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Chronological table of events
concerning the Church History
33:
First Christian Pentecost; descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
disciples; preaching of St. Peter in Jerusalem; conversion, baptism
and aggregation of some 3,000 persons to the first Christian
community.
St. Peter with other apostles
ordaining Seven Deacons for the first time to serve the faithful.
St. Stephen, Archdeacon, was stoned to death at
Jerusalem; he is venerated as the first Christian martyr.
And the first persecution of the faithful started, in consequence of
the martyrdom of St. Stephen
many Christians fled to Antioch, marking the beginning
of the dispersion of Christians beyond the confines of Palestine (Acts
4:8).
33/4:
St. Paul, formerly Saul the persecutor of Christians, was converted
and baptized in Damascus. After three years of solitude in the desert,
he joined the college of the apostles; he made three major missionary
journeys and became known as the Apostle to the Gentiles; he was
imprisoned twice in Rome and was beheaded there at 67/8.
35:
Cornelius (the Gentile) and his family were baptized by St. Peter; a
significant event signaling the mission of the Church to all peoples.
36:
Persecution of
Christians in Palestine started again; St. Peter was imprisoned for a
short time. The
church in Jerusalem sends out Barnabas to Antioch. For he was a good
man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people
were added to the Lord. Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch. So it was
that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a
great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians
in Antioch. (Acts 11: 22-26).
37:
St. Peter goes and preaches in Antioch and establishes his See, the
Holy See of Antioch, He is the first Bishop of Antioch.
44:
Persecution of Christians in Palestine broke out during
the rule of Herod Agrippa; St. James the Greater, the first apostle to
die, was beheaded in 44. St. Peter put in jail.
45:
The church of
Antioch having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on Barnabas, Simeon
who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul, and ordained them bishops, then
they sent them away to spred the word of God (Acts 13:1-3).
49: Christians
at Rome, considered members of a Jewish sect, were adversely affected
by a decree of Claudius which forbade Jewish worship there.
51:
The Council of Jerusalem, in which all the apostles participated under
the presidency of St. Peter, decreed that circumcision, dietary
regulations, and various other prescriptions of Mosaic Law were not
obligatory for Gentile converts to the Christian community. The
crucial decree was issued in opposition to Jewish Christians who
contended that observance of the Mosaic Law in its entirety was
necessary for salvation.
61:
St. Mark the Evangelist at Alexandria, Egypt, establishes his Holy See
of Alexandria and spent his last years.
61 or 62:
St. Paul at Rome establishes his see (Holy See of Rome) and spent his
last years.
64:
Persecution broke out at Rome under Nero, the emperor said to have
accused Christians of starting the fire which destroyed half of Rome.
67/8:
Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul at Rome during the Neronian
persecution.
70:
Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.
88-97:
St. Clement I, third successor of St. Paul as bishop of Rome, one of
the Apostolic Fathers. The First Epistle of Clement to the
Corinthians, with which he has been identified, was addressed by the
Church of Rome to the Church at Corinth, the scene of irregularities
and divisions in the Christian community.
95:
Domitian
persecuted Christians, principally at Rome.
100:
Death of St. John, apostle and evangelist, marking the end of the Age
of the Apostles and the first generation of the Church.
By the end of the century, Antioch, Alexandria and
Ephesus in the East and Rome in the West were established centers of
Christian population and influence.
107:
St. Ignatius
third Bishop of Antioch was martyred at Rome. He was the first writer
to use the expression, “the Universal (Catholic) Church.”
for the Church of Antioch.
112:
Emperor Trajan,
in a prescript to Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, instructed
him not to search out Christians but to punish them if they were
publicly denounced and refused to do homage to the Roman gods. This
prescript set a pattern for Roman magistrates in dealing with
Christians.
117-38:
Persecution under Hadrian. Many Acts of Martyrs date from this period.
125:
Spread of Gnosticism, a combination of elements of Platonic philosophy
and Eastern mystery religions. Its adherents claimed that its
secret-knowledge principle provided a deeper insight into Christian
doctrine than divine revelation and faith. One Gnostic thesis denied
the divinity of Christ; others denied the reality of his humanity,
calling it mere appearance (Docetism, Phantasiasm).
144:
Excommunication of Marcion, bishop and heretic, who claimed that there
was total opposition and no connection at all between the Old
Testament and the New Testament, between the God of the Jews and the
God of the Christians; and that the Canon (list of inspired writings)
of the Bible consisted only of parts of St. Luke’s Gospel and 10
letters of St. Paul. Marcionism was condemned by a council held about
260, but the heresy persisted for several centuries in the East and
had some adherents as late as the Middle Ages.
155:
St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna and disciple of St. John the
Evangelist, was martyred.
156:
Beginning of Montanism, a form of religious extremism. Its principal
tenets were the imminent second coming of Christ, denial of the divine
nature of the Church and its power to forgive sin, and excessively
rigorous morality. The heresy, preached by Montanus of Phrygia and
others, was condemned by the church.
161-80:
Reign of Marcus Aurelius. His persecution, launched in the wake of
natural disasters, was more violent than those of his predecessors.
163-7:
St. Justin, an important early Christian writer, was martyred at Rome.
215: Death
of Tutian.
182:
St. Theophilos
7th patriarch
of Antioch is first one in Christianity who said: "We
are called Christians on this account, because we are anointed with
the oil of God." Theophilus of Antioch, to Autolycus, I:12 (A.D.
182).
196: Easter
Controversy, concerning the day of celebration — a Sunday, according
to practice in the West, or the 14th of the month of Nisan (in the
Hebrew calendar), no matter what day of the week, according to
practice in the East. The controversy was not resolved at this time.
The Didache, whose extant form dates from the
second century, is an important record of Christian belief, practice
and governance in the first century.
Latin was introduced as a liturgical language in the
West. Other liturgical languages were Aramaic which was celebrated by
St. James of Jerusalem and the apostles, and Greek.
The Catechetical School of Alexandria, founded about
the middle of the century, gained increasing influence on doctrinal
study and instruction, and interpretation of the Bible.
202: Persecution
under Septimius Severus, who wanted to establish a simple common
religion in the Empire.
206: Tertullian,
a convert since 197 and the great ecclesiastical writer in Latin,
joined the heretical Montanists; he died in 230.
215: Death
of Clement of Alexandria, teacher of Origen and a founding father of
the School of Alexandria.
222: Death
of Bardaison great philisoph the Syrian.
232-54:
Origen established the School of Caesarea after being deposed in 231
as head of the School of Alexandria; he died in 254. A scholar and
voluminous writer, he was one of the founders of systematic theology
and exerted wide influence for many years.
242:
Manichaeism originated in Persia: a combination of errors based on the
assumption that two supreme principles (good and evil) are operative
in creation and life, and that the supreme objective of human endeavor
is liberation from evil (matter). The heresy denied the humanity of
Christ, the sacramental system, the authority of the Church (and
state), and endorsed a moral code which threatened the fabric of
society. In the 12th and 13th centuries, it took on the features of
Albigensianism and Catharism.
