History of the Catholic Church
A 2,000-Year Journey
History of the Catholic Church
Course Description
As an institution established by Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church
has a divine origin. But as an institution led by and populated with
human beings, it is also subject to the faults of humans.
During the long history of the Catholic Church, many of its members
and some of those who led it have certainly erred, making poor
decisions that resulted in sin and suffering.
But many more of its members and leaders were also saints, men
and women who lived and died for Jesus Christ and His One, Holy,
Catholic and Apostolic Church.
And during that same long history, the Church has not only
preserved intact the deposit of faith, but has also brought about the
development and preservation of much of civilization as we know it.
This is what we will study in this course.
2
Macaulay on the Church (1840)
“There is not, and there never was on this earth, a
work of human policy so well deserving of
examination as the Roman Catholic Church…No
other institution is left standing which carries the mind
back to the times when the smoke of sacrifice rose
from the Pantheon, and when camelopards and tigers
bounded in the Flavian amphitheatre. The proudest
royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared
with the line of the Supreme Pontiffs…The papacy
remains, not in decay, not a mere antique, but full of
life and youthful vigor. The Catholic Church…may still
exist in undiminished vigor when some traveler from
New Zealand shall, in the midst of a vast solitude,
take his stand on a broken arch of London Bridge to
sketch the ruins of St. Paul’s.”
- Edinburgh Review (1840)
3
Thomas Macaulay
Scottish statesman
& historian
Why Study Church History?
 To come to know Jesus better through his
Church and its teachings
 To gain a better sense of our identity as
Catholic Christians
 To be able to address many of the common
errors and inaccuracies about the Church
and its history
 To learn how best to express God’s Word in
today’s world
4
Vatican II: Lumen Gentium
“This is the unique Church of Christ
that in the Creed we avow as One,
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. After
His Resurrection our Savior handed
the Church over to Peter to be
shepherded, commissioning him and
the other Apostles to propagate and
govern it. And it was this Church that
He erected for all ages as ‘the pillar
and foundation of truth’.” (1 Tim
3:15)
– Constitution on the Church 9
5
Vatican II: Sacrosanctum Concilium
“It is of the essence of the Church to be
both human and Divine, visible and yet
endowed with invisible resources, eager
to act and yet devoted to contemplation,
present in this world and yet not at home
in it. The Church is all these things in
such a way that in it the human is
directed and subordinated to the Divine,
the visible likewise to the invisible, action
to contemplation, and the present world
to that city yet to come which we seek.”
– Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 2
6
Course Outline
7
I.
The Early Church (30-330)
II.
The Church of the Fathers (330-650)
III.
The Church of the Early Middle Ages
(650 – 1000)
IV.
The Church of the High Middle Ages
[1000-1450]
V.
Protestant and Catholic Reformations
(1450-1789)
VI.
The Church and the Modern World
(1789-Present)
Understanding the Past
“…it is impossible to
understand the past
unless we understand
the things for which the
men of the past cared
most.”
- Christopher Dawson
(Catholic Historian)
8
History of the
Catholic Church
Part 1
The Early Church
(30 – 330 AD)
From a historical perspective, we realize
that the Church is…
 Based on the life and teachings of
an historical person, Jesus of
Nazareth
 Shaped by how Christians have
lived out the Gospel message over
the centuries in the world
 The story of the relationship of
Jesus and the believers who have
followed him over the centuries
 Filled with God’s presence
throughout history
10
Ultimately, Church is MYSTERY
“However, the subject calls for
lenience from the well disposed,
and I confess that it is beyond my
power to fulfill my promise
completely and perfectly.”
Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea in
Palestine (263-339) , from his
Church History (1)
11
The Early Church – Overview 1
 The early Church was obliged
to live in a pagan and alien
world
 In addition to its main task of
conversion and
evangelization, it focused on
protecting its members from
pagan errors and vices
 For two centuries the Church
was largely defensive toward
the world, standing firm in the
face of fierce opposition and
persecution
12
The Early Church – Overview 2
 Once Christianity
became the religion
of Rome (319 A.D.) it
assimilated the
Empire’s culture in all
its diverse forms
 Although the Church
adapted itself to the
culture, it never
relinquished any of
its essential
teachings
13
 It still faced and
endured theological
disputes and
barbarian invasions
 It overcame heresy
through the
teachings of the
Church Fathers, and
blunted the fury of
invaders by having
its missionaries
convert them
The Early Church – Overview 3
Estimates of the early Church’s growth:
 500,000 members by end of 1st
Century
 2 million members by end of 2nd
Century
 5 million members by end of 3rd
Century
 10 million members by the first half
of the 4th Century (350 A.D.)
Christendom became an integral and
accepted part of the world,
contributing to the religious and
secular lives of the people.
14
Constantine the Great
The Early Church – Overview 4
 The Church’s incredible spread
during its first three centuries is
one of the proofs of its Divine
origin
 This religion was preached by
Jesus Christ, a carpenter, in
tiny Palestine in a remote
corner of the Empire
Eucharist depicted in the Catacombs
 This Jesus chose twelve humble men to carry His message to the
world
 These men, and the thousands they converted, would rather die
horrible deaths than apostatize
 In 300 years it became mightier than pagan Rome
15
The Beginnings: Jewish Sources
 Judaism, a historical religion – God
intervened in history and personally
directed the life of the Israelites
 Covenant & Patriarchs: Abraham (c.
1850 BC), Isaac, Jacob
 Freedom & Law: Moses (c. 1300-1200
BC), Passover, Exodus
 Promised Land to Kingdom to Exile:
Joshua to David to Ezekiel
 God is personal and transcendent,
unlike the pagan gods
 Jews: independent, insistence on
history, monotheism, adaptability
16
Moses
(by Michelangelo)
Influence: Jewish Sources
 Early Church thoroughly Jewish: Jesus,
Apostles, first followers were all Jewish
 NT writers (Luke possible exception)
were all Jews
 Church is considered the New Israel
 Christ called: the New Law; the New
Adam; the New Moses; the Son of David
 OT prophecies central to NT: Matthew
cites OT 41 times – “it might be fulfilled.”
