History of Catholic Church in Timeline

The Catholic Church, the largest Christian church globally with over 1.28 billion members in 2024, is a major international institution. It has significantly influenced Western civilization's history and development. Composed of 24 autonomous churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, it encompasses approximately 3,500 dioceses and eparchies, each led by bishops. The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, serves as the church's head.

1903: Pius X Abolishes Veto Power in Papal Elections

In 1903, Pope Pius X renewed the independence of the papal office by abolishing the veto power of Catholic powers in papal elections.

1911: Revision of Pope Pius V's Roman Missal by Pope Pius X

In 1911, Pope Pius X made minor revisions to Pope Pius V's Roman Missal.

1914: Benedict XV Elected; WWI Begins

In 1914, Benedict XV was elected Pope at the outbreak of the First World War. He attempted to mediate between the powers and established a Vatican relief office to assist victims of the war and reunite families.

1922: Pius XI Becomes Pope

In 1922, Pius XI succeeded Benedict XV as Pope and modernized the papacy, appointing 40 indigenous bishops and concluding fifteen concordats.

1929: Lateran Treaties

In 1929, the Lateran Treaties resolved the Roman Question. The Holy See acknowledged Italian sovereignty over the former Papal States in return for payment, and Italy recognized papal sovereignty over Vatican City as a new, sovereign, and independent state.

1939: Pius XI concludes Vatican State independence

In 1939, Pope Pius XI concluded the modern independence of the Vatican State within Italy.

1939: Summi Pontificatus and Invasion of Poland

In 1939, Pope Pius XII issued his first encyclical, Summi Pontificatus, which expressed dismay at the 1939 Invasion of Poland and reiterated Catholic teaching against racism.

1942: Vatican Intervention to Block Nazi Deportations Begins

From 1942 to 1944, Pope Pius XII intervened diplomatically to attempt to block Nazi deportations of Jews in various countries.

1943: Hitler Plans Kidnapping of the Pope

Around 1943, Adolf Hitler planned the kidnapping of Pope Pius XII and his internment in Germany, giving SS General Wolff the order to prepare for the action.

1944: Vatican Intervention to Block Nazi Deportations Ends

From 1942 to 1944, Pope Pius XII intervened diplomatically to attempt to block Nazi deportations of Jews in various countries.

1950: Assumption of Mary Dogma

In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary as infallible dogma, asserting that her body was assumed directly into heaven at the end of her life.

1955: Revision of the Roman Missal by Pope Pius XII

In 1955, Pope Pius XII made minor revisions to the Roman Missal.

1962: Second Vatican Council

From 1962, the documents of the Second Vatican Council used the term "Catholic Church".

1962: Use of 1962 Roman Missal affirmed

In 1962, Pope Benedict XVI affirmed the licitness of continued use of the 1962 Roman Missal as an "extraordinary form" of the Roman Rite and issued new more permissive norms for its employment.

1962: Publication of the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal

In 1962, the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal was published, presenting the Mass as standardized in 1570 by Pope Pius V at the request of the Council of Trent, also known as the Tridentine Mass.

1962: Authorization of the 1962 form of the Roman Rite

In 1962, the 1962 form of the Roman Rite remains authorized in the Latin Church under certain circumstances.

1965: Second Vatican Council

Until 1965, the documents of the Second Vatican Council used the term "Catholic Church".

1968: Publication of Humanae vitae

In 1968, Pope Paul VI firmly rejected all contraception in his encyclical Humanae vitae, though he permitted the regulation of births by means of natural family planning.

1968: Annulments in the United States

In 1968, there were 338 annulments in the United States.

1969: Promulgation of the Roman Rite by Paul VI

In 1969, Pope Paul VI promulgated the Roman Rite of the Mass, according to the Missale Romanum, which is the most widely used form of the Eucharist liturgy in the West.

1969: Promulgation of Paul VI's Roman Missal

In 1969, the edition of the Roman Missal by Paul VI was promulgated, superseding the 1962 edition.

1969: Post-1969 editions of the Roman Missal

The present ordinary form of Mass in the Roman Rite is found in the post-1969 editions of the Roman Missal, and is usually celebrated in the local vernacular language.

1970: Divorce introduced in Italy

In 1970, divorce was introduced in Italy.

1975: Divorce introduced in Portugal

In 1975, divorce was introduced in Portugal.

1976: Declaration on the Question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood

In 1976, the Declaration on the Question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood was released by the Roman Curia.

1977: Divorce introduced in Brazil

In 1977, divorce was introduced in Brazil.

1978: John Paul II Becomes Pope

In 1978, Pope John Paul II, formerly Archbishop of Kraków, became the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. His pontificate was credited with hastening the fall of communism in Europe.

1979: Mother Teresa awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

In 1979, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work among India's poor.

1981: Divorce introduced in Spain

In 1981, divorce was introduced in Spain.

1983: 1983 Code of Canon Law in Effect

Currently, the 1983 Code of Canon Law is in effect for the Latin Church.

1983: Code of Canon Law imposes automatic excommunication for abortion

In 1983, the Code of Canon Law imposed automatic excommunication on Latin Catholics who procure an abortion, under certain conditions.

1983: Use of "Catholic Church" in the Code of Canon Law

In 1983, the name "Catholic Church" was used for the whole church in the Code of Canon Law.

1988: Publication of Mulieris Dignitatem

In 1988, Mulieris Dignitatem was released.

1990: 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches

In 1990, Canon law citations from the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches are labelled "CCEO, Canon xxx", to distinguish them from canons of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

1990: Use of "Catholic Church" in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

In 1990, the name "Catholic Church" was used for the whole church in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

1994: Publication of Ordinatio sacerdotalis

In 1994, Ordinatio sacerdotalis was released.