249-51:
Persecution under Decius. Many of those who denied the faith sought
readmission to the Church at the end of the persecution in 251.
250:
The Martyrdom
of
St. Babylas
13th patriarch of Antioch
250-300:
Neo-Platonism of Plotinus and Porphyry gained followers.
257: Persecution
under Valerian, who attempted to destroy the Church as a social
structure.
258: St.
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, was martyred.
260:
St. Lucian founded the School of Antioch, a center of influence on
biblical studies.
St. Dionysius condemned Sabellianism, a form of
modalism (like Monarchianism and Patripassianism). The heresy
contended that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not distinct divine
persons but are only three different modes of being and
self-manifestations of the one God.
St. Paul of Thebes became a hermit.
261:
Gallienus
issued an edict of toleration which ended general persecution for
nearly 40 years.
279: Martyrdom of Sts.
Sergios and Bachus.
292:
Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West. The division
emphasized political, cultural and other differences between the two
parts of the Empire and influenced different developments in the
Church in the East and West. The prestige of Rome began to decline.
303: Persecution
broke out under Diocletian; it was particularly violent in 304.
Martyrdom of St. George in Gaza, Palestine.
Martyrdom of St. Barbara Dec. 4th.
St. Ephrem the Syrian the
doctor of the universal Church was born at Nisibis 303/6.
305: St.
Anthony of Heracles established a foundation for hermits near the Red
Sea in Egypt.
306:
(The church of Rome) The first local legislation on clerical celibacy
was enacted by a council held at Elvira, Spain; bishops, priests,
deacons and other ministers were forbidden to have wives.
311: An
edict of toleration issued by Galerius at the urging of Constantine
the Great and Licinius officially ended persecution in the West; some
persecution continued in the East.
313: The
Edict of Milan issued by Constantine and Licinius recognized
Christianity as a lawful religion in the Roman Empire.
314: A
council of Arles condemned Donatism, declaring that baptism properly
administered by heretics is valid, in view of the principle that
sacraments have their efficacy from Christ, not from the spiritual
condition of their human ministers. The heresy was condemned again by
a council of Carthage in 411.
318: St.
Pachomius established the first foundation of the cenobitic (common)
life, as compared with the solitary life of hermits in Upper Egypt.
325: Ecumenical
Council of Nicaea (I). Presided by
St. Eustatheos
Patriarch of
Antioch (324-337). Its principal action was the condemnation of
Arianism, the most devastating of the early heresies, which denied the
divinity of Christ. The heresy was authored by Arius of Alexandria, a
priest. Arians and several kinds of Semi-Arians propagandized their
tenets widely, established their own hierarchies and churches, and
raised havoc in the Church for several centuries. The council
contributed to formulation of the Nicene Creed (Creed of Nicaea-Constantinople);
fixed the date for the observance of Easter; passed regulations
concerning clerical discipline; adopted the civil divisions of the
Empire as the model for the jurisdictional organization of the Church.
The council approved that the priest of the parish must be married
before his ordination. 318 Bishops were attended.
326: With
the support of St. Helena the Syrian and mother of Constantine the
emperor, the True Cross on which Christ was crucified on was
discovered.
337:Baptism
and death of Constantine.
338:Death
of St. James of Nisibis, teacher of St. Ephrem.
341:Martyrdom
of St. Semion Bar Sabo'é bishop of the East,
in Persia.
342:
Beginning of a 40-year persecution in Persia.
346: Death
of Aphrahat, Syrian bishop, the sage of Persian.
348-350:
Constantius fortifies, in successive years, Amida, Tella and Turabdin.
361-63:
Emperor Julian the Apostate waged an unsuccessful campaign against the
Church in an attempt to restore paganism as the religion of the
Empire.
363:
Juvian cedes Nisibis and the Transtigritane Provinces to the Persians
after the death of Julian in Mesopotamia.
365:
Persecution of orthodox Christians under Emperor Valens in the East.
373:
Death of St. Ephrem the Syrian and the universal doctor of the Church.
376:
Beginning of the barbarian invasion in the West.
379: Death
of St. Basil, the Father of Monasticism in the East. His writings
contributed greatly to the development of rules for the life of
Religious.
381: Ecumenical
Council of Constantinople was held. Presided by St.
Meletius
the patriarch of Antioch. It condemned various brands of Arianism as
well as Macedonianism, which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit;
contributed to formulation of the Nicene Creed.
382-c. 406:
St. Jerome translated the Old and New Testaments into Latin; his work
is called the Vulgate version of the Bible.
396: St.
Augustine became bishop of Hippo in North Africa.
396/7: Traditional
foundation date of Qartmin Abbey by St. Samuel in Turabdin, marking
the benefaction of emperors Arcadius and Honorius.
404:
The first
translation of the New Testament into Armenian language was made from
Syriac Peshito by professors Daniel the Syrian and Mesrop the
Armenian.
409: Arcadius'
successor, Theodosius II, reaffirms his predecessor's policy by making
an important benefaction to Qartmin Abbey.
409/410: Death
of St. Samuel, of Eshtin village, founder of Qartmin Abbey, on 15 May.
410: Visigoths
under Alaric sacked Rome and the last Roman legions departed Britain.
The decline of imperial Rome dates approximately from this time.
421: Death
of St. Jacob the Recluse, founder of the monastery near Salah.
430: St.
Augustine, bishop of Hippo for 35 years, died. He was a strong
defender of orthodox doctrine against Manichaeism, Donatism and
Pelagianism. The depth and range of his writings made him a dominant
influence in Christian thought for centuries.
431: Death
of Marutha, Bishop of Miafarqeen.
431: Ecumenical
Council of Ephesus (I). It condemned Nestorianism, which confirmed the
unity of the divine and human natures in the Person of Christ; defined
Theotokos (Bearer of God) as the title of Mary, Mother of the Son of
God made Man; condemned Pelagianism. The heresy of Pelagianism,
proceeding from the assumption that Adam had a natural right to
supernatural life, held that man could attain salvation through the
efforts of his natural powers and free will; it involved errors
concerning the nature of original sin, the meaning of grace and other
matters.
432: St.
Patrick arrived in Ireland. By the time of his death in 461 most of
the country had been converted, monasteries founded and the hierarchy
established.
433: Death
of St. Simeon (Shamoun) of Qartmin village, disciple of St. Samuel and
second abbot of Qartmin Abbey, on 19 January.
438: The
Theodosian Code, a compilation of decrees for the Empire, was issued
by Theodosius II; it had great influence on subsequent civil and
ecclesiastical law.
439: Death
of St. Daniel, founder the monastery on Mt. Aghlosh, who is succeeded
by his son and disciple, Lazarus.
443/4: Burial
vault of Qartmin Abbey emptied; 483 skulls, including that of the
founder, are placed in the charnel-house.