 Jesus takes Emmaus disciples through
Scripture – Moses and all the Prophets
 Jesus Christ would make no sense
without the OT roots
17
Jesus Breaking
Unleavened
Bread
Influence: Jewish Sources
 Early Church taught the entire OT
prefigured the NT (e.g., Adam makes
the coming of Christ necessary: “O
Happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a
Redeemer.”)
 Church inherited many Jewish qualities
and spirituality (e.g., Pius XI: “Spiritually,
we are all Semites.”)
 Millions of Jews lived outside Israel and
provided a ready audience for early
Christian preachers – synagogues were
shelters and starting points
18
Paul Preaching in a
Synagogue in
Damascus
The Beginnings: Roman Sources
 Roman Empire at its material
peak when Jesus is born (Pax
Romana) from Spain to Persia,
from Egypt to Scotland
 Effectiveness of communication
and transportation not exceeded
until the invention of the telegraph
& railroad
 Culture, architecture, arts,
 Effective administration
language – homegrown &
throughout the Empire
borrowed from others (Greeks)
 Protection of the Roman
 Safe sea lanes in the
Army
Mediterranean
 Extensive system of roads
19
Augustus Initiates Pax Romana
“With vows and prayers your country calls
for you…for with you here the ox plods the
fields in safety, Ceres and bounteous
happiness enrich our farms; our sailors sail
waters unvexed by pirates; public honor
stands inviolate; chaste homes are stained
by no adulteries, and punishment follows
swift on crime…Who fears Parthian,
Scythian, German or Spaniard if Augustus
be safe? Each man sees day close in
peace on his native hills.”
– Horace, Odes, IV, 5
Caesar Augustus
20
Pax Romana
21
Influence: Roman Sources
 Rome created an atmosphere in
which missionary activity
flourished
 Romans tolerant of established
religions; considered early
Christian activity Jewish
 Systematic, widespread
persecution came late – gave
Christianity time to expand
 Roman hunger for spiritual revival; its borrowed religion did
not satisfy and its gods became mere ornaments
 Spiritual vacuum throughout the Empire filled by Christianity
22
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
23
 Christianity brought unique and
revolutionary elements – primary
elements on which both other sources
depend
 “He is risen!”- central message of
Christianity – this is the message that
electrified the world
 The miracle of the Resurrection and its
theology came first
 The Resurrection and its consequences
were the “Good News” – the written
gospels, narratives of Jesus’ life, teachings,
and death, were composed later to benefit
those who had already accepted the
Gospel
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
 The Gospel was preached long before it was written down by the four
evangelists
 Read the sermons of Peter and Paul in Acts and note the similarities
 The Good News as preached followed
a pattern:
 Fulfillment – Messianic Age
 Life, ministry, death & resurrection of
Jesus
 He is risen! And heads the New
Israel, the Church
 Holy Spirit a sign of Christ’s active
presence in the Church
 Christ will come again
 Call to repentance and action
24
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
 Written gospels satisfied desire to know
who Jesus is
 Accounts likely written for specific
audiences




The Four Evangelists
25
Matthew for the Jews
Mark for the Roman Christians
Luke for Greeks or Gentiles
John for established Christian
communities at the end of the 1st Century
 Christianity is historical from the very
beginning… (e.g., Luke 2:1-2 & John
18:12-13 – historical details that can be
verified
 Jesus born (6 BC – 1 AD); died (30-33
AD)
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
 Other early Church Fathers
stressed the maintenance of the
Apostolic Tradition, specifically
regarding Jesus as described in the
Gospels
 Wrote and preached that the faithful
should not listen to those who deny
the historical Jesus or the reality of
His humanity and divinity
 Among many others, Ignatius of
Antioch & Polycarp of Smyrna both
plead against the false doctrines
being spread about Jesus and the
Church
26
From the beginning…
“Since many have undertaken to compile
a narrative of the events that have been
fulfilled among us, just as those who were
eyewitnesses from the beginning and
ministers of the word have handed them
down to us, I too have decided, after
investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for
you, most excellent Theophilus, so that
you may realize the certainty of the
teachings you have received.” – Luke 1:14
St. Luke
27
The Beginnings: Gospel of Luke
 Much of what we know and
understand about the early
church comes from Gospel of
Luke and the Acts of the Apostles
 These two books form a
continuous story depicting
Christ’s life through the crisis of
the Crucifixion, to the
Resurrection, and into Acts where
we see the apostles, empowered
by the Spirit, going about the
business of spreading the Gospel
28
St. Luke
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
The Words of Christ
 Tend to take three forms:
 Pronouncement stories (e.g., Mk 12:13-17)
 Proverbs (e.g., Mt 5:3-11)
 Parables (e.g., Lk 10:29-36)
Jesus Teaches
29
 Pronouncements don’t rely on context;
have a religious concern; elicit a response
 Proverbs – Jesus brings to this usually
secular wisdom a religious dimension, or
expands traditional religious ideas
 Parables – startle people into thinking
about the Kingdom – understanding is a
product of one’s faith
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
The Deeds of Christ (largely miracles)
 Jesus often reticent about performing and
publicizing miracles; often refuses to work
them and castigates those who seek them
 Jesus uses miracles not so much to prove
his Divinity, but for purposes directly related
to his ministry; for example…
 Jn 9:35-41 – Curing the blind man symbolic
of spiritual sight which comes from faith
 Luke 5:1-11 – The large catch of fish
symbolic of how Christ will “catch” people
 John 11 – Raising the dead Lazarus
prefigures Christ's own Resurrection
30
Jesus Heals the
Paralytic
(Mk 2:1-12)
The Beginnings: Christian Sources
Response to miracles
 Some (rationalists, secular humanists)
reject them out of hand:
 “The great objection to miracles is that they
do not occur.” – Matthew Arnold
 Modern apologists (Lewis, Chesterton…)
show unreasonableness of blanket denials
 Chesterton: Christians are the ones who look
at all the evidence and accept it; those who
reject miracles do so a priori based on their
biases and doctrines against them
31
 Many modern Christians argue against
miracles, accepting the big ones (the
Jesus Heals Bartimaeus
Incarnation) while illogically denying the little
(Mk 10:46-52)
ones
Who do you say that I am…
Jesus’
prophecy
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.“
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh
and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to
you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the
kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.“ – Mt 16:16-19
32
Petrine Primacy – Scripture
In addition to Mt 16:
 Jesus selects Simon first (Mt 4:18; Mk 1:16; Lk 5:1-11)
 Peter given primacy throughout Gospels (Mt 10:2)
 Jesus accustomed the jealous apostles to Peter's
singular position among them
 Sequence of three closest to Jesus: Peter, James,
John
 Peter regularly given special instructions and
admonitions;
 Peter trained above the others in humility, patience and
trust in God
 Peter’s faith declared essential, to strengthen the
others
 Recognized as apostolic spokesman, only because the
Lord had chosen him for leadership from the moment
he was called to the apostolate
33
The Rock: Biblical Foundation
 The image of the Rock, long used in both
Biblical and extra-Biblical sources, implies
permanence
 Qumran earlier hymn: “And I rejoiced in your
truth, my God, for you lay a foundation upon a
rock…to build a strong wall that will not be
shaken and all who enter shall not falter.”
