A Concise History of the Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic church based in the Vatican and led by the Pope, is the largest of all branches of Christianity, with about 1.4 billion followers worldwide. Roughly one in two Christians are Roman Catholics and one out of every six people worldwide. In the United States, about 20% of the population identifies Catholicism as their chosen religion.

This global influence has shaped not only religious but also cultural and political landscapes throughout history. Learn the origins of the Roman Catholic Church, and review a timeline of major events throughout its history.

Origins of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholicism itself maintains that the Roman Catholic Church was established by Christ when he gave direction to the Apostle Peter as the head of the church, making him the first pope. This belief is based on Matthew 16:18—when Jesus Christ said to Peter:

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (NIV).

According to "The Moody Handbook of Theology," the official beginning of the Roman Catholic church occurred in 590 C.E., with Pope Gregory I. This time marked the consolidation of lands controlled by the authority of the pope, and thus the church's power, into what would later be known as "the Papal States." 

The Early Christian Church

After the ascension of Jesus Christ, as the apostles began to spread the gospel and make disciples, they provided the beginning structure for the early Christian Church. It is difficult, if not impossible, to separate the initial stages of the Roman Catholic Church from that of the early Christian church.

Simon Peter, one of Jesus' 12 disciples, became an influential leader in the Jewish Christian movement. Later James, most likely Jesus' brother, took over leadership. These followers of Christ viewed themselves as a reform movement within Judaism, yet they continued to follow many of the Jewish laws.

The Rise of Pauline and Gnostic Christianity

At this time Saul, originally one of the strongest persecutors of the early Jewish Christians, had a blinding vision of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and became a Christian. Adopting the name Paul, he became the greatest evangelist of the early Christian church. Paul's ministry, also called Pauline Christianity, was directed mainly to Gentiles. In subtle ways, the early church was already becoming divided.

Another belief system at this time was Gnostic Christianity, which taught that Jesus was a spirit being, sent by God to impart knowledge to humans so that they could escape the miseries of life on earth.

In addition to Gnostic, Jewish, and Pauline Christianity, many other versions of Christianity were starting to be taught. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., the Jewish Christian movement was scattered. Pauline and Gnostic Christianity were left as the dominant groups.

Legal Recognition and Division

The Roman Empire legally recognized Pauline Christianity as a valid religion in 313 C.E. Later in that century, in 380 C.E., Roman Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire. During the following 1,000 years, Catholics were the only people recognized as Christians.

In 1054 C.E., a formal split occurred between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. This division remains in effect today. The next major division occurred in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation.

Those who remained faithful to Roman Catholicism believed that the central regulation of doctrine by church leaders was necessary to prevent confusion and division within the church and corruption of its beliefs.

Key Dates and Events in the History of Roman Catholicism

c. 33 to 100 C.E.: This period is known as the apostolic age, during which the early church was headed up by the 12 apostles of Jesus, who began missionary work to convert Jews to Christianity in various regions of the Mediterranean and Mideast. 

c. 60 C.E.: Apostle Paul returns to Rome after suffering persecution for attempting to convert Jews to Christianity. He is said to have worked with Peter. The reputation of Rome as the center of the Christian church may have begun during this period, although practices were conducted in a hidden manner due to the Roman opposition. Paul died about 68 C.E., probably executed by beheading upon the order of emperor Nero. Apostle Peter is also crucified around this time. 

100 to 325 C.E.: Known as the Ante-Nicene period (before the Council of Nicene), this period marked the increasingly vigorous separation of the newly born Christian church from the Jewish culture, and the gradual spread of Christianity into Western Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Near East. 

200 C.E.: Under the leadership of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, the basic structure of the Catholic church was in place. A system of governance of regional branches under absolute direction from Rome was established. The basic tenets of Catholicism were formalized, involving the absolute rule of faith.

313 C.E.: Roman emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, and in 330 moved the Roman capital to Constantinople, leaving the Christian church to be the central authority in Rome. 

325 C.E.: The First Council of Nicaea was converged by Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council attempted to structure church leadership around a model similar to that of the Roman system and also formalized key articles of faith. 

551 C.E.: At the Council of Chalcedon, the head of the church in Constantinople was declared to be the head of the Eastern branch of the church, equal in authority to the Pope. This effectively was the start of the division of the church into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic branches. 

590 C.E.: Pope Gregory I initiated his papacy, during which the Catholic Church engaged in widespread efforts to convert pagan peoples to Catholicism. This began a time of enormous political and military power controlled by Catholic popes. This date is marked by some as the beginning of the Catholic Church as we know it today. 

632 C.E.: Islamic prophet Mohammad dies. In the following years, the rise of Islam and broad conquests of much of Europe leads to the brutal persecution of Christians and the removal of all Catholic church heads except for those in Rome and Constantinople. A period of great conflict and long-lasting conflict between the Christian and Islamic faiths begins during these years. 

1054 C.E.: The great East-West schism marks the formal separation of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches of the Catholic Church. 

1250s C.E.: The Inquisition begins in the Catholic church—an attempt to suppress religious heretics and convert non-Christians. Various forms of the forceful inquisition would remain for several hundred years (until the early 1800s), eventually targeting Jewish and Muslim peoples for conversion as well as expelling heretics within the Catholic Church. 

1517 C.E.: Martin Luther publishes the 95 Theses, formalizing arguments against Roman Catholic Church doctrines and practices, and effectively marking the beginning of the Protestant separation from the Catholic Church.

1534 C.E.:  King Henry VIII of England declares himself to be the supreme head of the Church of England, severing the Anglican Church from the Roman Catholic Church. 

1545-1563 C.E.: The Catholic Counter-Reformation begins, a period of resurgence in Catholic influence in response to the Protestant Reformation.

1870 C.E.: The First Vatican Council declares the policy of Papal infallibility, which holds that the Pope's decisions are beyond reproach—essentially considered the word of God. 

1960s C.E.: The Second Vatican Council in a series of meetings reaffirmed church policy and initiated several measures aimed at modernizing the Catholic Church.