451: Council
of Chalcedon. Which cause schism in the Christianity by accusing St.
Dyoscorse as follower of Mono-physitism (also called Eutychianism),
which denied the humanity of Christ by holding that he had only one,
the divine, nature. This Dogma of Mono-physitism or Eutychianism) was
condemned by Antioch and Alexandrian Churches before Council of
Chalcedon.
451: Beginning
of the persecution against See of Antioch and See of Alexandrian
Churches by Chalcedonian Churches.
455: Vandals
under Geiseric sacked Rome.
480: Persians and Nestorians persecute the
Orthodox Church in the East and burn St. Matthew monastery near Mosul,
Iraq.
484: Patriarch
Acacius of Constantinople signed the Henoticon.
494: John
Sa'oro of Qartmin Abbey is made bishop of Amida; he builds a church
and a bridge over the Tigris with imperial funds.
502/3: Death of John Sa'oro
shortly before the fatal Persian siege of Amida.
505/7: Expansion and
fortification of the village of Dara, which is named Anastasioupolis.
512:
Completion of a church and a
baptistery at Qartmin Abbey with imperial funds, the architects
being Theodore and Theodosius from the Syrian Church.
521:
Death of St. Jacob bishop of Sarug.
523: Death
of St. Philoxinos bishop of Mabug.
527/65: Refortification
of Tur'abdin and the rest of Mt. Masius under Justinian I (Procopius,
Buildings)
529:
St. Benedict founded the Monte Cassino Abbey. Some years before his
death in 543 he wrote a monastic rule which exercised tremendous
influence on the form and style of religious life. He is called the
Father of Monasticism in the West.
530: John Bar Aftunia
founding his monastery which called after his name, then was known as
Qén-néshreen
monastery.
533: John
II became the first pope to change his name. The practice did not
become general until the time of Sergius IV (1009).
533-34:
Emperor Justinian promulgated the Corpus Iuris Civilis for the
Roman world; like the Theodosian Code, it influenced subsequent civil
and ecclesiastical law.
538: Death
of Severus the great Patriarch of Antioch.
545:
Death of
Dionysius Exiguus who was the first to date history from the birth of
Christ, a practice which resulted in use of the B.C. and A.D.
abbreviations. His calculations were at least four years late.
548:
Death of Theodora, the Syriac
Empress of Byzantine. Born about 497-500. Married Justinian the
Emperor, 523 or 525. Empress from April 4, 527. Died June 28, 548.
560:
Several years of heavy hail destroy the agricultural livelihood of the
people of Tur'abdin; temporary emigration to plain.
567:
John, abbot of
Qartmin, successfully opposes reconciliation with Justin II over the
issue of Chalcedon; shortly afterwards, he becomes Syrian Orthodox
bishop of Dara
573:
Fall of Dara to the Persians.
575:Mor
Aho-démé
ecumenical bishop of the East was martyred in Takrit.
578:
July, death of Mor Jacob Baradaeus,
bishop of Edessa, with Bishop John of Dara, formerly abbot of Qartmin.
581:
Raid by the Persians in Tur'abdin;
Qartmin Abbey is sacked and burned.
587: Death
of John of Ephesus, the great historian, Syrian bishop.
589: The
most important of several councils of Toledo was held. The Visigoths
renounced Arianism, and St. Leander began the organization of the
Church in Spain. (Roman Catholic)
590-604:
Pontificate of Pope St. Gregory I the Great. He set the form and style
of the papacy which prevailed throughout the Middle Ages; exerted
great influence on doctrine and liturgy; was strong in support of
monastic discipline and clerical celibacy; authored writings on many
subjects. Gregorian Chant is named in his honor.
604/5: The
Castle of Tur'abdin (to Rhabdios) is taken by the Persians.
614/15: Daniel
'Uzoyo, abbot of Qartmin, becomes, by the intervention of the
metropolitan of Mosul, bishop of the metropolitan diocese of Dara,
which is extended to include Tella; he resides at Qartmin Abbey
622: The
Hegira (flight) of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina signalled the
beginning of Islam which, by the end of the century, claimed almost
all of the southern Mediterranean area.
628: Heraclius,
Eastern Emperor, recovered the True Cross from the Persians.
634: May,
Gabriel of
Beth Qustan succeeds Daniel as bishop of Dara and abbot of Qartmin,
where he had previously been rish ahé.
639: The
Arabs conquer Tur'abdin, establishing a Melkite as governor.
643:
The first
translation of the New Testament into Arabic was made from Syriac
Peshito by the Syriac historians from the tribes of Tay, Tanoukh, and
'aqula.
648: Death
of John of Sédré,
Patriarch of Antioch.
And
death of Mor Gabriel of
Beth Qustan, as bishop of Tur'abdin; Bishop Sisinnius of Dara was
among those attending his funeral
649: Death
of Marutha of Takrit.
667: Death
of Severus Sabukht, Philosopher, and scientist, Syrian bishop.
667/80: Reign
of the patriarch Severus bar Mashqe, during which Ananias,
metropolitan bishop of Damascus and a monk of Qartmin, is prominent
among the monks and bishops in opposition to the patriarchal policy of
centralized authority.
686: Death
of Athanasius II Baldoyo, Patriarch of Antioch.
696: Monastery
founded above that of Mor Abay near Qeleth (Mardin, Turkey), with
burial vault and conventual church.
700: Simeon
'of the Olives', founder of the latter-day fortunes of Qartmin Abbey,
becomes bishop of Harran.
Several
buildings at Qartmin, at Habesnas and at the monastery of Mor Lazarus,
near the latter village.
708: Death
of Edessene Jacob, prince of translaters, Philosophyer, and scientist,
Syrian bishop.
711: Muslims
began the conquest of Spain.
726: Emperor
Leo III, the Isaurian, launched a campaign against the veneration of
sacred images and relics; called Iconoclasm (image-breaking), it
caused turmoil in the East until about 843.
Simeon of Harran and Athanasius of
Maypherqat, both of Qartmin, are among the five Syrian bishops at the
synod of Mantzikert.
731: Pope
Gregory III and a synod at Rome condemned Iconoclasm, with a
declaration that the veneration of sacred images was in accord with
Catholic tradition.
732: Charles
Martel defeated the Muslims at Poitiers, halting their advance in the
West.
735: Thomas
of Harran and Lazarus of Tur'abdin present at a synod in Arbin Abbey.
740: Synodical
election by lot, under the unanimously chosen supervision of
Athanasius of Mayperqat, of the patriarch Iwannis.
750: Monastery
founded above Tell-Bashmay. (Chr. Zuqnin 775, Chr. Qartmin 819)
754: Stephen
II (III) crowned Pepin ruler of the Franks. Pepin twice invaded Italy,
in 754 and 756, to defend the pope against the Lombards. His land
grants to the papacy, called the Donation of Pepin, were later
extended by Charlemagne (773) and formed part of the States of the
Church.
772: Church of Mor Addai and
adjoining oratory at Hashtarak,
Tur'abdin, Turkey.
