1,136
edits
Changes
m
various minor cleanups and summarizing; still more to do Ⓣ
*451 [[Fourth Ecumenical Council]] meets at Chalcedon, condemning [[Eutychianism]] and [[Monophysitism]], affirming that Christ has two natures; this eventually led to a [[schism]], with the [[Church of Alexandria]] being divided into Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian factions, with a similar schism occurring in the [[Church of Antioch]] along with it.
*452 Proterios, who was appointed Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria to replace Dioscuros (who had been deposed at the Council of Chalcedon) convened a synod in Alexandria to try to reconcile the Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian groups.
*459 St [[Symeon the Stylite|Symeon the Stylite]] (c.390-459), was a monk living in Syria who was the first [[Stylite|Stylite]].
*466 [[Church of Antioch]] elevates the bishop of Mtskheta to the rank of Catholicos of Kartli, thus rendering the [[Church of Georgia]] [[autocephaly|autocephalous]].
*477 Bishop Timothy ("the Wild Cat") of Alexandria, who opposed the Council of Chalcedon, exiled the Orthodox bishops from Egypt.
*601 [[Augustine of Canterbury]] converts King St. [[Ethelbert of Kent]] and establishes the see of Canterbury.
*615 Death of [[Columbanus]] in Italy.
*626 [[Akathist|Akathist Hymn]] is created, an extensive lyric poem of unparalleled beauty, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Hymn was first chanted in the thanksgiving services following the victory of the Byzantine people after the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sieges_of_Constantinople Sieges of Constantinople|first siege of Constantinople]] by Avars and Sassanid Persians on August 8, 626.
*627 Pope St. [[Gregory the Dialogist]] sends Paulinus to found the see of York and convert King St. [[Edwin of Northumbria]].
*627 The (2nd) [[Elevation of the Holy Cross|Universal Exaltation (Elevation) of the Venerable and Life-giving Cross]]. After the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nineveh_%28627%29 Battle of Nineveh (627)|Battle of Nineveh in 627]], where the Byzantines decisively defeat Sassanid Persians, [http://www.answers.com/topic/heraclius Emperor Heraclius] recovered Jerusalem and won back the cross of Christ that the Persians had carried off in 614. With great solemnity the Life-creating Cross was transferred to Jerusalem on [[September 14|September 14]].
*635 [[Lindisfarne]] sees the establishment of the monastery that would convert northern England by the missionary saint [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]], a monk from [[Iona]]; Cynegils, king of Wessex, converts to Christianity.
*636 Capture of [[Jerusalem]] by the Muslim Arabs.
*664 [[Synod of Whitby]] held in northern England, harmonizing Celtic and Roman liturgical practices in England; [[Iona|Ionian]] monk [[Wilfrid of York|Wilfrid]] appointed as Archbishop of York.
*668 St. [[Theodore of Tarsus]] is appointed as archbishop of Canterbury.
*669-78 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_%28674%29 Siege of Constantinople (674)|First Arab siege of Constantinople]], lasts off and on for seven years. By 677 at the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Syllaeum Battle of Syllaeum], the Arab fleet was destroyed through use of "[http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire Greek Fire|Greek Fire]]." This ended the immediate Arab threat to eastern Europe.
*670 Composition of ''Caedmon's Hymn'' by St. [[Caedmon]] of Whitby.
*680-681 [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]] is held in Constantinople, condemning [[Monothelitism]] and affirming the [[Christology]] of St. [[Maximus the Confessor]], affirming that Christ has both a natural (human) will and a divine will. Patriarch [[Sergius of Constantinople]] and Pope [[Honorius of Rome]] are both explicitly [[anathema]]tized for their support of the Monothelite [[heresy]].
*716 Monastery at [[Iona]] conforms to Roman liturgical usage.
*716 St [[Boniface]]'s first missionary journey to Frisia.
*717-18 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_%28718%29 Siege of Constantinople (718)|Second Arab siege of Constantinople]]. Emperor Leo III repels the Arabs from Constantinople defending the city for 13 months and destroying their fleet. It is estimated that of the 200,000 muslim soldiers who besieged Constantinople, only around 30,000 made it home.
