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451
The Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from October 8 to November 1, AD 451, at Chalcedon. It is considered to be the fourth ecumenical council by the Great Church. The council's ruling was an important step into further clarifying the nature of Christ and the Orthodox Doctrine of the Trinity. The Council also laid groundwork for one of the most significant events in church history, the Great Schism. -
May 3, 1054
East-West Schism
The East-West Schism (referred to as the Great Schism) is the break of communion between the Roman and Byzantine branches of the Christian Church. Causes of the Schism included political, cultural, economic and social as well as theological differences. Communication between the Greek speaking East and the Latin West broke down as church and other leaders in each no longer spoke or read the language of the other half of the Christian World. -
Apr 3, 1517
The Reformation
The Reformation began in 1517 when a German Monk named Martin Luther protested about the Catholic Church. Many people and governments adopted the new Protestant ideas, while others remained faithful to the Catholic Church. This led to a split in the Church. Reformers like Martin Luther challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church's ability to define Christian practice. The disruption triggered wars, persecutions and a Counter-Reformation. -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther’s Publication of 95 Theses
On this day in 1517, the priest and scholar Martin Luther approached the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany and nailed a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary options that would begin the Protestant Reformation. His theses condemned the excesses and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the selling of indulgences for the forgiveness of sins. The 95 Theses were quickly translated from Latin to German and distributed widely. -
Dec 13, 1545
The Council of Trent
The Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent and Bologna, northern Italy, is considered to be one of the Roman Catholic Churches most important ecumenical councils. Sparked by the Protestant Reformation, the Council played an important part in determining the outcome of the Counter-Reformation. The council played a vital role in revitalizing the Roman Catholic Church in many parts of Europe. -
Sep 25, 1556
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg, which was the result of the Reformation, was the legalization of Catholicism and Lutheranism in the country of Germany. The main aspect of the Peace of Augsburg were that peace was to be maintained between both the Catholic and Lutheran practitioners and that every principality was to decide if they were to practice Catholicism or Lutheranism, all other religions were not allowed. -
The First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convened in 1868 and ended in 1870. It was one of the most important events in the Roman Catholic Church development since the Council of Trent. It was convoked by Pope Pius IX to deal with contemporary problems. The pope refereed to the rising influence of rationalism, liberalism, materialism and inspiration of Scripture. It was also setting out to define the Catholic Doctrine and explore the dogma of papal infallibility. -
The Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. It was announced by Pope John XXIII as a means of spiritual renewal for the church as well as reconsideration of the position of the church in the modern world and as an occasion for Christians separated from Rome to join in search for reunion. Today, the council is credited with essentially shaping the modern Catholic Church.