774: The
plaque strikes Tur'abdin, killing 95 monks at Qartmin Abbey and many
at the monastery of the Cross; exhumation of Gabriel of Beth Qustan
'about 130 years' after his death; his right hand is taken to Hah to
ward off the plaque there, and was done miraclesly.
777: Installation
in the domed octagon at Qartmin (formerly the baptistery) of stone
kneading-trough, quarried in 769.
792: Hermit's
column in the monastery of Mor Lazarus near Habesnas, Tur'abdin,
Turkey.
793: Saffron
Monastery (Dayr ul-Za'farn) near Mardin refounded (Dnahishu', in Chr.
Michael 1195).
797/8: Synod
at Harran, designed to cement union with the 'Julianists', is
sabotaged by the enemies of patriarch Kyriacos, among whom is
Zachariah of Edesse.
813: Emperor
Leo V, the Armenian, revived Iconoclasm, which persisted until about
843.
845: Death
of Dionysius Talmahry, Patriarch of Antioch.
846: Muslims
invade Italy and attacke Rome.
857: Photius
displaced Ignatius as patriarch of Constantinople. This marked the
beginning of the Photian Schism, a confused state of East-West
relations which has not yet been cleared up by historical research.
Photius, a man of exceptional ability, died in 891.
860: Death of Athanasius of
Dara.
865: St.
Ansgar, apostle of Scandinavia, died.
869: St.
Cyril died and his brother, St. Methodius (d. 885), was ordained a
bishop. The Apostles of the Slavs devised an alphabet and translated
the Gospels and liturgy into the Slavonic language.
871-c. 900:
Reign of Alfred the Great, the only English king ever anointed by a
pope at Rome.
903: Death of Mushe Bar Kifo.
932: Church
of Mor Dimet at Zaz.
962: Column
in monastery of Mor Michael at Mardin.
966: Mieszko,
first of a royal line in Poland, was baptized; he brought Latin
Christianity to Poland.
988: Conversion
and baptism of St. Vladimir and the people of Kiev which subsequently
became part of Russia.
1009:
Beginning of lasting East (Byzantine)-West Schism in the Church,
marked by dropping of the name of Pope Sergius IV from the Byzantine
diptychs (the listing of persons prayed for during the liturgy). The
deletion was made by Patriarch Sergius II of Constantinople.
1043-59:
Constantinople patriarchate of Michael Cerularius, the key figure in a
controversy concerning the primacy of the papacy. His and the
Byzantine synod’s refusal to acknowledge this primacy in 1054 widened
and hardened the East-West Schism in the Church.
1054:
Start of the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches; it
marked the separation of the Byzantine Orthodox Churches from unity
with the pope.
1077:
Henry IV, excommunicated and suspended from the exercise of imperial
powers by Gregory VII, sought absolution from the pope at Canossa.
Henry later repudiated this action and in 1084 forced Gregory to leave
Rome.
1097-99:
The first of several Crusades undertaken between this time and 1265.
Recovery of the Holy Places and gaining free access to them for
Christians were the original purposes, but these were diverted to less
worthy objectives in various ways. Results included: a Latin Kingdom
of Jerusalem, 1099-1187; a military and political misadventure in the
form of a Latin Empire of Constantinople, 1204-1261; acquisition, by
treaties, of visiting rights for Christians in the Holy Land.
East-West economic and cultural relationships increased during the
period. In the religious sphere, actions of the Crusaders had the
effect of increasing the alienation of the East from the West.
1118:
Christian forces captured Saragossa, Spain; the beginning of the
Muslim decline in that country.
1125-65: Many
buildings, churches, monasteries etc. restored around Mardin by its
bishop John (Yuhanun).
1170:
Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who clashed with Henry II
over church-state relations, was murdered in his cathedral.
1171: Death
of Mor Dionysius Jacob Bar Salibi, the great theologian, Syrian
bishop.
1199: Death
of Great Michael I, Patriarch of Antioch.
1221:
The
first translation of the New Testament into Persian language was made
from Syriac Peshito by John from Taflis.
1226:
Death of Francis of Assisi (RC).
1274:
Death of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, of lasting
influence (RC).
1286: Death
of Mor Gregory John Bar Hebraeus, Catholicos of the East.
1337-1453:
Period of the Hundred Years’ War, a dynastic struggle between France
and England.
1347-50:
The Black Death swept across Europe, killing perhaps one-fourth to
one-third of the total population; an estimated 40 percent of the
clergy succumbed.
1377:
Return of the papacy from Avignon to Rome.
Beginning of the Western Schism
1431:
St.
Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
1431-45:
Ecumenical Council of Florence (also called Basle-Ferrara-Florence).
It affirmed the primacy of the pope against the claims of
conciliarists that an ecumenical council is superior to the pope. It
also formulated and approved decrees of union with several Eastern
Churches — Greek, Armenian, Syrian — .
1453:
The
fall of Constantinople to the Turks.
1456:
Gutenberg issued the first edition of the Bible printed from movable
type, at Mainz, Germany.
1476:
Pope Sixtus IV approved observance of the feast of the Immaculate
Conception on Dec. 8 throughout the Roman Catholic Church.
1492:
Columbus discovered the Americas.
1493:
The
Renaissance, a humanistic movement which originated in Italy in the
14th century, spread to France, Germany, the Low Countries and
England. A transitional period between the medieval world and the
modern secular world, it introduced profound changes which affected
literature and the other arts, general culture, politics and religion.
1517:
Martin Luther signaled the beginning of the Reformation by posting 95
theses at Wittenberg. Subsequently, he broke completely from doctrinal
orthodoxy in discourses and three published works (1519 and 1520); was
excommunicated on more than 40 charges of heresy (1521); remained the
dominant figure in the Reformation in Germany until his death in 1546.
1524:
Luther’s encouragement of German princes in putting down the two-year
Peasants’ Revolt gained political support for his cause.
1528:
The
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin was approved as an autonomous division
of the Franciscan Order; like the Jesuits, the Capuchins became
leaders in the Counter-Reformation within Roman Catholic Church).
1530:
The
Augsburg Confession of Lutheran faith was issued; it was later
supplemented by the Smalkaldic Articles, approved in 1537.
1536:
John Calvin, leader of the Reformation in Switzerland until his death
in 1564, issued the first edition of Institutes of the Christian
Religion, which became the classical text of Reformed (non-Lutheran)
theology.
1540:
The
constitutions of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), founded by Ignatius
of Loyola, were approved by Roman Catholic Church.
1545-63:
Council of Trent. It initiated many reforms for renewal in the liturgy
and general discipline in the Church, the promotion of religious
instruction, the education of the clergy through the foundation of
seminaries, etc. Trent ranks with Vatican II as the greatest council
held in the West.
1549:
The
first Anglican Book of Common Prayer was issued by Edward VI. Revised
editions were published in 1552, 1559 and 1662 and later.