*726 Emperor [[Leo the Isaurian]] starts his campaign against the [[iconography|icons]]. Iconoclastic Controversy 726-843.
*731 The Venerable [[Bede]] completes the ''[[Ecclesiastical History of the English People]]''.
*732 Muslim invasion of Europe is stopped by the Franks at the Battle of Tours, on October 10, 732.
*739 Emperor Leo III (717-41) publishes his ECLOGA Law Code, designed to introduce Christian principle into law.
*749 Death of [[John of Damascus|St. John Damascene]] (c. 676 - December 5, 749).*750 The "[http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation_of_constantine Donation of Constantine|Donation of Constantine]]" is ''"discovered'' " and accepted as a legitimate document, used by Pope Stephen II (752) to "prove" territorial and jurisdictional claims. However it is proven to be a forgery in AD 1444, since it quotes from St Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible, and St. Jerome wasn't born until 26 years after the Donation of Constantine was supposed to have been written.
*754 [[Iconoclastic Council]] is held in Constantinople under the authority of Emperor [[Constantine V Copronymus]], condemning icons and declaring itself to be the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Emperor Constantine begins the dissolution of the monasteries.
*754 Death of St Boniface, the Apostle of Germany.
*1008 Conversion of Sweden.
*1009 Patriarch [[Sergius II of Constantinople]] removes the name of Pope [[Sergius IV of Rome]] from the diptychs of the [[Church of Constantinople]], because the pope had written a letter to the patriarch including the [[Filioque]].
*1009 The [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in Jerusalem is completely destroyed on October 18, 1009, by the "mad" Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, sixth Fatimid Caliph in Egypt, founder of the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druze Druze sect|Druze Druze]] (1021) who proclaimed himself divine, and who hacked out the Church's foundations down to the bedrock.
*1014 [[Filioque]] used for the first time in Rome by Pope [[Benedict VIII of Rome|Benedict VIII]] at the coronation of Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor.
*1015 Death of St [[Vladimir of Kiev]], Prince of Rus', apostle of the Russians and Ruthenians.
*1022 Death of St Simeon the New Theologian.
*1027 The Frankish protectorate over Christian interests in Jerusalem is replaced by a Byzantine protectorate. Byzantine leaders begin the reconstruction of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Holy Sepulchre]] (see AD 800).
*1036 Byzantine [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_IV_the_Paphlagonian Michael IV the Paphlagonian|Emperor Michael IV]] makes a truce with the Caliph of Egypt in 1036 to allow the rebuilding of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] by Byzantine Masons. The [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard#Varangian_Guard Varangian Guard|Varangian Guard]] of the Byzantine Emperor (Eastern Vikings/Rus) were sent there to protect pilgrims, as the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar Knights Templar|Knights Templar]] would at a later date. The Church was Consecrated consecrated in 1048.
*1051 [[Monastery of the Kiev Caves]] founded.
*1054 Cardinal [[Humbert]] excommunicates [[Michael Cerularius]], Patriarch of Consantinople, a major centerpoint in the formation of the [[Great Schism]] between East and West.
*1059 Errors of Berengar of Tours condemned in Rome. The term "transubstantiation" begins to come in to use, ascribed to Peter Damian (1007-1072).
*1066 Normans invade England flying the banner of the Pope of Rome, defeating King [[Harold of England]] at the Battle of Hastings, beginning the reformation of the church and society there to align with Latin continental ecclesiology and politics.
*1071 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seljuk_Turks Seljuk Turks|Seljuk Turks]] capture Jerusalem. Seljuk rule is not quite as tolerant as that of the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatimid |Fatimids]] and Christian pilgrims begin returning to Europe with tales of persecution and oppression. The Seljuks then defeat the Byzantines at the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_manzikert Battle of Manzikert] (1071) in [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolia Anatolia]and begin the Islamification of Asia Minor.*1071 Norman princes led by [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Guiscard Robert Guiscard|Robert Guiscard] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Guiscard#Against_the_Byzantines ] capture Bari], the last Byzantine stronghold in Italy, bringing to an end over five centuries of Byzantine rule in the south.