 Parables (Mt 7; Lk 6): building a house on rock
foundation to withstand every storm
 Jesus’ final promise: “And behold, I am with
you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt
28:20)
 The Church will continue to exist until the end
of time: “As often as you eat this bread and
drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death
until He comes.” (1 Cor 11:26)
34
Statue of St. Peter
St. John Lateran,
Rome
The Rock: Biblical Foundation
 The Church will abide in the
Truth:
 “And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you
another Advocate to be
with you always, the Spirit
of truth…” (Jn 14:16-17)
 “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my
name, he will teach you everything and remind you of all that
I told you.” (Jn 14:26)
 “…the household of God, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)
35
The Prophecy Fulfilled
 By saying, “My Church,” Jesus speaks of
the society of people who join together in
His Name and serve God as He
commanded
 Peter, the rock, would die, but Christ’s
Church would last “until the end of the
age.” (Mt 28:20)
 Jesus, of course, is the irreplaceable
foundation of His Church (1 Cor 3:11)
 Jesus foresaw the need to join a visible
“rock” to Himself, so that to belong to the
Church of Peter is to belong to Christ
Himself.
36
“…you are Peter, and
upon this rock…”
(Mt 16:16-19)
The Prophecy Fulfilled
37
 The Church’s history reflects the fulfillment of
Jesus’ prophecy that, upon the foundation of
Peter, He would build a new Israel, the
Church
 Jesus’ teaching reveals that God the Father
introduces His Kingdom into history and,
through His power, brings it to fruition among
us; He will perfect it in His own good time
 The “gates of the netherworld” is the force of
evil responsible for both physical and spiritual
death
 God’s people can overcome both forms of
death to achieve entrance into the glory of
God’s final Kingdom
The Prophecy Fulfilled
 Jesus promised that death,
which overcomes all else,
would be powerless against the
Church He founded – as its
Founder He made it immortal
 The gift of immortality implies
the gift of indefectibility, which
implies infallibility – to err while
claiming to teach in the Name
of God is to be conquered by
error
38
The Beginnings: The Apostles
The Apostles
39
 Their witness brought Christ to the world
 Ordinary men: fishermen, tax collector,
seemingly chosen for the ordinariness
 Normal men who would ask normal
questions; common-sense men, not
gullible; not the kind to invent, but the kind
to doubt
 Despite all their confusion and doubt, they
come to believe
 What they do is just as important as what
they say; their lives convert the world –
suffering and dying to spread the Good
News (Who knowingly dies for a hoax?)
The Beginnings: The Apostles
St. Peter
St. Paul
40
 Apostles had a tremendous
impact on the early Church
 Provided the first interpretation
of Christ’s message, along with
his life, death and Resurrection
 They celebrated the first liturgies
 They make the first disciplinary
and doctrinal decisions
 Their initial interpretive acts are
the beginnings of Christian
tradition
The Great Commission
"All power in heaven and on
earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son,
and of the holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I have
commanded you. And behold,
I am with you always, until the
end of the age.“
The Great Commission
(Mt 28:18-20)
41
The First Pentecost
 The Church began around AD 30,
in Jerusalem on the day of
Pentecost (the traditional Jewish
feast of Pentecost to give thanks
for the harvests)
 Peter stepped forward from among
the Apostles and announced the
Good News that Jesus, who had
been sent by God and crucified,
was alive, for God had raised Him
up. He was the Savior, the
Messiah, for whom their people
had awaited for generations.
(Acts 2-4)
42
The First Pentecost
(Acts 2:1-4)
The First Pentecost
 Peter told those who
asked that they had to
repent and be
baptized in the name
of Jesus for the
forgiveness of sins;
then they would
receive the Holy Spirit
 Three thousand were
baptized and the
Church was born
43
The Apostles Filled with the
Spirit
(Acts 2-5)
God’s Planned Surprise
 These were not Palestinian
 God chose the feast of
Jews, but “Parthians, Medes,
Pentecost to manifest His
and Elamites, inhabitants of
Spirit, a day when Jews from
Mesopotamia, Judea and
all over the Empire would be
Cappadocia, Pontus and
in Jerusalem
Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of
Libya near Cyrene, as well as
travelers from Rome…”
 It was these to whom Peter
preached
 It was these who were baptized
 As so the Church is Catholic
(universal) from the very start
44
God’s Planned Surprise
“…at the moment of her birth, the Church
was already catholic, already a world
Church. Luke thus rules out a conception in
which a local Church first arose in
Jerusalem and then became the base for
the gradual establishment of other local
Churches that eventually grew into a
federation. Luke tells us that the reverse is
true: what first exists is the one Church, the
Church that speaks in all tongues – the
ecclesia universalis; she then generates
Church in the most diverse locales, which
nonetheless are all always embodiments of
the one and only Church.” – Pope Benedict
XVI, Called to Communion, 1991
45
Pentecost: the Beginning
 Peter is reported to have converted
5,000 in Jerusalem by himself
 Most were Jewish pilgrims from
elsewhere in the Empire; they
return to their various Jewish
communities and begin to form
Christian cells
 It is these small communities that
Paul worked so feverishly to keep
together and in union with the
universal Church
 It is for these reasons the Church
rightly considers that first Pentecost
its foundation day
46
Sts. Peter and Paul
Baptizing
The Early Church
47
 The early (Jewish) Christians went
on living as pious Jews: they
prayed in the temple, observed
dietary laws, and practiced
circumcision.