1553:
Start of the five-year reign of Mary Tudor who tried to counteract
actions of Henry VIII against the Roman Church.
1555:
The
first Syriac New Testament was printed by Mor Ignatius Abdullah
Estephan the Patriarch of Antioch assisted by Rev. Fr. Musa Isaac from
Sauro town near Mardin, Turkey.
Enactment of
the Peace of Augsburg, an arrangement of religious territorialism
rather than toleration, which recognized the existence of Catholicism
and Lutheranism in the German Empire and provided that citizens should
adopt the religion of their respective rulers.
1558:
Beginning of the reign (to 1603) of Queen Elizabeth I of England and
Ireland, during which the Church of England took on its definitive
form.
1559:
Establishment of the hierarchy of the Church of England, with the
consecration of Matthew Parker as archbishop of Canterbury.
1563:
The
first text of the 39 Articles of the Church of England was issued.
Also enacted were a new Act of Supremacy and Oath of Succession to the
English throne.
1570:
Elizabeth I was excommunicated. Penal measures against Catholics
subsequently became more severe.
1571:
Defeat of the Turkish armada at Lepanto staved off the invasion of
Eastern Europe.
1577:
The
Formula of Concord, the classical statement of Lutheran faith, was
issued; it was, generally, a Lutheran counterpart of the canons of the
Council of Trent. In 1580, along with other formulas of doctrine, it
was included in the Book of Concord.
1582:
The
Gregorian Calendar, named for Pope Gregory XIII, was put into effect
and was eventually adopted in most western countries: England delayed
adoption until 1752.
1613:
Catholics were banned from Scandinavia.
1642:
Death of Galileo, scientist, who was censured by the Congregation of
the Holy Office for supporting the Copernican theory of the
sun-centered planetary system. The case against him was closed in his
favor in 1992.
1643:
Start of publication of the Bollandist Acta Sanctorum, a
critical work on lives of the saints.
1648:
Provisions in the Peace of Westphalia, ending the Thirty Years’ War,
extended terms of the Peace of Augsburg (1555) to Calvinists and gave
equality to Catholics and Protestants in the 300 states of the Roman
Empire.
1649:
Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland and began a severe persecution of the
Church there.
1663: St.
Mathew monastery, near Mosul, become a headquarter of Catholicos
Baselius Yaldo.
1673:
The
Test Act in England barred from public office Catholics who would not
deny the doctrine of transubstantiation and receive Communion in the
Church of England.
1678:
Many English Catholics suffered death as a consequence of the Popish
Plot, a false allegation by Titus Oates that Catholics planned to
assassinate Charles II, land a French army in the country, burn
London, and turn over the government to the Jesuits.
1689:
The
Toleration Act granted a measure of freedom of worship to other
English dissenters but not to Catholics.
1700:
January 26,
A magnitude 9.0 quake shakes Northern California, Oregon, Washington
and British Colombia and triggers tsunami that damages villages
in Japan.
1724:
Persecution of Christianity in China.
1730:
July 8,
A magnitude 8.7 quake in Valparasio, Chile, killed at least 3,000
people.
1755:
Novamber 1,
A magnitude 8.7 quake and ensuing tsunami in Lisbon, Portugal killed
an estimated 60,000 people and destroyed much of Lisbon.
1773:
Clement XIV issued a brief of suppression against the Jesuits,
following their expulsion from Portugal in 1759, from France in 1764
and from Spain in 1767. Political intrigue and unsubstantiated
accusations were principal factors in these developments. The ban,
which crippled the society, contained no condemnation of the Jesuit
constitutions, particular Jesuits or Jesuit teaching. The society was
restored in 1814.
1789:
Religious freedom in the United States was guaranteed under the First
Amendment to the Constitution.
Beginning of
the French Revolution which resulted in: the secularization of church
property and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy in 1790; the
persecution of priests, religious and lay persons loyal to papal
authority; invasion of the Papal States by Napoleon in 1796; renewal
of persecution from 1797-1799; attempts to dechristianize France and
establish a new religion; the occupation of Rome by French troops and
the forced removal of Pius VI to France in 1798.
This century
is called the age of Enlightenment or Reason because of the
predominating rational and scientific approach of its leading
philosophers, scientists and writers with respect to religion, ethics
and natural law. This approach downgraded the fact and significance of
revealed religion. Also characteristic of the Enlightenment were
subjectivism, secularism and optimism regarding human perfectibility.
1801:
Concordat between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII is signed. It is soon
violated by the Organic Articles issued by Napoleon in 1802.
1804:
Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French with Pope Pius in
attendance.
1809:
Pope Pius VII was made a captive by Napoleon and deported to France
where he remained in exile until 1814. During this time he refused to
cooperate with Napoleon who sought to bring the Church in France under
his own control, and other leading cardinals were imprisoned.
The turbulence
in church-state relations in France at the beginning of the century
recurred in connection with the Bourbon Restoration, the July
Revolution, the second and third Republics, the Second Empire and the
Dreyfus case.
1820:
Year’s-long persecution, during which thousands died for the faith,
ended in China.
1952:
Novamber 4, A
magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka causes damage but no reported deaths,
despite setting off 30-foot waves in Hawaii.
1854:
Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the bull
Ineffabilis Deus.
1868:
August 13, A
magnitude 9.0 quake in Arica, Peru (now Chile) generated catastrophic
tsunamis; more than 25,000 people were killed in South America.
1869:
The
Anglican Church was disestablished in Ireland.
1882:
Charles Darwin died. His theory of evolution by natural selection, one
of several scientific highlights of the century, had extensive
repercussions in the faith-and-science controversy.
1895:
The Otman Empire persucuted the Syriac people, Christians of
Diyarbakir and Mardin.
1906: January 31,A
magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia generated a
tsunami that killed at least 500 people.
1914-1915:
Start of World War I, which lasted until 1918.
More than 500.000 Syriac people massacred by Muslims in Turabdin and
Mardin region, Turkey.
1917:
The
Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children at Fatima, Portugal.
Bolsheviks
seized power in Russia and set up a communist dictatorship. The event
marked the rise of communism in Russian and world affairs. One of its
immediate, and lasting, results was persecution of the Church, Jews
and other segments of the population.
1917:
Enthronement of Mor Ignatius
Elias III, the 119th legitimate successor to St. Peter on the Holy
Patriarchal See of Antioch.
1931:
Leftists proclaimed Spain a republic and proceeded to disestablish the
Church, confiscate church property, deny salaries to the clergy, expel
the Jesuits and ban teaching of the Catholic faith. These actions were
preludes to the civil war of 1936-1939.
1933:
Emergence of Adolf Hitler to power in Germany. By 1935 two of his aims
were clear, the elimination of the Jews and control of a single
national church.
1939-45:
World War II.
1940:
Start of a decade of communist conquest in more than 13 countries,
resulting in conditions of persecution of the church in many
countries.