*1073 Hildebrand becomes Pope [[Grgeory VII of Rome|Gregory VII]] and launches the "Gregorian" reforms (celibacy of the clergy, primacy of the papacy over the empire, right of the Pope to depose emperors).
*1075 The [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatus_papae Dictatus papae|''Dictatus Papae'']] document advances the strongest case for Papal supremacy.
*1088 Founding of monastery of St. [[Apostle John|John the Theologian]] on Patmos.
*1095 Launching of the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Crusade First Crusade|First Crusade]].
*1096 Persecution of Jews by Crusaders.
*1098 Anselm of Canterbury completes his "Cur Deus homo", marking a radical divergence of Western theology of the atonement from that of the East.
*1098 Crusaders capture Antioch.
*1099 Crusaders capture Jerusalem on July 15, 1099. Once in the city, the Crusaders massacre the garrison of Fatimid Moslems and a large percentage of the Moslem and Jewish population. They found founding the "''[http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Kingdom_of_Jerusalem Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem|Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem]]''," and other crusader states known collectively as ''"[http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outremer |Outremer]],"'' lasting from 1099-1291.
*1119 Order of Knights Templar founded.
*1144 Bernard of Clairvaux calls for a [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_crusade Second Crusade|Second Crusade]] to rescue the besieged Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, and Louis VII of France and Konrad III of Germany join the Crusaders, but they are defeated by the Muslims. Muslims take Christian stronghold of Edessa.*1149 Building on the work of Byzantine [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_IX Emperor [Constantine IX]] in 1048, the crusaders began to renovate the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)|Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in a Romanesque style and added a bell tower. The Consecration of the Crusader Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem took place on 15 July,1149, the 50th anniversary of the capture of the city.
*1180 Last formal, canonical acceptance of Latins to communion at an Eastern altar in Antioch.
*1187 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin |Saladin]] retakes Jerusalem: Saladin and destroys the crusader army at the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hattin_%281187%29 Battle of Hattin(1187)|Battle of Hattin]] on July 4th 1187, then going on to beseige and capture Jerusalem.*1189 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_crusade Third Crusade|Third Crusade]] is led by King Richard the Lion-Hearted of England, King Philip Augustus II of France, and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
*1191 Cyprus is taken from the Byzantines by English King Richard I "Lion Heart", and sold to Frankish crusaders in 1198.
*1204 Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade [[Sacking of Constantinople|sack Constantinople]], laying waste to the city and stealing many holy [[relics]] and other items; [[Great Schism]] generally regarded as having been completed by this act.
*1211 Venetian crusaders conquer Byzantine Crete, retaining it until ousted by the Ottoman Turks in 1669 over four centuries later.
*1235 Death of [[Sava of Serbia|St Sava of Serbia]].
*1237 Golden Horde (Mongols) begin [[Church_of_RussiaChurch of_Russia#Mongol_Tartars_over_Russia_Mongol Tartars over Russia .281237-1448.29|subjugation of Russia]].
*1240 Mongols sack Kiev. Prince Alexander Yaroslavich (Nevsky) defeats the Swedish army at the Battle of the Neva.
*1242 Prince Alexander Nevsky's Novgorodian force defeats the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Lake Peipus, a major defeat for the Catholic crusaders.
*1258 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_VIII_Palaiologos [Michael PaleologusVIII Palaiologos]] seizes the throne of the Nicaean Empire, founding the last Roman (Byzantine) dynasty. He begins the reconquest of the Greek peninusla from the Latins.*1259 The Byzantines defeat the Latin ''Principality of Achaea'' at the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pelagonia Battle of Pelagonia] in September of 1259, marking the beginning of the Byzantine recovery of Greece.*1261 End of Latin occupation of Constantinople. Orthodox Patriarchs are restored to Constantinople. A triumphant parade entering the city is held on [[August 15|August 15]], with the emperor following the famous Hodegetria icon of the Virgin into the city. *1261 Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_VIII_Palaiologos [Michael VIII PalaeologusPalaiologos]] made the city of [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystras |Mystras]] the seat of the new [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotate_of_Morea Despotate of Morea|Despotate of Morea]]. It remained the capital of the despotate, becoming the second most important city in the empire after Constantinople. In 1989 the ruins, including the fortress, palace, churches, and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
*1268 Egyptian Mamelukes capture Antioch.
