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33
The Last Supper
Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. It was here that the Catholic religion began. This is also where Jesus appointed priests, bishops, and the Pope (St. Peter). -
77
Destruction of Jerusalem as foretold by Christ
The destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent destruction of the Temple was the final separation of the Jewish faith from the early Christians. The Christians did not need a temple to worship so they fled Jerusalem before it was destroyed by the Romans. Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple much earlier in 33AD. -
1054
The Great Schism
The Great Schism split the main faction of Christianity into two divisions, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. The primary causes of the Schism were disputes over papal authority and over the insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed. The Great Schism resulted in a permanent divide between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. It led to a weakening of confidence in Catholic leadership that would eventually result in the Reformation. -
1095
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims with the sole purpose of recovering Jerusalem and its surrounding area from Islamic rule. Jerusalem is the place where Jesus preached, died and was resurrected. Many also see the city as central to an imminent Second Coming of Jesus. Jerusalem is now a major pilgrimage site for Christians from around the world. Due to its cultural importance to Christians, it was easy for Pope Urban II to get men to enlist. -
1517
Luther's Thesis
The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences were written by Martin Luther are widely regarded as the primary means for the Protestant Reformation. He wrote this list of propositions as an attempt to get the Roman Catholic Church to stop selling indulgences, or 'get out of hell free' cards. Luther did not think the Church had the authority to grant such indulgences, especially not for money. -
1529
Church of England formed
Henry VIII started the process of creating the Church of England after his split with the Pope in the 1530s. When Pope Clement VII refused to approve the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the English Parliament, at Henry's insistence, passed a series of acts that separated the English church from the Roman church. -
The Basptist Church formed
Descended from Baptists who settled in the American colonies in the 17th century, Southern Baptists formed their own denomination in 1845, following a rift with their northern counterparts over slavery. In 1995, on its 150th anniversary, the northern church issued a formal apology for its support of slavery and segregation. -
Vatican II
In 1959, Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican council. He did this as a means of spiritual renewal for the church and as an occasion for Christians separated from Rome to join in a search for Christian unity. The main changes that Vatican II caused were in regards to the liturgy. "Novus Ordo" is the term for the way Mass has been celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church since 1965. In the "New Order," the Mass could be celebrated in other languages (other than Latin). -
The Winnipeg Statement
the Winnipeg Statement was an attempt by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to address widespread concern within the church about the prohibition of all forms of artificial contraception proposed by Pope Paul VI in " Humanae Vitae." The Canadian Bishops said, in reference to contraception, that there were circumstances in which “whoever chooses that course which seems right to him does so in good conscience.” -
Vatican II (Through a Feminist Lens)
Feminism had also influenced this counsel as women were now able to be altar servers. Pope Paul VI transformed the role of altar server from one that meant preparation for priesthood into a form of service open to all laypeople. And Pope John Paul II definitively authorized female altar servers in 1994 -
Christian Denominations
By 2005, there were over 20,000 Christian denominations. Some examples of Christian denominations are Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist and Wesleyan. -
Pope Francis and the Pachamama
On October 4, Pope Francis attended the worship of the goddess Pachamama. He permitted this worship to take place in the Vatican Gardens, therefore desecrating the martyrs' tombs and the church of the Apostle Peter. On October 7, the Pachamama statue was put in front of St. Peter's main altar and then taken in procession to the Synod Hall. In a ceremony using this picture, Pope Francis recited prayers and then engaged in the procession.