1950:
Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
1950:
Augustos 15, A
magnitude 8.6 earthquake in Assam, Tibet, killed at least 780 people.
1957: June
23, Mor Ignatius Ephrem Barsoum I,
Patriarch of Antioch
entered the eternal life.
1957:
Enthronement of Mor Ignatius
Jacob III, the 121th legitimate successor to St. Peter on the Holy
Patriarchal See of Antioch.
1960: May 22, A
magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile and ensuing tsunami killed
at least 1,716 people.
1958-63:
Pontificate of John XXIII. His principal accomplishment was the
convocation of the Second Vatican Council, the twenty-first council in
the history of the Catholic Church.
1964: March 27,
A magnitude 9.2 quake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and ensuing
tsunami killed 128 people.
1962-65:
Council of the Vatican (II). It formulated and promulgated 16
documents — two dogmatic and two pastoral constitutions, nine decrees
and three declarations — reflecting pastoral orientation toward
renewal and reform in the Church, and making explicit dimensions of
doctrine and Christian life requiring emphasis for the full
development of the Church and the better accomplishment of its mission
in the contemporary world.
1980: June
25th, His Holiness Mor Ignatius Jacob III, Patriarch of Antioch
entered the eternal life.
1980: July
11th,
Mor Severius
Zakka, Archbishop of
Mosul, Iraq was elected by The Synod of the Syriac Orthodox
Church of Antioch to be the Patriarch 121st in
the series of Patriarchs line since St. Peter on the See of Antioch,
to succeed H. H. Mor Ignatius Yacoub III who departed on 25th June
1980.
1983:
The
revised Code of Canon Law, embodying reforms enacted by the Second
Vatican Council, went into effect in the Church of Roman Rite.
1989-91:
Decline and fall of communist influence and control in Middle and
Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
1991:
The Gulf War was waged to eject Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
1995:
By the Synodical decision of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch,
the Archdiocese of the North America and Canada been divided into
three Archdioceses: East, West of USA, and Canada.
1997:
Pope John Paul II issued an apology for any anti-Semitism by
Catholics; a conference on anti-Semitism was also held in Rome and a
number of Catholic leaders in Europe issued apologies for historical
anti-Semitism.
1998:
Pope John Paul II, The Vatican issued a white paper on Anti-Semitism,
titled: We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah.
2000:
The
Syrian Orthodox Church celebrated the Holy Year 2000 and the Jubilee;
commencement of the third Christian millennium.
Pope John Paul
II issued apology for the sinful actions of the Church’s members in
the past.
2001: On September 11, the
World Trade Center was destroyed and the Pentagon attacked by Islamic
terrorists who hijacked several planes and used them as weapons of
mass destruction. The attacks launched a global war on terror.
2003: A coalition headed by
the U.S. removed Saddam Hussein the president of Iraq.
2004: December 26, A
magnitude 9.1 quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a
tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 12 countries, including 165,700
in Indonesia and 35,400 in Sri Lanka.
2005:
Pope John Paul II
entered the eternal life
in April 2.
2005:
One
of the three or four most powerful hurricanes in recorded history,
Katrina hit the Gulf coast of the United States in
August 30,
with unimaginable destruction. New Orleans is almost completely
inundated with muddy, chemically contaminated water from Lake
Pontchartrain, tens of thousands of houses on the coastal areas have
been washed away, untold numbers of businesses are destroyed, millions
are without clean water or electricity for days, and travel is almost
impossible due to the high cost of fuel.
2005: The Syriac Orthodox
Church inaugurate the Patriarchal Silver Jubilee celebration of His
Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas, patriarch of the universal Syriac
Orthodox Church, on Sep. 13-14.
2005: His Holiness Mor
Ignatius Zakka Iwas, patriarch of the universal Syriac Orthodox
Church, consecrating Holy Myron (Chrism) on Sep. 18, at St. Ephrem
Seminary, Ma'arat Saidnaya, Damascus, Syria.
2005: In Pakistan
Almost 80,000
people were killed in the Oct. 8th earthquake and more than 2.5 million
people are homeless because of the calamity.
2005: The first
Archbishop
of Central Europe, His
Eminence Mor
Julius Isa (Yeshu) Çiçek, the publisher-calligrapher
entered the eternal life
unexpectedly on Friday night October 29. His contribution to Syriac
studies includes publishing a few hundred books through Bar Hebraeus
Verlag. His Eminence
was born in 1942 in Upper Kafro,
in Turabdin (Turkey), to
Qashisho
Barsawmo and
Bath-Qyomo
Sayde.
2005: The Holy Synod of the
Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch in his meeting held in December
13-15 divided the Central Europe Archdiocese into three Archdioceses
Patriarchal Vicariates: Archdiocese of Netherlands, Archdiocese of
Belgium and France, and Archdiocese of Switzerland and Austria.
2006: The Holy Synod of the
Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch in his meeting held in October 10-13
divided the Archdiocese of Germany into three Archdioceses Patriarchal
Vicariates: Archdiocese of North Germany, Archdiocese of South
Germany, and Archdiocese of Mid Germany.
2006: On October 13, 2006
Statement Issued by the Holy Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church of
Antioch, on martyrdom of Rev. Fr. Poulos Iskandar Behnam, who was
found murdered in the outskirts of Mosul, Iraq.
Rev.
Fr. Polous
Iskandar was kidnapped in north Iraq on 9 October and two days later
beheaded by an Islamic militant group in Iraq. According to locals
the captors had demanded a ransom in the amount of $350,000. The
captors also demanded that posters be displayed on the parish walls
condemning the recent remarks made by the Pope Benedict XVI about
Islam. On Thursday October 12, Some 500 people attended the funeral of
Rev. Fr. Paulos Iskandar at Mosul's Syriac-Orthodox St Ephrem Church.
This is the
statement of the Holy Synod
"During the sessions
of the Holy Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch held in
Damascus under the patronage of His Holiness, Patriarch Zakka I Iwas,
and the participation of the bishops of the Syrian Orthodox Church
worldwide, we received from the heads of Christian denominations in
Iraq, the tragic, painful news of the death of the Rev. Fr. Poulos
Iskander Behnam, one of our priests in Mosul. Fr. Behnam died at the
hands of extremist terrorists, people disconnected from humane,
spiritual and ethical values.
Our Holy Synod expresses deepest regrets that this
shameful crime took place. It touches all noble citizens of our
beloved Iraq. The Synod denounces this horrible deed and calls upon
the international conscience of those in authority to put an end to
the bitter suffering of the Iraqi people. We invite all those in
positions of authority and influence to continue their diligent
efforts in spreading peace and security, so that the citizens of Iraq
may resume normal life in their historic homeland within a framework
of national unity.
May God protect Iraq and its people from adversity and
affliction. May the coming days be full of peace, love, fraternity
and prosperity."
2006:
ISTANBUL,
Turkey, On
November 30, 2006
Statement of
Common Declaration signed today by Benedict XVI and Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, at the end of the Divine
Liturgy in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George at Fener, Istanbul.