*1275 Patriarch of Constantinople [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Beccus [John XI Beccus of Constantinople|John XI BekkosBeccus]] (1275-1282), was elected to replace Patriarch [[Joseph I Galesiotes of Constantinople|Joseph I Galesiotes]] (1267-1275) who had abdicated early in 1275 due to his opposition to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Council_of_Lyon [Council of Lyon]] (1274). Patriarch Bekkos was a controversial figure and the chief Greek advocate of the reunion of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
*1291 Fall of Acre. End of crusading in the Holy Land.
*1302 Papal Bull "''[http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unam_sanctum ''Unam sanctum|Unam Sanctum]'']" issued on November 18, 1302 by Pope Boniface VIII proclaims Papal supremacy.*1333 [[Gregory Palamas|Gregory Palamas]] (1296-1359): author of [[Hesychasm|Hesychastic]] theology, defends the Orthodox practice of [[hesychasm|hesychast spirituality ]] and the use of the [[Jesus Prayer|Jesus Prayer]].*1336 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteora [Meteora]] in Greece is established as a center of Orthodox [[monasticism]].
*1341-1351 Three sessions of the [[Ninth Ecumenical Council]] held in Constantinople, affirming the [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] theology of St. [[Gregory Palamas]] and condemning the rationalistic philosophy of [[Barlaam of Calabria]].
*1341-47 Byzantine civil war between John VI Cantacuzenus (1347–54) and John V Palaeologus (1341–91). The installation of Cantacuzenus on the throne in 1347 confirmed the victory of the Heyschast movement. Byzantine historian George Ostrogorsy writes that "''after the strong Latin influence in the 12th and 13th centuries the conservative Greek tradition in Byzantium came into its own in the first half of the 14th century, and it was diametrically opposed to Western culture as well as to the Roman Church.''".
*1396 First English Bible translated by John Wyclif.
*1417 End of Western "Great Schism" at the Council of Constance.
*1422 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_%281422%29 Second unsuccessful Ottoman seige] of Constantinople.
*1439 Ecclesiastical reunion with the West is attempted at the [[Council of Florence]], where only St. [[Mark of Ephesus]] refuses to capitulate to the demands of the delegates from Rome.
*1444 [[Donation of Constantine]] proved forgery.
*1448 [[Church of Russia]] declares its independence from the [[Church of Constantinople]].
*1452 Unification of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches in Hagia Sophia on December 12, 1452 on the West's terms, when Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos, under pressure from Rome allowed the union to be proclaimed.
*1900 [http://www.orthodox.cn/saints/korz_en.htm Chinese Martyrs of the Boxer-Rebellion] in China. Some of the 222 Orthodox martyrs of June 10/23, 1900, were direct descendants of the Russian mission set up at the end of the seventeenth century, after Russia lost its Albazin outpost to Chinese forces.
*1905 Seat of Orthodox bishop in America moved from San Francisco to New York, as immigration from Eastern Europe and the reception of ex-[[Uniate]]s shifts the balance of Orthodox population to eastern North America.
*1905 [[Apostolos Makrakis|Apostolos Makrakis]] (1831-1905). A charismatic lay theologian, preacher, ethicist and philosopher, and editor of the [[The Rudder|Rudder]], who was an influential leader of the awakening movement in post-revolutionary Greece.
*1907 Archimandrite Eusebius Matthopoulos founds the ''[[Brotherhood of Theologians Zoe|Zoe Brotherhood]],'' thus becoming one of the most influential figures in the twentieth century history of the Church of Greece.
*1908 Fr Nikodemos Sarikas sent to Johannesburg, Transvaal, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as the first Orthodox priest there. After a short time he left for German East Africa (later Tanzania) because of the opposition of Johannesburg Greeks to mission among Africans.
