church history

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and
enkindle in them the fire of your love.
L – send forth your Spirit and new things will be
created.
R - and you will renew the face of the earth.
Let Us Pray:
O God, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, guide your
faithful to the light of truth, grant that we may be always
truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus founded the Church in Jerusalem on
Pentecost day, in the year 33 AD.
Peter stood up and addressed them in a loud
voice:
These remained faithful to the teaching of
the Apostles,
Stephen, one of the first seven deacons, and
the also the First Martyr (†36 AD) of the
church

What is the Holy Shroud?
It is linen cloth believed to have wrapped Jesus
when He was taken from the Cross.
It has images of a crucified man made with his
blood and wounds.
In 1357, a Crusader knight brought the Shroud
from Constantinople to France.
From there, in 1578, it was transferred to
Turin(Italy), were it is shown to the public
every 25 years.

Scientific interest in the relic began
in 1898 when photographic negative
of the Shroud revealed an image that
no painter could have reproduced.
So far, the most probable solution is
that the images impressed on the
Shroud were caused by the energy
that emanated from the body of Jesus
at the time of resurrection.

Who is Peter?
Jesus appointed Peter as the first Pope
 When He declared: You are Peter , and
upon this rock I will build my
Church,……..
One day Peter and John (were going up
to the Temple for the prayers……)
Cornelius, a Roman centurion (residing
in Caesarea)

Jesus appointed Peter as the first Pope

About the year 64 AD, Rome was devastated by
terrible fire.
 Emperor Nero to shift the blame, accused the
Christians and began persecuting them.
 St. peter was brought to the Vatican Hill for
execution.
 St. Peter consider himself unworthy to die like
the Lord, he asked the soldiers to crucify him
downward.
 His body was buried in what we call now St.
Peter Square.

Legend says that St.
Peter, in order to flee the
persecution of Nero(64
AD), decided to escape
from Rome. At the gates
of the city he saw Christ
and asked him in Latin:
Quo Vadis Domine?
(were are you going,
Lord?) Jesus replied: I am
going into Rome to be
crucified a second time.
Peter then, returning to
his senses, turned back
to Rome to give witness
to his faith even in the
face of death.

Who is Paul?
Saul, a zealous Pharisee from Tarsus,
 Was bitterly persecuting the Church.
 In his way to Damascus He meet Jesus.
 He became blind
 Ananias laid his hand on him and he recovered his sight.
Then he was baptized.
Saul, renamed Paul, travelled extensively
 He travel around the Mediterranean Sea and Greece
 He preached with enthusiasm
 He abandon his Jewish origins and traditions
 He concentrated on Christ’s Good News
 On his last visit in Jerusalem he was arrested.

Paul founded many churches, to which he wrote several
letters.
 In the evening of his life he wrote: the time has come
for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the
end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the
faith
St. Paul wrote 13 letters to the churches he had founded.
St. Paul was beheaded along Via Ostiense and was
interred a few kilometers away.
Three centuries later two majestic basilicas were built over
their Shrines.

During the persecution of Nero (64AD)
 A great number of Christians suffered martyrdom.
 They were subjected to burning, crucifixion, and exposure to wild
beasts.
A second cruel persecution occurred with emperor
Domitian (81 AD.)
 The pretext of restoring the pagan religion.
 He accused the Christian of atheism and executed and multitude
of them.
 On his way to Rome. St. Ignatius of Antioch said: I die willingly for
God. I will be the food of wild beasts. Which are the means of my
way to God.

Emperor Trajan, in a famous letter to his officer pliny
(112 AD)
 Stated this principle: Christians are not to be sought out.
 Those who are accused but offer sacrifice are to be dismissed;
those who confess that they are Christians and refuse to
sacrifice are to be executed.
A most terrible persecution was launched under
emperor Decius (249 AD)
 To find out the Christians, he ordered all inhabitants of the
empire to perform some acts of pagan worship. Such as
burning incense before a statue of the emperor.
 Those who refused were deprived of their goods, imprisoned,
burn to death or beheaded.
 The deacon St. Lawrence, informed of his imminent
execution, gave gladly the money of the Church in his
possession to the poor of Rome.

