and called the monks Cistercians.
1116	St. Bernard of Clairvaux led the spiritual renewal in the 12th century. In 15 years (1130-45), 90 monasteries became affiliated with Clairvaux.
1150	The most widely diffused of all medieval heresies, the Cathari, emerges. Cathari were not only anti-clerical and anti-sacramental, they were also anti-Christian and anti-social. Their creed combined elements of Manichaeism, Docetism, Monarchianism, Gnosticism, and Hinduism. Doctrinal unity was lacking among the various Cathari groups, but all of them professed some form of dualism. They affirmed two mutually opposed principles: one spiritual, which was the plentitude of all goodness; and the other material, which was the source of all wickedness. Some notable Cathari groups were the Albaneses, Albigenses, and Concorezzenses.
1170	St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, England, was murdered in his Cathedral. Universities began to emerge from cathedral schools, beginning with Paris and Bologna. Others followed, and were financially supported by the Church.
c. 1170	Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, France begins a life of evangelical poverty. His followers (known today as Waldenses) observed strict poverty and preached against the wealth and laxity of the clergy. Approved by Pope Alexander III in 1179 with the proviso that they obtain authorization from local clergy before preaching, they were condemned by Pope Lucius III (1184) and by the 4th Lateran Council (1215) for not complying with this requirement. Waldenses venerated the Virgin Mary and later observed only the sacraments of baptism (only for adults in some congregations) and Eucharist (once a year) while rejecting what later became the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith. The Waldenses' doctrines have changed over the years and they are active today.
1171	Pope Alexander III reserved the process of the canonization of saints to Rome.
1209	St. Francis of Assisi founded the Secular Franciscan Order for lay persons. Francis died in 1226 and was canonized in 1228.
1215	The Fourth Latern Council called for "aricular confession". To combat the lax morals of the time, the Council regulated the already-existing duty to confess one's mortal sins a minimum of a once a year. It also gave the name "transubstantiation" to the changing of bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ at Mass. This was believed in the Church since the time of Christ and was never challenged until some years before the Council.
1216	St. Dominic Guzman founded the Dominicans. These were the three greatest theologians of the century: St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-74) Dominican, St. Bonaventure (1217-74) Franciscan, and St. Albert the Great (1200-80) Dominican.
c. 1217	Berthold, an ex-soldier from the Crusades, settled with a few friends on Mt. Carmel in Palestine. This began the Carmelite Order, from which was to come many saints and scholars.
1223	Friars Minor founded by Francis of Assisi.
1253	St. Claire, follower of St. Francis, died two days after the Pope approved the establishment of the Poor Clare Nuns, which she founded in 1211.
1296	The 11 cardinals could not agree on whom to elect as pope. They chose Peter Morone, an 80 year old hermit - Celestine V. He resigned after a few months on account of the interior strife in the Church.
1305-1376	Seven popes reside at Avignon, France.
1378-1417	The Great Schism. A period of 40 years when there were 2 or 3 claiming to be Pope at the same time.
1380-1471	Thomas a Kempis. He wrote the "Imitation of Christ" which is second only to the Bible in sales. It was popular in the Middle Ages and is popular today.
1400's	The Church was in a state of moral decay. Nepotism was practiced in high ecclesiastical places, including the papacy. There was also greed by churchmen seeking to enrich themselves and their families.
1412-31	St. Joan of Arc in France.
1450	Printing was invented by Johann Gutenberg, and the first book to be printed was the Catholic Bible. It is called "the Mazarin Bible" which was printed in 1452 in Mayence, Germany, at the request of Cardinal Mazarin.
1492	Columbus discovered the Americas.
1512-17	5th Lateran Council called to renew the Church.
1512-82	St. Teresa of Avila, mystic in Spain, reformed the Carmelite Order.
1517	Division afflicts the Church from several sides (see History of Catholic Church and Origins of Christian Churches). Martin Luther wrote 95 theses against indulgences at Wittenberg, Germany. He was formally excommunicated from the Catholic Church at the Diet of Worms. The term "protestant" comes from the Diet of Spayer, Germany, when some princes stood up to "protest" an attempt to curb Luther's movements. Luther removed seven books from the Old Testament (and that is why the Protestant Bible is seven books shorter than the Catholic Bible). He also removed some books from the New Testament, but his followers later put them back. He died in 1546.
1519	Ulrich Zwingli started the Reformation in Zurich. He died in 1531.
1531	The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego in Guadalupe, Mexico, and over the next seven years (1532-39), more than 8 million Aztec Indians came into the Catholic Church.
1534	St. Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuits, who were the greatest force of renewal in the Church at the time. King Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church in England. Priests were smuggled into England and, even under great persecution (many being hanged, drawn and quartered), continued to offer Mass in homes and give the Sacraments. One of these was St. Edmund Campion, who was martyred in 1581. America had been discovered. The Spanish Conquistadors were cruel. Many Franciscans, Jesuits and Sulpicians were treated cruelly by those whom they went to evangelize. Some were martyred.
1536	John Calvin led the Reformation in Switzerland. He died in 1564.
1541	St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, brought the Catholic Faith to India and Japan.
1542-91	St. John of the Cross, from Spain, is recognized as one of the great mystics of all time, and his writings are among the world's greatest spiritual classics.
1545-63	The Council of Trent in Italy met to reform the Church. Great religious fervor swept through the Church after this Council.
1558	The reign of Queen Elizabeth I began. The Church of England took on a more definite form. She reigned until 1603.
1567	The reformation of the Church in France produced St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) and St. Jeanne de Chantal (1572-1644).