 Their distinguishing features were
their baptism in Jesus’ name, their
diligent regard for the apostles’
teaching, their breaking of the
bread., and their policy of having all
things in common [Acts 2:31-37;
4:32-35].
 Their zeal made then willing to go
to prison and die for their faith
Baptism depicted
in the Catacombs
Jewish Authorities troubled by
“The Way” because…





48
Peter and the other followers insisted
Jesus was alive, that they had seen Him,
talked with Him, eaten with Him, even
when all knew he had been crucified and
died
They claimed Jesus was the Messiah sent
by God to free the Chosen People,
something that could cause the Jews
problems with the Roman authorities
They claimed He was the Son of God, a
blasphemy to the Jews
Like Jesus, they also cured people
Some Apostles were jailed but escaped
and continued preaching in the temple
Peter Preaching
(Acts 2:14-40)
Discussion: Gamaliel’s Advice
Handout
 Read Acts 5:34-39
 What advice did
Gamaliel give the
Sanhedrin on how
to react?
49
Gamaliel Teaching
(Acts 5:34-39; 22:3)
The Word Spreads
50
 Carried by the Jews of the
Diaspora and the early
missionaries, the Gospel
message soon spread far beyond
Jerusalem and throughout the
Jewish communities in the
Roman Empire
 Those spreading the word
preached first in local
synagogues because the Jews
understood the messianic
 They soon discovered that the
prophecies and could more
message of the Resurrection
readily accept Jesus as the
struck a universal chord in the
fulfillment of their religious hopes
Empire
Christianity Spreads
 Favorable Material Conditions in the
Mediterranean World
 Roman Peace – “Pax Romana”
 Spiritual Turmoil in the Empire
 Appeal of Good News: He is risen!
 Appeal Of Christian Ideals
 God willed it
51
The Jewish Persecution
 Just as Jews so eagerly accepted the
Good News, so also were the Jews the
first persecutors of Christians
 Jesus was regarded as a blasphemer
and the disciples as apostates and
usurpers
 Apostles were persecuted in Jerusalem
from the start
 After the deacon Stephen was stoned to
death, Christians were actively and
systematically persecuted
 Paul suffered on numerous occasions
 James (Greater, Zebedee) martyred in
44 – Herod Agrippa’s persecution
 James (Less) Bishop of Jerusalem
martyred in 62
52
Martyrdom of St. James,
Bishop of Jerusalem
(Acts 12:1-2)
The Word Spreads: St. Paul
53
St. Paul’s Conversion
(Acts 9:1-9)
 Born a Jew, from Tarsus in
Asia Minor, Paul was a
Pharisee and rabbi under the
tutelage of the respected
Gamaliel
 Roman citizen through his
father
 Persecutor of Christians
(present at St. Stephen’s
stoning)
 On the road to Damascus to
arrest Christians there when
he is struck down and
miraculously converted (Acts
9)
Paul’s Conversion
The “Street Called
Straight” in Damascus
(Acts 9:11)
54
Some Critical Ramifications
 Jesus equates Himself with the
Church: “Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me?...I am
Jesus whom you are
persecuting.”
 Paul’s conversion from
persecutor to eager Christian
made others suspicious
 Barnabas had to introduce
Paul to the 12 to assure them
of Paul’s sincerity
 Early Relations a bit testy with
Paul
Paul, God’s Choice
55
Basilica of St. Paul
Outside the Walls,
Rome
Paul’s Unique Qualifications
 Familiar with the worlds of
Rome & Jerusalem, with the
cultures, languages, thought
patterns – spoke with
authority to either group
 Paul embodied the Church
at the time – his very person
was a tension between Jew
& Greek
 His final trip to Rome was
symbolic of Church’s
ultimate break with
Jerusalem
Paul’s Mission
 Among Paul’s tasks was the unification
of scattered Christian communities
 Made three missionary journeys through
Asia Minor and Greece on which he:






Spread the Good News of Jesus Christ
Instructed Christians on Christian living
Passed on news from other communities
Explained points of doctrine
Ensured the catholicity of the Church
Addressed disciplinary issues: how to
dress; how to fast; whom to follow; rules
for deacons, bishops, presbyters
 Ease the tension between Greek and
Jewish Christians
St. Paul
56
Early Church
To be or not to be…Jewish
 The early followers of
Jesus considered
themselves Jewish and
Christian.
 Their movement was
known as The Way.
 We first encounter the
term Christian when it
was applied to the
believers at Antioch in
the early 40’s.
57
Paul’s Challenge: Jews & Gentiles
 At first, Church was exclusively
Jewish
 Pentecost brought change as
new (Jewish) Christians returned
to their homes throughout the
Empire with a message that also
attracted Gentiles
 Question immediately arose:
St. Paul preaching to
Gentiles in Athens
(Acts 17:15-34)
58
 Must Gentile converts follow the
Law of Moses (circumcision, dietary
restrictions, cleansing, etc.)?
 Some said, “Yes” (See Acts 15:1,5)
 Paul said, “No” (Gal 2)
Council of Jerusalem: a Turning Point
 Through the early missionary activity of
Paul and Barnabas, the Christian faith
was brought to the Greek-speaking
communities far beyond Jerusalem.