 He was then stripped and thrown upon a flaming gridiron.
 Before giving up his spirit , he prayed for the conversion of Rome.
The last and greatest persecution occurred under
Diocletian (303 AD).
 This began with the Roman soldiers; those who did not offer
sacrifice were killed
 He ordered his men to destroy to destroy the churches to burn the
sacred books, to torture and execute all Christians.
 St. Agnes, at the age of 13, endured fire, iron hook, and other
terrible tortures rather than giving up her faith.
The Roman persecution ended in 313 AD,
 With emperor Constantine the Great. Through the Edict of Milan.
 He granted permanent freedom to the Christians.
 The Church came out victorious from three centuries of
persecution and more willing than ever to announce the Good
News to all peoples.

The fish became a symbol of Jesus because its Greek
word , IXTUS, could be used as initials of a profession
of faith: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Savior

With a capacity of 55,000 people, it was the greatest
Roman amphitheatre.
Inaugurated by Emperor Titus in 82AD, it staged a variety
of spectacles.
The gladiators were the stars of the arena, in which they
fought in combat that had no rules except that the winner
would walk away alive.
The most cruel show was the one offered by innocent
Christians who were ripped to pieces by wild animals,
which had been kept starved in their cages. Others
suffered martyrdom by crucifixion, burning, or by the
hands of gladiators.

They are subterranean cemeteries used by the Christians
to bury their dead and to celebrate memorial masses.
They were developed in many levels and corridors, over a
distance of several kilometers.
The catacombs were also used as refuges during times of
persecution.
The Statue of St. Cecilia, in the Catacombs of St. Calixtus.
Her body was found still incorrupt in 1599, seeming to be
asleep, waiting for the resurrection on the last day.

Constantine, one of the greatest Roman emperors
 Was formerly devoted to the cult of the Unconquered Sun.
His religious views changed radically in 312, when he was in
Italy fighting Maxentius.
 Before the battle, he saw a cross superimposed on the sun,
with the inscription: In Hoc Signo, Vinces (in this sign you
shall win).
 He ordered his men to go into battle with the cross painted
on their shield, and they quickly defeated their enemies at
the Milvian Bridge, outside Rome.
 Ascribing his victory to the intervention of Christ, he
promulgated the Edict of Milan (313) that ended three
centuries of persecution and granted permanent freedom
to the Church.

Constantine promoted the material and spiritual welfare
of the Church.
 He restored right and properties to the Christians, fought against
heresies and schisms, and built new churches.
 Memorable are the basilicas of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John in
Rome.
 In 330, he transferred the capital of the empire to Constantinople,
which was named after him.
Despite his faith, Constantine was baptized only at His
death-bed.
 At that time the sacrament of Penance was so burdensome, that
many people preferred to avoid it by receiving a last-minute
Baptism.
 He was later buried in the Church of the Apostles at
Constantinople with imperial honors (337).
 The triumphal Arch of Constantine in Rome remains as an eternal
testimony of the first Christian emperor, whom many honour as a
saint.

In 380, Emperor Theodosius
 He eliminated paganism and made Christianity the only official
religion of the Roman Empire.
 He seized pagan temples, broke up the statues of their gods and
prohibited on pain of death the practice of pagan rites, even in private
at home.
 The Church became more and more involved in politics and somehow
lost the original fervor it had in times of persecution.
The Monogram of Christ
 XP are the Greek initials of Christ (XRISTOS). Alpha and Omega are
the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, meaning: Christ is the
beginning and the end of everything
A Ω

She was the mother of Constantine and a most fervent
Christian.
Helena made use of her riches to help the poor and to
build new churches.
During her pilgrimage to the Holy Land (326), she found
the sacred cross of Jesus in a cave on Mount Calvary.
This discovery gave rise to the beautiful tradition of the
Santacruzan (the Sacred Cross) in the month of May, in
which a beautiful lady escorted by a little boy,
representing Queen Helena and her son Constantine,
carry the holy cross in a thanksgiving procession.