2008:
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, On
April 5th,
2008 Reverend Father Yousef Adel Abboudi the parish priest of St.
Severius the Great church, Baghdad, who was slain for sticking to the
faith in the Lord Jesus in performing his priestly duty. Rev. Fr.
Yousef born in Baghdad 1961 - Martyred on Saturday April 5, 2008.
2010:
Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, On
January 12th,
a powerful earthquake wrecked the capital of
Port-au-Prince killing as many as 200,000 people and forcing hundreds
of thousands more to sleep outside in vast camps or on the streets.
Most of Haiti's 9 million people are Roman Catholics
but many also practice voodoo, a religion with African roots.
2010:
February 27,
A magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Chile killed a
still-undetermined number of people and sends a tsunami across the
Pacific. President Michelle Bachelet says that Chile's earthquake
killed at least 708 people — sharply increasing the known death toll.
Authorities said 1.5 million Chileans were affected and 500,000 homes
severely damaged by the mammoth temblor.
WORLD'S STRONGEST QUAKES
Here is a list of earthquakes of 20-21 century, that registered at
least magnitude 8.6.
May 22, 1960: A
magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile and ensuing tsunami killed
at least 1,716 people.
March 27, 1964: A
magnitude 9.2 quake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and ensuing
tsunami killed 128 people.
Dec. 26, 2004: A
magnitude 9.1 quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a
tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 12 countries, including 165,700
in Indonesia and 35,400 in Sri Lanka.
Aug. 13, 1868: A
magnitude 9.0 quake in Arica, Peru (now Chile) generated catastrophic
tsunamis; more than 25,000 people were killed in South America.
Jan. 26, 1700: A
magnitude 9.0 quake shakes Northern California, Oregon, Washington and
British Colombia and triggers tsunami that damages villages in Japan.
Nov. 4, 1952: A
magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka causes damage but no reported deaths,
despite setting off 30-foot waves in Hawaii.
Jan. 31, 1906: A
magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia generated a
tsunami that killed at least 500 people.
Feb. 27, 2010: A
magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Chile killed a still-undetermined
number of people and sends a tsunami across the Pacific.
Nov. 1, 1755: A
magnitude 8.7 quake and ensuing tsunami in Lisbon, Portugal killed an
estimated 60,000 people and destroyed much of Lisbon.
July 8, 1730: A
magnitude 8.7 quake in Valparasio, Chile, killed at least 3,000
people.
Aug. 15, 1950: A
magnitude 8.6 earthquake in Assam, Tibet, killed at least 780 people.
Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Incorporated Research Institutions
for Seismology and WHO's International Disaster Database.
2011:
March 11,
A
On Friday March 11, at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, the quake struck. The
8.9-magnitude temblor, which was centered near the east coast of
Japan, killed hundreds of people, caused the formation of 30-foot
walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfed entire towns,
dragged houses onto highways, and tossed cars and boats like toys.
Some waves reached six miles (10 kilometers) inland in Miyagi
Prefecture on Japan's east coast.
tsunami warnings for at least 50 countries and territories. The
epicenter of Friday's main quake was located off Miyagi Prefecture,
about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
The magnitude of the
earthquake and its shallow depth -- 15.2 miles (24.5 kilometers).
Six million households, more than 10%
of the total in Japan, were without electricity,
The world's largest recorded quake took place in Chile
on May 22, 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5,
2012:
March 17,
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III died on 17
March 2012 (8 Paremhat 1728 in the Coptic
calendar) of lung and liver complications at his official
residence shortly after returning from medical treatment abroad. He
had stopped taking medication because he was too weak, he had been in
good spirits prior to his death. The funeral took place following
three days of lying in state On 20 March,
he was buried at the Monastery of Saint Pishoy
in Wadi el-Natrun, in accordance with his
wishes.
Pope Shenouda III (Coptic:
Papa Abba Šenoutee pimah šoumt; 3 August 1923 – 17 March
2012) was the 117th Pope and Patriarch of the
Church of Alexandria. His long episcopate lasted 40 years, four
months, and 4 days from November 14, 1971 until his death on March 17,
2012.
Read more about His Holiness in
Wikipedia
2012:
August 16,
His Holiness Abune Paulos,
Patriarch and Catholicos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church,
Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of the See of Saint Teklehaimanot passed
away on Thursday night in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was 76 years old.
Official sources have confirmed the demise of the Patriarch. The
Patriarch was seriously ill and was admitted to the Dejazmach Balcha
Hospital in Addis Ababa. The Patriarch has been undergoing a
medication for a long time.
Read More about the Patriarch in
Wikipedia
2012:
November 04,
His Eminence Anba
Tawadros (Theodoros) elected to be 118th Pope and Patriarch of the
Coptic Orthodox Church as Pope Tawadros II.
2012:
November 18,
The enthronement of
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II (Theodoros II) 60, ceremony held on Sunday November 18th, at the Coptic cathedral in
Abbasiya, Cairo. His Holiness replaced the late His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, who passed away in March after leading the ancient church for 40 years.
2012:
December 05,
His beatitude Patriarch Ignatius
IV Hazim of the Greek (Rum) Orthodox passed away on Wednesday
December 05, 2012 at Beirut hospital after suffering a stroke. He was
92 years old.
Read more about His Beatitude in
Wikipedia
2013:
February 10,
The enthronement of
His
beatitude Patriarch John X,
Yaziji of the Greek (Rum) Orthodox.
2013:
February 11,
Pope Benedict XVI told a gathering
of cardinals that he no longer has the strength to carry out ministry
and will resign on February 28.
First Pope to resign in almost 600 years.
2013:
April 22,
His Eminence Mor Gregorios Yuhanna
Ibrahim Metropolitan of Aleppo of the Syriac Orthodox Church of
Antioch, and his Eminence Paul Yazigi
Metropolitan of Aleppo and Alexandretta of the Greek (Rum) Orthodox,
were kidnapped in Syria by the
unknown group.
2014:
Friday March 21,
His Holiness Moran Mor
Ignatius Zakka I. Iwas, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox
Church of Antioch passed into eternal life in peace after
suffering a massive heart attack while in Germany for treatment at 11
AM (Europian time). May God rest him in peace and his memory be
eternal.
-
Born on 21st April, 1933, in Mosul, Iraq, and named Sanharib after
St. Behnam’s Father.
-
Obtained his elementary studies at Our Lady's Parish school
and St. Thomas school.
-
In 1946 joined St. Ephrem Theological
Seminary in Mosul, and was called
ܙܟܝ Zakai
(Zakka).
-
In 1948 He was ordained as a deacon at the rank of Reader
(ܩܪܘܝܐ).
-
In 1953 promoted to the rank of Subdeacon (Afodyaqno)
(ܐܦܘܕܝܩܢܐ).
-
In 1954 he graduated from St. Ephrem
Theological Seminary, and obtained its high
Diploma in theology, philosophy, history, and ecclesial canon law,
in Syriac, Arabic, and English languages. In the same year he
became a monk.