 Problems and challenges arose at the
baptism of Gentiles in the new faith
 Up to this point [around 49-50 A.D.],
Christians were perceived as just
another Jewish sect
 Now, they were faced with an issue that
could lead to the eventual separation of
the Christian sect from Judaism proper
Sts Peter & Paul
59
Council of Jerusalem
A Turning Point in the Apostolic Community
 Council called to address the problem
of Gentile converts and the mandates
of Jewish law, specifically
circumcision.
 not whether circumcision was good
or bad, but whether it was required
for Gentile converts
 Larger question: Is Christianity open to
all people or only to Jews (those who
follow the Mosaic law)?
60
St. Paul
Council of Jerusalem: a Turning Point
 Boiled down to Paul & Barnabas
vs. the Christians of Jerusalem
 The Judaizers [those who wanted
to keep Christianity a Jewish sect]
supported baptisms of only those
gentiles who were in full
compliance of Mosaic Law.
 Paul wanted no Jewish obligations
placed on gentile converts.
 Accounts of this Council can be
found in Acts 15 and Galatians 2
 The answer is……
61
St. Paul debating in
Jerusalem
History of the Catholic Church
A 2,000-Year Journey
No Mosaic Burdens: Acts 15:23-29
 New Christians need not become
Jews first
 Circumcision would not be required of
converts to the faith
 The mission to the Gentiles was
approved as authentic
 This Council opened the Church to all
believers
 Thus the Church became “catholic” in
the root sense of the word: universal
or all-inclusive
 From then on belief in Jesus Christ
and participation in His Church
became the defining characteristic of
63
a Christian
Philip Baptizes the
Ethiopian Eunuch
(Acts 8:26-40)
Jerusalem Council Sets the Pattern
64
 After debate, Peter, the Rock, set the
tone of the Council (Acts 15:7-11), in
effect deciding the issue
 Peter is joined by James, Bishop of
Jerusalem, in this decision
 Here James and Peter both seem to
exert leadership. (Peter already
speaks for the universal Church by
virtue of the commission given him by
Jesus; James speaks as Bishop of
Jerusalem.)
 A formal announcement of the
council’s conclusions as members “in
agreement with the whole Church”
concur
Sts. Peter & James
(Acts 15)
Jerusalem Council Sets the Pattern
65
The Upper Room
(Acts 1:13)
 The Church recognizes a
problem or issue affecting
the whole Church
 A meeting is called with all
the Church leaders (Paul &
Barnabas go to Jerusalem
– to the Church – for a
solution)
 Open discussion of the
issues with prayers for
guidance by the Holy Spirit.
Effects of the Council of Jerusalem
 Set the format for future
councils: discussing all sides of
the problem; reaching a
decision through the guidance
of the Holy Spirit;
communicating the decision to
universal Church.
 Brought order, unity,
organization, and stability to the
Church at a crucial time in its
history
66
Jerusalem
Foundation for Apostolic Collegiality
 Apostles shared in the decision,
assured of God’s guidance [“It is
the decision of the holy Spirit and
of us…”] (Acts 15:23-29)
 A process was identified and the
Church leadership did not
hesitate to take authoritative
positions
 The bishops and the pope,
working together under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, chart
the course for the future journey
of the pilgrim people of God.
67
Bishops, Cardinals in
Rome
Final Break with Judaism
68
Jesus Reading from Isaiah
(Luke 4:16-21)
 As a Jew, Jesus followed Jewish
Law, the Torah; and many Jewish
Christians continued to live as
Jews.
 But Jesus often met with Gentiles
and praised their faith.
 He also commanded the Church
to “Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you. ..”
Final Break with Judaism
 Three decades of
sometimes severe
persecutions by Jewish
authorities, in Jerusalem
and elsewhere in the
Empire, tested the JewishChristian relationship
 62 AD. The separation
became pronounced when
James the leader of the
Christians in Jerusalem
was arrested by the Jewish
High priest for blasphemy
and beheaded
69
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
(Luke 19:41-44)
Final Break with Judaism
 70 AD the Roman army took Jerusalem and leveled the temple.
Judaism’s center was gone and it seemed that Israel would
disappear. To survive it had to unify and require conformity of
belief.
 The synagogues no
longer welcomed the
Christian sect. In the
year 90 the Jewish
leadership settled on
the canon of the
official Jewish sacred
Scripture – the break
was final.
70
The Word Spreads: Peter in Rome
 Ultimately, St. Peter
went from Jerusalem
to Antioch and finally
to Rome, which from
that time forward
became the seat of
the Church’s
governance
 Tradition holds that Peter spent more than 20 years in
Rome as bishop before his martyrdom under Nero
 He was buried on the Vatican hill, in a pagan cemetery;
Constantine built the first St. Peter’s Basilica over his
grave.
71
Preserving the Tradition
 A major responsibility (2
Thes 2:15)
 Deposit of faith preserved
orally (2 Tim 1:13-14)
 Didache – early teachings of
the Apostles put in writing
 Episcopate – authoritative
teaching office needed to
ensure these Apostolic
traditions are passed down
intact
 This remains the role of the
bishops: to teach, to govern,
and to sanctify
72
One Turning Point
 Resurrection of Jesus,
foreshadowed the
resurrection of all believers,
the day of the Lord
 Many early Christians
thought that the second
coming would occur within
the lifetime of those who had
heard Jesus preach,
continually admonishing his
audience to be alert and
ready (Mk 13:32-37, Lk
12:35-37)
73
One Turning Point
 Christians also began to
question fate of those who
had already died; to worry
when and if the end would
ever come [1 Cor 15:51-52]
 Passing of Apostles
accelerated the change from
oral to written tradition
 Church developed more
permanent structures; roles
more clearly defined
 Scripture canon formalized
74
The Early Church
 They also met in private
homes for the “breaking of
the bread” and the prayers.
 Eventually some houses
were specifically designated
for worship.