1996: Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo awarded Nobel Peace Prize

In 1996, Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor.

1996: Divorce introduced in Ireland

In 1996, divorce was introduced in Ireland.

1998: Catholics for Choice statement on contraceptive use

In 1998, Catholics for Choice, a political lobbyist group, stated that 96% of U.S. Catholic women had used contraceptives at some point in their lives and that 72% of Catholics believed that one could be a good Catholic without obeying the church's teaching on birth control.

2002: Revision of the Roman Rite by Pope John Paul II

In 2002, the Roman Rite of the Mass, initially promulgated by Paul VI in 1969, underwent revision by Pope John Paul II, according to Liturgiam Authenticam.

2004: Divorce introduced in Chile

In 2004, divorce was introduced in Chile.

2005: Benedict XVI Elected Pope

In 2005, Benedict XVI was elected Pope, known for upholding traditional Christian values and increasing the use of the Tridentine Mass.

2006: Over 49000 cases for nullity of marriage completed

In 2006, diocesan tribunals worldwide completed over 49000 cases for nullity of marriage. In the United States, 27,000 marriages were annulled, compared to 338 in 1968.

2007: Benedict XVI affirms the licitness of continued use of the 1962 Roman Missal

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI affirmed the licitness of continued use of the 1962 Roman Missal as an "extraordinary form" of the Roman Rite and issued new more permissive norms for its employment.

2007: Pope Benedict XVI allows free use of the 1962 Roman Missal

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum allowed free use of the 1962 Roman Missal for Mass celebrated without a congregation and authorized parish priests to permit its use even at public Masses under certain conditions.

2009: Publication of Anglicanorum Coetibus

In 2009, the document Anglicanorum Coetibus was published, setting up small personal ordinariates for groups of former Anglicans.

2010: Eastern Catholic Churches Membership

As of 2010, the 23 self-governing Eastern Catholic Churches had a combined membership of 17.3 million.

2010: Catholic Church manages 26% of health care facilities worldwide

In 2010, the Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers reported that the church manages 26% of health care facilities in the world, including hospitals, clinics, orphanages, pharmacies, and centers for those with leprosy.

2011: Divorce introduced in Malta

In 2011, divorce was introduced in Malta.

March 2013: Pope Francis Elected

On March 2013, Pope Francis was elected by a papal conclave.

2013: Benedict XVI Resigns

In 2013, Benedict XVI resigned, becoming the first pope to do so in nearly 600 years, citing the frailties of advanced age.

2013: Francis Becomes Pope

In 2013, Pope Francis became the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first from outside Europe since the eighth-century Gregory III.

2013: Pope Francis quotes the Catechism in press interview

In 2013, Pope Francis quoted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a press interview.

2014: Institution of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

In 2014, Pope Francis instituted the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors for the safeguarding of minors.

2014: Permission to use "Divine Worship" variation of the Roman Rite

Since 2014, clergy in the small personal ordinariates set up for groups of former Anglicans under the terms of the 2009 document Anglicanorum Coetibus are permitted to use a variation of the Roman Rite called "Divine Worship".

May 2015: Publication of Laudato si'

On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis released the document Laudato si', critiquing consumerism and irresponsible development, and lamenting environmental degradation and global warming.

2015: Pope Francis expresses concern about church's focus on certain issues

In 2015, Pope Francis said that he is worried that the church has grown "obsessed" with issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over helping the poor and marginalized.

2016: Parishes Worldwide

As of 2016, there are 221,700 parishes worldwide.

2016: Pope Francis meets Patriarch Kirill of Moscow

In 2016 Pope Francis met with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the first such high-level meeting between the two churches since the Great Schism of 1054.

2017: Pope Francis Reestablishes Recognition of Baptism with Coptic Orthodox Church

In 2017, during a visit in Egypt, Pope Francis reestablished mutual recognition of baptism with the Coptic Orthodox Church.

December 2020: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith statement on COVID-19 vaccines

On December 21, 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document stating that it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process when no alternative vaccine is available.

2020: Catholicism as Second-Largest Religious Body

As of 2020, Catholicism is the second-largest religious body in the world after Sunni Islam.

2020: Francis releases Fratelli tutti

In 2020, Francis released the encyclical Fratelli tutti, repeating that the death penalty is "inadmissible" and that "there can be no stepping back from this position".

2021: Catholic Church Dioceses Globally

As of 2021, the Catholic Church has 3,171 dioceses globally.

2021: Pope Francis restricts use of the 1962 Roman Missal

In 2021, Pope Francis issued the motu proprio Traditionis custodes to emphasize the Ordinary Form as promulgated by Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, largely removing the permissions for the 1962 Roman Missal.

January 2022: Pope Francis states the death penalty cannot be employed for a purported state justice

On January 9, 2022, Pope Francis stated in his annual speech to Vatican ambassadors that the death penalty cannot be employed for a purported state justice.

2022: Male Religious

As of 2022, there were 49,414 male religious.

2023: Catholic Church Membership

According to the Annuario Pontificio, church membership, defined as baptized Catholics, was 1.406 billion at the end of 2023, which was 17.4% of the world population.

2023: Women Religious

As of 2023, there were 589,423 women religious.

2023: Ordained Clergy

As of the end of 2023, there were 463,859 ordained clergy, including 5,430 bishops, 406,996 priests, and 51,433 deacons.

October 2024: Non-Ordained Ministers

As of October 2024, non-ordained ministers included 2,883,049 catechists and 413,561 lay missionaries.

2024: Global Catholic Population

According to the World Christian Database, there are 1.278 billion Catholics globally as of 2024.

2024: Catholic Church Membership

As of 2024, the Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, has between 1.28 and 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide. It stands as one of the oldest and largest international institutions, significantly shaping Western civilization.