He gained a place in history with his Vulgata, which is so
far the only official translation of the Bible for the Catholic
Church.
It took him forty years to complete the translation from
Hebrew and Greek into Latin, which was a language easily
understood by all peoples.
St. Jerome was born in Dalmatia in 342, where he studied
grammar and theology.
After two years as a hermit in the Syrian desert, he was
called to Rome as secretary of the Pope.
In 377, he retired in Bethlehem and began his great work.

Ecumenical councils are great assemblies of
Bishops representing the whole Church.
They are gathered to discuss an important
problem or to condemn a heresy.
All the Bishops are entitled to defend their
opinion, but the final decision is made by the
Pope.

The first ecumenical council took place in Jerusalem(49 AD).
 St. Peter, being the first Pope, decided not to impose on the pagan
converts all the prescriptions of the Old Testament.
The Council of Nicaea I (325)
 Proclaimed the divine nature of Christ against Arianism. This heresy
initiated by the priest Arius, professed that Jesus was not God but only
man.
The Council of Constantinople I (381)
 Defined the divine nature of the Holy Spirit. It was convoked against
Macedonianism, which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
The Council of Ephesus (421)
 Declared that the Virgin Mary was the Mother of God (Theotokos)
against Nestorianism. This dangerous heresy promulgated by the priest
Nestorius , argued that Jesus was not God; therefore, Mary could not be
called Mother of God.

The Council of Chalcedon (451)
 Defined Jesus Christ as one divine person with two natures, divine
and human. It was declared against Monophysism which said that
the Son was God but not real man.
The Council of Constantinople II (553)
 Was convoked to condemn Nestorianism, which erroneously divided
Jesus Christ in two persons.
The Council of Constantinople III (680)
 Condemn Monothelism and defined the doctrine of two wills in the
person of Christ.
Finally, the Council of Nicaea II (787)
 Professed the legitimacy of the veneration of images against the
iconoclasts (image-destroyers) who wanted to abolish all the icons
and statues of saints. The council specified that adoration was due
to God alone, while veneration was for the saints.

The heresies of the first centuries prompted the Church to
clarify and define the basic truths of our faith.
 Namely, that the Trinity is one Divine Nature in three Divine Persons;
and that Jesus Christ is one Divine Person with two natures, human
and divine.
St. Anthony the Abbot (⁺356)
 The founder of the monks of the dessert in Egypt, he spent his time
making baskets and meditating, his solitude occasionally interrupted
by fellow Christians seeking moral strength.
 A man of continuous prayer, fasting, and penance, he always succeeded
against the temptations of the Devil, who appeared to him in the form
of wild beasts, lions, snakes, and lustful women.

The Barbarians were north European populations.
 Around the year 400, they began to migrate southward looking for
new settlements, exercising an ever increasing pressure on the
Roman Empire, and eventually brought it to complete ruin.
 They were called Barbarians because of their rude behavior and
uncivilized culture.
The Visigoths
 Were the first Barbarians to defeat the Roman Army.
 After breaking through the northern borders, sacked Rome and left
it in ruins (410).
 However, showing great respect for the Church, they spared the
lives of those who took refuge inside the basilicas of Sts. Peter and
Paul.

The Vandals
 Made wars throughout France and Spain, inflicting destruction and
massacres.
 Eventually, they extended their cruel dominion over northern Africa.
St. Augustine died while the Vandals were laying siege to the city of
Hippo (429).
The most terrible Barbarians were the Huns,
 Who invaded and plundered the empire. When Atilla, feared as the
Scourged of God, was on the point of attacking Rome, Pope Leo the
Great challenged him with a cross and persuaded him to return to
his country(452).
 A tradition says that Atilla changed his mind when he saw behind
the Pope the threatening figures of Sts. Peter and Paul holding
flashing swords, determined to defend from heaven their Church on
earth.

The Longobards
 Made bloody raids throughout Italy, bringing along famine and
deadly pestilence (568).
 During a penitential procession, which Pope Gregory the Great
organized to beg mercy from the Lord, the people of Rome saw on
top of Castel Sant’Angelo a shining angel sheating his sword,
signifying that the pestilence was about to finish.
 In commemoration of that miracle the Pope erected a majestic
bronze statue which is visible until now.
During these troublesome years,
 The Church devoted herself to protect the people and to evangelize
the Barbarians. Eventually, they were converted to Jesus Christ and
purified their culture from brutality and cruelty.