 A house-church in DuraEuropos [Iraq] was built c. 250
A. D. and still stands.
75
The Good News: Public to “Private”
76
 The ministry of the apostles, as
presented in the New Testament,
was conducted in public
 After the first persecutions in 64 A.D.,
Christians continued to preach the
Gospel publicly, despite the risk
 The Church also maintained its
organization (39 of 1st 40 popes
martyred)
 In the post-apostolic Church
conversions came via the nascent
Church organization, apologists,
“street evangelizers”, ordinary
Christians, and martyrs
Catacombs of Callistus
Evolution of Church Organization
 From Acts and Paul’s letters
we know that a hierarchal
Church emerged very early
during Apostolic times
 The Apostles at first sent our
Apostolic delegates (e.g.,
Titus, Timothy) with authority
from the Apostles
 This naturally evolved into
bishops with responsibility for
local Churches
77
Early Church Fathers
Ignatius of Antioch (106 AD)
“Jesus Christ...is the will of
the Father, just as the
bishops, who have been
appointed throughout the
world, are the will of Jesus
Christ. Let us be careful, then,
if we would be submissive to
God, not to oppose the
bishop.”
– Written in 106 AD by St. Ignatius,
Bishop of Antioch, on his way to his
martyrdom in Rome.
78
St. Ignatius of Antioch
Thrown to the beasts in Rome (c. 107)
Papal Primacy – Early Evidence
Clement of Rome [c. 90 A.D.]
4th Bishop of Rome
 As Bishop of Rome, he wrote to
the Corinthians because some
members of the community had
taken it upon themselves to
depose several priests of the
Church in defiance of local bishop.
79
 Clement assumes the right to interfere in the internal affairs of
another local church (Corinth)
 Emphasized need for a spirit of submissiveness and obedience;
calls upon the authors of the schism to lay aside their ambitious
schemes and repent
 He bids them "render obedience unto the things written by us
through the Holy Spirit."
Papal Primacy – Early Evidence
Ignatius of Antioch [c. 106 A.D.]
 In his Epistle to the Romans, he
speaks of the Roman Church
“presiding in love, maintaining
the law of Christ, and bearer of
the Father’s name…”
 He speaks of “the Church…
which also presides in the chief
place of the Roman territory…”
80
St. Ignatius of Antioch
(c. 50 – c. 107)
Papal Primacy – Early Evidence
Irenaeus [2nd Century] – Against the Heresies
“Because it would be too long in such a volume as
this to enumerate the successions of all the
churches, we point to the tradition of that very great
and very ancient and universally known Church,
which was founded and established at Rome, by the
two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul: we point
I say, to the tradition which this Church has from the
Apostles, and to her faith proclaimed to men which
comes down to our time through the succession of
her bishops, and so we put to shame…all who
assemble in unauthorized meetings.
“For with this Church, because of its superior authority, every
Church must agree -- that is the faithful everywhere -- in
communion with which Church the tradition of the Apostles
has been always preserved by those who are everywhere.”
81
St. Irenaeus (d. 202)
Bishop of Lyons
Persecutions of Early Church
 30-60 A.D. –
Christians benefit
from Roman
tolerance of Judaism;
although
persecutions by
Jewish authorities is
sometimes severe
 64 A.D. – Emperor
Nero blames
Christians for fire that
devastates Rome;
persecutions begin
82
Martyrdom of St. Peter c. 67 AD
Nero Begins Persecutions
Nero highly unpopular:
 Brutal (murdered his mother and
wife) & corrupt
 Wanted land for his building
project – “Golden House” –
covering 1/3 of Rome
Nero’s perfect scapegoats,
Christians were seen as:
 Unconcerned about government
or military
 Anti-social, avoided public baths
and spectacles
 Secretive and elitist – mysterious
religion – accused of cannibalism
83
Burning of Rome 64 AD
Nero blames Christians
Nero’s and Later Persecutions
 St. Peter and St. Paul victims of Nero’s
persecutions
 Peter – crucified on Vatican Hill
 Paul – beheaded (Roman citizen) at
Tre Fontaine
 Most frequent means of persecution:
imprisonment, confiscation of property,
exile to Sardinian mines, execution
 Execution often as a means of
entertainment or by crucifixion, combat
with animals, or burning at night
 After Nero persecutions were sporadic
until 250 AD when they took on a new
and ugly form
84
Roman Persecution of
Christians
The Ten General Persecutions
 Nero (64-67) – Peter & Paul
 Domitian (95-96) – Clement I
 Trajan to Hadrian (112-138) –
Ignatius of Antioch; Polycarp
 Marcus Aurelius (161) – Cecilia;
Justin
 Septimus Severus (202) –
Perpetua; Felicity; Irenaeus
 Maximin of Thrace (235) –
Popes Pontian and Antherus
 Decius (249-251) – Fabiran;
Agatha
85
 Valerian (257-260) – Cyprian;
Lawrence; Agnes of Rome; Sixtus II
 Aurelian (275)
 Diocletian (303-311)
The Catacombs
 Catacombs – underground galleries cut
from volcanic rock (tufa) for the burial of
the dead; outside the city; some had
large galleries that held 2,000
 Used more by Christians and Jews
(pagans more often cremated bodies)
 Not secret, generally not good hiding
places; Pope Sixtus and four of his
deacons were caught in the catacombs
“teaching the people”
86
 But Romans didn’t normally patrol them
nor tamper with the dead; and there were
90 miles of catacombs in Rome
Catacombs-Altar where
Pope Sixtus was saying
Mass when he was
martyred (257)
Christians Respond to Persecutions
Decius ultimatum to all citizens to
offer sacrifice to the gods or face
death. Some Christians submitted by:
 Offering sacrifice as required
 Offering only incense
 Obtaining a certificate (libellus)
saying they had offered
sacrifice even though they
hadn’t
Many Christians, though, refused.
Pope Fabian was among the first to
die.
87
Burning incense to the
Roman gods
The Lapsi: What to do with them?
Pope Cornelius
(Martyred 253)
88
 How to deal with those who renounced the
Faith (the lapsi)?
 After persecution by Decius had eased, hardliners, led by Novatian, argued that the lapsi
had permanently given up the right to belong
to the Church – should never be readmitted.