*1908 [[John of Kronstadt|St. John of Kronstadt]], 1829-1908. The Wonder-Working Father John Sergiev is another of the great elders and saints who were a part of the spiritual revival started by [[Paisius Velichkovsky|St. Paisius Velichkovsky]].
*1914 The [[Church of Russia|Church of Russia]] included, in 1914, more than 50,000 priests, 21,000 monks, and 73,000 nuns. It supported thousands of schools and missions. It cooperated with the Russian government in exercising great influence in Mid-Eastern affairs.
*1917 Battle of Jerusalem (December 8 - December 26) - British forces under General Allenby capture the city of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire.
*1917 [[Church of Georgia]]'s [[autocephaly]] restored ''de facto'' by the political chaos in Russia.
*1917 The [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevik_revolution Bolshevik Revolution] throws the [[Church of Russia]] into chaos, effectively stranding the fledgling Orthodox mission in America; St. [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas Romanov]], Tsar of Russia is martyred together with his wife St. [[Alexandra Romanov|Alexandra]] and children. Communism's "Militant Atheism" becomes official policy, (1917-1991).
*1921 The [[Church of Constantinople]] renounces all claims to jurisdiction in any part of Africa, and the Patriarch of Alexandria is henceforth known as the Pope and Patriarch of [[Church of Alexandria|Alexandria and all Africa]]; [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America|Greek Archdiocese of America]] is formed.
*1922 [[Church of Albania]] declares its [[autocephaly|independence]] from the [[Church of Constantinople]]; formation of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]].
*1922 By the end of the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Turkish_War_%281919-1922%29 Greco-Turkish War] of 1919-1922, the city of [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_Smyrna Smyrna in Asia Minor is evacuated], after the Greek army is routed and 30,000 civilians are killed. A million refugees fled to Greece joining half a million Greeks who had fled earlier. *1922 [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine#British_Mandate_.281920.E2.80.931948.29 British Mandate] in the Middle East 1922-1948. Britain rules Palestine and much of the Middle East.
*1923 [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]] granted [[autonomy]] by the [[Church of Constantinople]].
*1924 [[Church of Constantinople]] recognizes the [[autocephaly]] of the [[Church of Poland]].
*1933 October 12, 1933: [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/masonry.aspx Greek Orthodox Church Bans Freemasonry]. The Holy Synod banned it as it wished "''to bring back after eighteen centuries the manners and customs of the pagans''."
*1934 Daniel William Alexander travels to Kenya, and establishes African Orthodox Church led by Arthur Gathuna.
*1935 The critical edition of the [[Septuagint|Septuagint]], ''"Septuaginta,"'' is published in Gottingen Germany by Alfred Rahlfs at the Septuaginta-Unternehmens Institute.
*1937 [[Church of Constantinople]] recognizes the [[autocephaly]] of the [[Church of Albania]].
*1938 [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)]] and [[St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary (South Canaan, Pennsylvania)]] founded.
*1946 Reuben Spartas of the African Orthodox Church visits Alexandria. The Holy Synod of the [[Church of Alexandria]] officially recognises and accepts the African Greek Orthodox Church in Kenya and Uganda.
*1947 [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] are discovered near Qumran in Egypt.
*1948 Declaration of the Establishment of the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_israel State of Israel] on 14 May 1948, one day before the expiry of the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine#British_Mandate_.281920.E2.80.931948.29 British Mandate] of Palestine. On the same day that Israel declares its independence, the [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Arab-Israeli_War 1948 Arab-Israeli war] starts with five Arab countries attacking Israel from all sides: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq.
*1948 [[Church of Russia]] re-grants [[autocephaly]] to the [[Church of Poland]] (after having revoked it in the aftermath of World War II).
*1948 On Dec. 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the ''Universal Declaration of Human Rights'' .
*1962-1965 Second Vatican Council held in Rome, initiating major liturgical and theological reforms for the [[Roman Catholic Church]], including the abolition of the ancient [[Tridentine Mass]] and the introduction of the Novus Ordo.