Castel Sant’Angelo Bronze Angel

 The Son of a Roman senator, he
sold out his vast property when he
was 33 and gave all the money to
the poor.
 Elected Pope against his will, he
proved himself a brilliant and
loving shepherd.
 During the Lombard invasion of
Italy he organized charitable relief
and military resistance .
 Among his greatest successes are
the conversion of the Barbarians
and the reformation of the
Church’s liturgy and music with
his divine Gregorian Chant (⁺604).

These centers of Spirituality
and evangelization during
the barbarian invasions,
included all the necessities
of life within their
boundaries. The monastery
was like big family governed
by an abbot elected for life
by the monks. Central to a
monk’s life was the Divine
Office, which inspired
work, study, and private
prayer.

The Founder of the Benedictine
Monks, he was born from an
aristocratic family and educated
in the best schools of Rome. The
licentiousness of society led him
to abandon his riches and to
become a hermit in a mountain
wilderness . With a small
community of fellow monks, he
founded the Monastery of
Monte Casino in Italy (529),
whose life was synthesized in a
golden principle: Ora et Labora
(pray and work).

This unique hermit
lived for 37 years on
a pillar, practicing
fasting, penance,
and prayer.
Thousands of
pilgrims came from
far distances to
listen to his
inspiring words. His
total commitment to
God attracted the
highest veneration
of both Christians
and pagans (⁺459)

He spent his young life in
a dissolute and restless
search for the truth. At 32,
he was finally converted by
the tears of his mother
Monica and the homilies
of St. Ambrose, Bishop of
Milan. His spiritual
journey was recorded in
his autobiography, the
confessions, which is one
of the best-sellers of all
times.

In the City of God he
wrote that the fall of
Rome was not the fault
of the Christians but
the just punishment of
God for his vices and
sins. Appointed Bishop
of Hippo (Africa), he
proved himself an
excellent shepherd and
a brilliant writer. He
died while his town was
under siege by the
Vandals.

The religion of Islam, whose
members are called Muslims,
 Was founded in Arabia by
Mohammed in the year 622.
a merchant of Mecca.
 He was married to a rich
widow, who bore him seven
children. At the age of 40,
he said he had received
from Allah, through the
medium of the Archangel
Gabriel, the prophetic call,
which he wrote down in the
koran.

His preaching was met with indifference and opposition in
his hometown.
 So he migrated to Medina, where he succeeded to firmly
establishing Islam (662).
Mohammed based Islam on five pillars:
 Profession of faith in Allah and in Mohammed as his prophet; five
daily prayers facing towards Mecca and public prayer in the
mosque on Fridays; fasting during Ramadan from daybreak to
sunset; almsgiving; and pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime to
kiss the black stone in the Kabal.
 soon Mohammed started preaching the necessity of the
holy war (Jihad) against the unbelievers.
 The people he met along the way, like Bedouins, Jews, and
Christians, had but one choice: to become Muslims or to be
exterminated. After the capture of Mecca, the Muslims, conquered
Arabia, Middle East, North Africa, and Spain (732).

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, built by the Muslim conquerors about the year 700
on the ruins of the Jewish Temple, is believed by them to be the place whence
Mohammed went to heaven.

The Christian in Europe were trembling.
 From all Churches prayers and supplications were raised to
implore protection and peace.
 It was Charles Martel, King of France, who stopped the Muslims’
advance in the battle of Poitiers (732)
Defeated in France, the Muslims attacked Italy from the
Mediterranean Sea.
 In 831, Sicily was captured. From there they prepared a great
attack on Rome.
 In 846, more than seventy ships, loaded with the ferocious
Muslim Saracens, reached the port of Rome, for what they
thought was the final blow to the Church.
 In that tremendous moment, the people joined the Christian
soldiers against the invaders. At the walls of Rome, the Muslims
were badly defeated and fled.

The spiritual center of Islam is the Great Mosque in Mecca. In its
court there is the Kaaba, the cubic structure which contains the
Black Stone.

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