 Others argued for a general amnesty
 Pope Cornelius chose middle ground: lapsi
could return after suitable period of public
penance
 Penance depended on type of apostasy:
sacrificati; thurificati; libellatici
 Good solution but problem arose again
(Donatists)
Why Christians Were So Disliked?
St. Justin Martyr
(Martyred 165)
89
Justin Martyr, in his Letter to Diogenes,
explained:
 Christians “marry as men do and beget
children, but they do not practice abortion.
They share tables but not beds. They live in
the flesh, but not according to the flesh…”
 “The world suffers nothing from Christians but
hates them because they reject its pleasures.”
 Neighbors often denounced Christians out of
sheer dislike, or for greed for their property, or
for loss of customers for idols…
 Christians lived for heaven and not for earth
How many today would willingly risk their lives to
reject the evils our world throws in their faces?
Decius Begins New & Severe
By 250, Rome’s population
“existed mainly to draw their
government doles, and to attend
the free spectacles with which the
government provided them.”
-- Christopher Dawson, historian
Emperor Decius in an effort to restore
Roman glory acted forcefully:
 Sought to reform military
 Secure the borders (barbarians)
 Unify the people through religion
by restoring worship of the gods,
including the Emperor
90
Emperor Decius
c. 201 - 251
Valerian, Diocletian & Galerius
91
Priestess making an
offering to the gods
 Decius died in 250 fighting the
Germans but persecutions continue
under Valerian (c. 200-260)
 The most severe take place under
Diocletian (244-311) and Galerius
(260-311) during the years 303-311.
 In 311 under considerable pressure
Galerius halts the persecution.
 In 313 Constantine, who now controls
the Western Empire, issues the Edict
of Milan granting Christianity free
expression and many privileges
The Last of the Persecutions
 Last Roman persecutions under
Diocletian were the worst (303)
 Vitality and growth of
Christianity seen as threat to
the old order.
 At the same time the Roman
Empire was becoming too
unwieldy to govern efficiently.
 Diocletian divided the Empire into West and the East. He
moved to the eastern part and appointed another to the
western.
 He was persuaded that persecuting Christians would help his
cause.
92
Constantine Conquers
 292: Diocletian divides Empire with
Maximian
 305: Diocletian & Maximian abdicate
 312: Struggle between Maxentius and
Constantine for Western Empire
 312: In hoc signo vinces – Constantine
defeats Maxentius near Rome at the
Milvian Bridge
 313: Constantine issues Edict of Milan,
guaranteeing right of religious freedom
within the Emprie
 Constantine then unites both Eastern and
Western Empires under his rule
93
Christianity’s New Status
 Dramatic change – from
persecuted to favored religion
almost overnight
 Between 250 and 311 over 60,000
Christians were put to death
 During the same period their
numbers rose from three to seven
million and now represented 15%
of entire population.
 The persecutions had made people
take notice and ask: “Why would so
many people of all social classes
willingly go to their deaths?”
94
Early Church: The Eucharist
Jesus teaching in the
synagogue in Capernaum:
 He announced the Eucharist, telling
the people that unless they ate the
flesh of the Son of Man and drank
His blood, they would have no life in
them.
 Consequently many of disciples left
Him complaining, "this is a hard
saying. Who can listen to it?"
 Yet instead of correcting a possible
false impression or qualifying the
mystery of faith, He turned to the
Twelve and asked them, "Do you
also wish to go away?"
95
Early Church: The Eucharist
Jesus at the Last Supper:
 Made the Eucharist a permanent
institution
 The Eucharist and the priesthood
are instituted together
 The Apostles would be the ones
through which the graces of
redemption would flow from Jesus
Christ to all of humanity
 “My Blood of the New Covenant”
underscores the continuity
between the two Laws and the
perfection of the Christian over the
Jewish dispensation
96
History of the Eucharist
97
 Eucharist first called the
“Breaking of the Bread”
 Soon necessary to
separate the rite from a
meal, because of abuses
at meals (1 Cor 11:17-22)
and to ensure a more
prayerful setting
 By the year 150, St. Justin
Martyr tells us, the basic
structure of the Mass had
already long been in place
History of the Eucharist
The first-century document, the Didache or “Teaching
of the Apostles” shows the development of the
Eucharist
 Eucharist celebrated on Sunday in memory of
Christ’s resurrection
 The early Christians created a Liturgy of the
Word somewhat modeled after synagogue prayer
that included readings from Scripture, singing of
psalms and an instruction
 Around the words of Eucharistic institution they
added prayers of thanksgiving, praise and
intercession (today’s Eucharistic Prayer)
98
History of the Eucharist
How did the first Christians experience
the Eucharist?







99
A Sacrament
A Sacrifice
The new Passover
The re-presentation of the Paschal Mystery
The Communion of God with man
The revelation of heavenly worship
The source and summit of the Church’s life and
unity
Although the Mass has changed in external forms from age to age, the
“Mass of all ages” remains the same, recognizable in the Church’s
doctrine and in the details of the ritual.
History of the Eucharist
100
 Early celebrations were held in people’s homes
 After 313 AD more churches were built and the Mass
shifted from homes to churches
 On Sunday there were two readings by a lector, a
homily by the priest, then the Eucharistic Prayer and
the distribution of Communion
 Yes, there was a collection! For widows, orphans and
others in need
 The threefold roles of bishop, priest and deacon were
already in place in the first century
 Our Second Eucharistic Prayer today is brief and
simple, and owes its inspiration to one composed by
Hippolytus of Rome in 215
Discussion: The Eucharist in the 2nd Century
Handout
 Read Handout: St. Justin Martyr’s
First Apology (65-67) written c. 150
A.D.
 Identify the structures of the
celebration of the Eucharist in this
text.
 Which are the same?
 Which are different?
 What does this tell you about the
importance of celebrating the Mass
throughout the ages?
101
St. Justin Martyr
Early Church: The Eucharist
 Church sees multiplication miracle as a “type”
of the Eucharist, a foreshadowing.
 Tabgha – an Arabic corruption of the Greek
Heptapegon (Seven Springs) – traditional site
of the miracle of the multiplication of loaves
and fishes (Mt 14: 13-21).