1570	Queen Elizabeth I was excommunicated by Pope Pius V. Catholics in England were much more severely treated from then on. Pope Pius V issued reform of the Mass which was in use for the next 400 years (until the 1960's).
1571	The Battle of Lepanto was fought at sea. The Turkish fleet far outnumbered the Catholic fleet. The pope had appealed to Europe to pray the rosary for victory, which was achieved. Thus, Europe was again saved from Muslim power. The credit was given to the intercession of Mary and praying the rosary. Many lay people adopted practices which were looked upon as being for priests and nuns - spiritual reading, daily meditation and retreats.
1581	Matteo Ricci, Jesuit, brought the Faith to China.
1582	Pope Gregory XIII introduced "The Gregorian Calendar" which was ultimately adopted by most countries.
1613	Catholics were banned from Scandinavia.
1673	The Test Act was passed in England. By it, Catholics were prevented from holding public office unless they denied the doctrine of transubstantiation and received communion in the Church of England.
1738	Freemasonry was condemned by Pope Clement XII when it was revealed that an overarching, high-level goal of the Freemasons was to undermine the Church. Catholics were forbidden to join, under penalty of excommunication. This was restated by later Popes.
1773	There was a conspiracy, which succeeded, to expel the Jesuits from Portugal, Spain, France and their territories. The Jesuits were suppressed by Pope Clement XIV.
1789-1795	The Church was severely persecuted during the French Revolution. Many priests and nuns were killed.
1790	John Carroll became the first bishop in the United States. The Catholic population in the United States grew rapidly, mainly due to immigration.
1809-14	Napoleon held Pope Pius VII captive in France. The Pope refused to cooperate with him. There were many severe attacks on the Church in France.
1814	The Jesuits were reestablished by Pope Pius VII.
1820	A long persecution of the Catholic faith ended in China. It claimed the lives of thousands. Missionary efforts resumed in 1842.
1833	In England, the Oxford Movement began when many came into the Catholic Church.
1845	John Henry Newman and others came into the Church.
1850	The Catholic hierarchy was reestablished in England, and three years later it was reestablished in Holland.
1854	The Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was defined - that Mary was conceived without Original Sin. This was always believed in the Church, but had never been proclaimed as dogma until the belief was attacked in recent times.
1858	The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, and encouraged people to pray the rosary. She said, "I am the Immaculate Conception."
1859	St. John Vianney, known as the "Cure' of Ars," France, died. He could read the souls of people.
1876	The first volume of Das Kapital was published. This was to have a major influence on the development of communism.
1869-70	The First Vatican Council declared as Dogma the Tradition of the infallibility of the Pope. This had always been believed in the Church, but had never been proclaimed a dogma until the belief was attacked in recent times.
1870	The Papal States of central Italy were seized from the control of Pope Pius IX, thus ending a long history of the Catholic Church as a political force in Europe.
1878	Pope Leo XIII reformed the education of priests, and was a champion of the working man.
1882	Charles Darwin, who promoted the theory of evolution, died.
1907	Pope Pius X wrote against modernism, encouraged frequent Communion, and the early reception of Communion by children.
1914-18	During World War I, the Church did everything it could to help the victims and bring peace. The Church was attacked in Mexico. Foreign clergy were exiled, native clergy imprisoned or executed, and public worship was banned.
1917	The Code of Canon Law was promulgated for the Church. The October Revolution in Russia marked the beginning of Communist Rule in Russia, and the persecution of the Church, Jews and others. New laws against the Church were passed in Mexico. The result was persecution of the Church in the 1920's and 30's. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal.
1929	Pope Pius XI and Mussolini agreed on the Lateran Treaty. Vatican City, consisting of 109 acres of land, was established as a state. It is the smallest state in the world. At present, 158 nations have diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
1939-45	During World War II, the role of the Church was to help the needy and call for peace.
1940	Communists began the takeover of several countries. In the process, at least 60 million Catholics, as well as members of other faiths, were persecuted. In Mexico, the persecution lessened.
1950	Pope Pius XII declared as Dogma the Tradition that Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven - The Assumption. This had always been believed in the Church, but had never been proclaimed a dogma until the belief was attacked in recent times.
1957	In China, the communist government set up the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics in opposition to the Church in union with the Pope.
1962-65	Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican. Pope John XXIII prayed, "Renew in our day, O Lord, your wonders, as in a new Pentecost."
1963-78	Pontificate of Pope Paul VI.
1978	Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope, Pope John Paul II.
1983	The decline of Communism. The Code of Canon Law is revised.
1992	The Church published its first Catechism in 400 years. It gives us the complete teaching of the Church in a concise manner.
1997	The Church published editorial corrections to the 1992 Catechism.

The Catholic Church is a Church of sinners and much suffering. It is also a Church of saints and scholars. The story of the Catholic Church is a divine and human story. The Church is divine in its Founder, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only founder of a religion who claimed to be God, and proved that claim by rising from the dead. The Catholic Church is also human - afflicted with all the frailties of human nature - the sin and suffering, but also the saintliness and scholarship. When the Church was failing God, God raised up prophets or reformers. A reformer is one who changes people's hearts, not revealed doctrine. There have been thousands of great reformers in the Catholic Church, like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, St. Benedict, St. Teresa of Avila, etc. The Catholic Church and the Bible have not, in 2000 years, changed any of the many truths revealed by God; among these truths:

1. that Holy Communion is really and truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ,
2. devotion to Mary,
3. confession,
4. praying for the dead (Purgatory),
5. the Pope is the visible head of the Church on earth. (Christ of course, is the invisible head of the Church.)