*1961 Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky), 1877-1961, Archbishop of the Crimea, the Confessor and Doctor was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1995, and on March 19, 1996, by the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He was one of the most brilliant surgeons of his time. He spent more than a decade in prison and exile during the Soviet era, and is one of the most revered saints in modern-day Greece.
*1964 Historic meeting of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople|Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople]] in Jerusalem. *1965 Pope Paul VI of Rome and Patriarch [[Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople|Athenagoras I (Spyrou) of Constantinople]] mutually nullify the excommunications of 1054, on December 7, 1965.
*1967 [[Church of Macedonia]] declares its [[autocephaly]], making it independent of the [[Church of Serbia]]. To date, this declaration has not been recognised by any other Orthodox Church.
*1970 Glorification of [[Herman of Alaska|St. Herman of Alaska]] in separate services by the ROCOR and the OCA.
*1971 The [[Theological School of Halki|Halki Seminary]] Greek Orthodox Theology Patriarchal School on Heybeliada Island near Istanbul is closed to new students under a law that put religious and military training under state control. As a result, the Christian Orthodox Church is unable to train new clergy for eventual leadership in Turkey.
*1975 Division in the Antiochian church in North America overcome by the uniting of the two Antiochian archdioceses into one by Metropolitan [[Philip (Saliba) of New York]] and Archbishop [[Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo]].
*1979 Pope [[John Paul II|John Paul II]] visits made a historic three-day visit to Turkey in November 1979, for a religious summit with Greek Orthodox [[Demetrius I (Papadopoulos) of Constantinople|Patriarch Demetrios I]], stating a determination to bring to a close what he has called the “"''intolerable scandal''” " of the divisions within the Christian-professing world. *1979 The Joint Commission of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches for Theological Dialogue was established in November 1979 by Pope [[John Paul II|John Paul II]] and the [[Demetrius I (Papadopoulos) of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I]]. The sessions of the Committee included: 1) Patmos, 1980; 2) Munich, 1982; 3) Bari,1987; 4) Valamo, Finland, 1988; 5) Moscow, 1990; 6) Balamand, 1993; 7) Baltimore, 2000; and 8) Belgrade, 2006.
*1980 The first plenary session of the International Joint Commission for the Theological Dialogue met in the spring of 1980 at the island of Patmos,Greece. The first theme chosen for study was ecclesiology and its link to the mysteries of the Eucharist and the Trinity.
*1982 In Munich, the second Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue published its first official common document: “"''The Mystery of the Church and of the Eucharist in Light of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity''.” " *1985 Founding of [[Orthodox Christian Mission Center|Orthodox Christian Mission Center]] (OCMC) as Greek Archdiocesan Mission Center.*1987 The third Joint Commission issued the common document “"''Faith, Sacraments and the Unity of the Church''” " in Bari, Italy.
*1987 Dec. 3, 1987 - Visit by [[Demetrius I (Papadopoulos) of Constantinople|Dimitrios, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]] to the Vatican.
*1988 One thousand (1000) years of Orthodoxy in Russia, as Orthodox Church world-wide maintains fulness of the Apostolic faith.
*1988 The fourth Joint Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church meets in Valamo, Finland and issues: “"''The Sacrament of Order in the Sacramental Structure of the Church''.” " *1989 Since 1989 [[Ephraim of Philotheou|Archimandrite Ephraim of Philotheou]] (commonly known as Elder Ephraim) founds 17 men's and women’s women's monasteries in North America (7 men's, 10 women's, to date 2007). Before this, there was very little [[Athonite Fathers and Athonite Matters (Elder Paisios)|Athonite]] monastic activity in the Western Hemisphere, despite the growth and prosperity of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada during the past century.
*1989 [[Church of Constantinople]] recognizes the [[autocephaly]] of the [[Church of Georgia]].
*1989 Glorification in Russia of [[Tikhon of Moscow|St. Tikhon of Moscow]].
*1990 The fifth Joint Theological Commission session met in Moscow. Work began by the Committee on the next common document in Moscow, “"''Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church''”", but at the request of the Orthodox Church the discussions were stopped in order to address the question of “Uniatism”"Uniatism".