 Situated in a narrow, fertile valley on the
northern shore of the lake, watered by several
springs
 The earliest building at Tabgha was a small
4th century chapel; only a part of its
foundations was uncovered. This was
probably the shrine described by the pilgrim
Egeria at the end of the 4th century:
102
Multiplication of
Loaves
Early Church: The Eucharist
Church of the Loaves and Fishes (Tabgha)
Early Mosaic of
Eucharist, Tabgha,
Galilee
103
Early Church: The Eucharist
In the same place (not far from
Capernaum) facing the Sea of
Galilee is a well watered land in
which lush grasses grow, with
numerous trees and palms.
Nearby are seven springs
which provide abundant water.
In this fruitful garden Jesus fed
five thousand people with five
loaves of bread and two fish.
104
The Sea of Galilee
The stone on which the Master placed the bread became an
altar. The many pilgrims to the site broke off pieces of it as a
cure for their ailments.
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Jewish heresies
 Regarded Christianity as simply an
extension of Judaism
 Mere association with Gentiles
considered an abomination
 Gentiles must adhere to all Jewish
laws, including circumcision and
dietary laws
 Mistaken concepts of the Messiah
caused some Jewish converts to
question the divinity of Christ – Peter
and Paul among the most active in
refuting these arguments
105
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Gnosticism
 The most influential of early heresies.
Gnostics were Gentile Christians who
combined Christianity with Eastern
religions
 Believed in salvation through gnosis,
or knowledge, not through faith or
works
 Often believed Christ was a revealer
of the hidden knowledge, a body of
secret instructions given to the
apostles. (Mk 4:33-34; 1 Cor 2:6-7)
106
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Gnosticism
 Some Gnostics denied Christ’s
divinity, others his humanity. All
opposed Church teaching
 Belief in dualism
 Antinomianism – sex, drugs & rock &
roll, 1st century version
 Docetism - Christ pure spirit – material
things evil
107
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Marcionism
 Outgrowth of Gnosticism begun by
Marcion (c. 85-160)
 Made a distinction between the
creator God of the Old Testament and
the redeemer God of Jesus Christ
 Denied relationship between Old and
New Testaments, the Incarnation, and
rejected validity of most of the New
Testament
 The Marcionite heresy was certainly
the greatest threat to the Catholic
Church during the 2nd Century
108
Marcion (C. 85-160)
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Montanism
 Montanus (d. 175) considered himself a prophet
 Rejected the Church in favor of direct prophecy
from God - Montanus claimed to be possessed
by God and spoke as God
 Claimed to be voice of “the Father, the Word,
and the Paraclete”
 Advocated fasting, chastity and martyrdom;
serious sinners could never be restored to a
state of grace
 Perhaps due to his extreme personality, the
famous Tertullian joined and defended the
Montanists.
 The sect survived the death of Montanus for a
few centuries, but eventually became small and
secretive before disappearing altogether.
109
Montanus (d. 175)
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Modalism
 Heresy started by Sabellius, a Libyan priest
 Held that the Trinity was not three distinct
Persons, but simply modes or
manifestations of one Divine Person
 Ignored the words of Jesus regarding the
Father and the Holy Spirit
 Modalism quickly died out; it was too
contrary to the ancient Christian faith to
survive for long
 A modern form exists among some
Pentecostals – Jesus Only doctrine -claims that Jesus is the only person in the
Godhead and that the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit are merely names, modes,
or roles of Jesus
110
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Novationism
 Novatian (d. 258), a 3rd century Roman
priest, held that serious sinners were
excommunicated and could never be
readmitted
 Denied that the Church has the
power to grant absolution in certain
cases
 St. Cyprian said the Novatians no
longer believed in the creed by
rejecting belief in the remission of
sins, and everlasting life through Holy
Church
 Novatian set himself up as antipope to
St. Cornelius; eventually established
111
his own church
Pope St. Cornelius
Early Heresies [30 -250 A.D.]
Subordinationism
 Teaches falsely that the Son is not eternal
or divine (Arian Subordinationism)
 Son is therefore not equal with the Father
in being or in attributes
 Another form of the heresy teaches that,
though the Son is divine, he is not equal
to the Father in being, attributes, and
rank
 Essentially in all its forms it states that
the Son is not equal to the Father
 Error rejected by the Council of Nicaea
and strongly attacked by St. Athanasius
112
St. Athanasius
Catholic Culture: Early Debate
Christians faced problems in a pagan
world:
Tertullian
113
 How to educate their children?
 Could classical culture be assimilated or should it
be rejected in favor of a new culture based solely
on Scripture and the Fathers?
 Tertullian believed in the latter: “What has
Jerusalem to do with Athens…the Church with the
academy, the Christian with the heretic?”
 Clement of Alexandria held opposite view: since
God is source of all truth, the many truths found in
Greek philosophy, arts and sciences were not to be
rejected. A well-educated Christian can better
receive and defend the truths of the Faith,
St. Clement of Alexandria
Catholic Culture: Education
St. John Chrysostom
114
 Clement’s view prevailed and led to the great
synthesis of classical learning with Christianity
 Christians did not generally establish their own
schools in the Roman world, even when they
weren’t being persecuted
 Used secular schools but added intense instruction
in Christians doctrine – by parents to children, by
the Church to catechumens, by clergy to the whole
community
 St. John Chrysostom instructed parents to tell their
children Bible stories in an interesting and
systematic way
 The early Christian family was deeply involved in
religious training of children. Only after several
centuries did Christian schools widely develop
Catholic Culture: Literature
Plato
115
 Roman period rich in great Christian literature
 Sts. Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose produced first
works of Christian theology, philosophy, exegesis
and history
 Creating the new discipline of Christian theology
was a monumental task
 No Greek or Latin vocabulary ; theological
terminology had to be created
 Platonic influence very strong in early Church –
“idealism” of perfect forms and the perfect state
(Plato’s Republic) utopia
 Platonism appealing – other worldly character – an
escape from the realities of the roman Empire