-
In 1955 promoted to the rank of Deacon (Evangeloyo)
(ܐܘܢܓܠܝܐ),
and became secretary of the Patriarch Mor Ephrem Barsoum
(1933-1957), and then of his succesor Mor Ignatius Yacoub III.
-
On 17th November 1957 he obtained
priesthood by H.H. Moran Mor Ignatius Yacoub III, and in 1959 was
honored with the Holy Cross in appreciation of
his invaluable services.
-
In 1960 joined the General Theological College in New York at the
University of New York in the USA, where he spent two years studying
oriental languages and pastoral theology and mastered the English
language.
-
In 1962-63, he was delegated by his
predecessor to attend the two sessions of the second Vatican
Ecumenical Council as an observer.
-
On November 17th,
1963
he was Consecrated by H. H. Mor
Ignatius Yacoub III, Archbishop of Mosul, Iraq
and given a name (Mor Severius
Zakka).
-
In 1964, Mor Severius discovered the remains of St.
Thomas in the sanctuary wall of the church at Mosul.
-
In 1967 he was appointed acting
Archbishop to Europe in addition to his diocese.
-
In 1969 His Eminence was transferred to the Archdiocese of Baghdad,
Iraq.
-
In 1978-1980 he
was appointed acting Archbishop to
Australia in
addition to his
diocese..
-
On July 11th,
1980 he
was elected by The Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch to
be the Patriarch 121st in the series of Patriarchs line
since St. Peter on the See of Antioch, to succeed H. H. Mor Ignatius
Yacoub III who departed on 25th June 1980.
-
On September 14th 1980 became the Patriarch of the Syriac
Orthodox Church of Antioch at St. George's Cathedral in Damascus –
Syria, from then H. H. took over the responsibilities and authority
of the Holy See of Antioch, and continues to work hard to serve Our
Holy Church spiritually, ecumenically and physically.
-
His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, represented the Church in
several international conventions.
-
H. H. is a member in different Eastern and Western Academies.
-
H. H. is an author of a number of valuable books in Christian
education, theology, history and culture in Syriac, Arabic and
English languages.
-
H. H. puts all his efforts in improving and prospering Our Holy
Syriac Orthodox Church and the latest achievement of H.H. is The
Theological Seminary of St. Ephrem the
Syrian, which was founded by His Holiness in Mar'at Saydnaya,
Damascus - Syria (inaugurated by H. H. on Sep 14, 1996). This
Monastery forms a part of the great project which will include
different centers and facilities.
-
Nowadays, the September 14th became a Patriarchal day in
the Church, each year on Sep. 14th the Syriac Orthodox
Church all over the world celebrates with all pride the Anniversary
of the Enthronement of His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Universal
Syriac Orthodox Church on St. Peter See of Antioch.
2014:
Monday March 31,
His Eminence Mor Cyril Ehprem
Karim Archbishop of the Eastern USA Archdiocese elected to be 123rd
Patriarch of Antioch, His Holiness Mor
Ignatius Ephrem II Karim, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox
Church of Antioch and all the East. To be installed on Ascension day
May 29, 2014.
2014:
June 09,
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS), or Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) took over the Mosul
city. The Christians (Clergy and Faithful) more than 150,000 people,
left the Mosul city to region of Kurdistan. ISIS persecuted all other
dominations and destroyed churches and Christians' symbols .
2019:
Sunday January 06,
The "Tomos" decree declaring the
independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was signed by
Bartholmmew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinopole at St.
George's Cathedral in Istanbul, Turkey.
Priests and politicians on Sunday celebrated the creation of an
independent Ukrainian church, in a move that while popular in Kiev has
been angrily condemned by the church in Russia.
The Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch handed over a formal decree
confirming the creation of an independent Ukrainian church to its
leader, Metropolitan Yepifaniy.
The decree was signed at a landmark ceremony on Saturday, putting the
formal stamp on a break with the Russian Orthodox church which has
infuriated Moscow.
Patriarch Bartholomew handed over the document during an Epiphany
service at St George's Cathedral in Istanbul, completing the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's recognition of the newly
independent Ukrainian church.
2019:
May 22, Pope of
the Roman Catholic church Francis made big change to the Lord's Prayer
It's the prayer Jesus taught followers to
pray and one of the few things that unites 2.2 billion Christians
across the globe. But the See of the Roman Catholic Church May 22
approved the adjusting the Lord's Prayer, widely known among the
faithful as the "Our Father," has been years in the making. UCatholic
reported.
The Catholic leader changed the phrase "lead us not
into temptation" to "do not let us fall into temptation" as mentioned
in the gospel of St. Matthew 6:13, because the original translation
implies that God induces temptation. The change, officials said, is
closer to the original intent of the prayer.
"I am the one who falls, it's not Him pushing me into
temptation to then see how I have fallen" Pope Francis explained to
Italian broadcasters about the phrase change. "A Father doesn't do
that, a Father helps you to get up immediately. It's Satan who leads
us into temptation, that's his department."
Actually, the original of the Lord's Prayer is in Aramaic language
which can be translated literally "Let us not enter into temptation"
the Pope Francis made similar translation but not exact and real one.
2019-2022:
December 31, 2019-December 31, 2022, The
coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic affecting 232 countries and territories around the
world, stated in China, and 7 international conveyance (the Diamond Princess cruise ship
harbored in Yokohama, Japan), then spread all over the world. The most
countries of the world, due to the coronavirus, were quarantined.
Until
December 31, 2022
Coronavirus Pandemic cases: 664,736,154 Deaths: 6,696,786
Recovered: 636,666.229
See
Worldometers.info/coronavirus
2020:
July 10,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the Hagia Sophia
museum, one of Istanbul's most famous landmarks, to be converted into
a mosquehe.
He made the announcement hours after a top court cleared the way for
him to make the change.
The Hagia Sofia, a major draw for tourists, has a long and
complicated history. The architectural marvel was built as a church by
the Byzantines in the 6th century and then converted to a mosque after the
Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
In 1934, Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's cabinet
decreed that it be turned into a museum. It is widely regarded as a
symbol of peaceful religious coexistence.
Friday's court ruling invalidates the 1934 decree. It
grants Turkey's president the authority to restore the museum to its
status as a working mosque. The decision said the site is listed as a
mosque in its title deed and that cannot be changed, Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported.
Erdogan had previously signaled that he intended to make
that change. In his decision Friday, he said the site would be
transferred to the Directorate of Religious Affairs and will be open
for worship.
2022: 1927-2022:
December 31, 2022,
Former Roman Catholic Pope
Benedict XVI dies at 95, conservative pontiff was first in 600 years
to resign
Benedict XVI, the former pope
who spent years in the Vatican upholding conservative Catholic
teaching but who upended centuries of tradition by resigning as
pontiff, died Saturday, the Vatican announced. He was 95.
2023:
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