==Post-Modern era (1991-Present)==
*1991 Soviet Union Collapses, end of Cold War (1945-1991). The end of Communism in Eastern Europe allows the Orthodox churches to re-emerge. Most "Orthodox" Countries, previously suppressed by communistic dictatorships, miraculously were saved from atheistic socialism, regaining their apostolic calling of preaching un-fearfully the Gospel of Christ.
*1992 Civil War Begins in Former Yugoslavia. War of Yugoslav Disintegration 1992-1996.
*1993 The sixth Joint Theological Commission session met in Balamand, Lebanon, and issued the common document on “"''Uniatism: Method of Union of the Past, and Present. Search for Full Communion''.”"*1993 April 9, 1993, prompted by a petition signed by 11,000 laypeople, the [[Church of Cyprus|Church of Cyprus]] condemned Freemasonry as a religion incompatible with Christianity.
*1994 [[Ligonier Meeting]] in Western Pennsylvania at the [[Antiochian Village]] held by the majority of Orthodox hierarchs in North America votes to do away with the notion of Orthodox Christians in America being a "[[diaspora]]." The 29 Bishops of the [[Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas|SCOBA]] gathered together in their "first attempt" to Establish an American Orthodox Patriarchate in the Western Hemisphere.
*1995 June 27, 1995 - Ecumenical [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis of Constantinople|Patriarch Bartholomew I Archontonis)]] was welcomed to the Vatican. On [[June 29|June 29]], 1995 the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Patriarch Bartholomew and the Pope gave homilies in [http[w://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Peter%27s_Basilica Saint Peter’s Peter's Basilica], and signed a Common Declaration. (Common Declarations were also signed in 2004, & 2006).
*1997 Visit by Ecumenical [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Patriarch Bartholomew I (Archontonis)]] of Constantinople to US. For his inspiring efforts on behalf of religious freedom and human rights, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was heralded as a Bridge Builder and Peacemaker and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the U.S. Congress in 1997.
*1998 [[Church of Constantinople]], not recognizing Russia's right to issue a [[tomos]] of [[autocephaly]] in 1951, issues its own tomos for the [[Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia]].
*2000 The seventh Joint Theological Commission session met in Baltimore, U.S.A., and discussed a text on “"''The Ecclesiological and Canonical Implications of Uniatism''”". The theological dialogue between the two sides were suspended after this time due to difficulties. They resumed again in 2006.
*2001 [http://orthodoxwiki.org/Fourth_Crusade#Papal_Apology_to_Orthodox_Church Papal Apology to Orthodox Church, May 4th, 2001].
*2002 Ecumenical [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Patriarch Bartholomew]] and Pope [[John Paul II|John Paul II]] Sign a Declaration on Protecting the Environment, [[June 11|June 11]], 2002.
*2003 The [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]] is granted "self-rule" (similar but not identical to [[autonomy]]) by the [[Church of Antioch]].
*2003 April 2003, The [[Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem)|Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem]] barred US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair from ever entering the shrine. The chief priest of the church, Father Panaritus, was quoted as saying ''"They are war criminals and murderers of children. Therefore, the Church of Nativity decided to ban them access into the holy shrine forever."''
*2004 Pope [[John Paul II|John Paul II]] returns the [[relics]] of Ss. [[John Chrysostom]] and [[Gregory the Theologian]] to the [[Church of Constantinople]].
*2004 His All-Holiness, Ecumenical [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Patriarch Bartholomew]] visited Havana, Cuba to participate in the consecration of the first Orthodox Church to be built in the island nation in four decades. The consecration Liturgy at the newly built St Nicholas Church took place on Sunday, January 25, 2004.
*2004 February 2004 - The Bishop of Sergiyev Posad Feogonst sanctified the first Orthodox church built in Antarctica at a site that can be seen from 30 kilometers away.
*2004 [[June 29|June 29]], 2004 - Ecumenical [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Patriarch Bartholomew I]] welcomed to Vatican. Pope [[John Paul II|John Paul II]] & Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]] signed a Common Declaration on [[July 1|July 1]], 2004, pledging their continued efforts toward reunion of Orthodox and Catholic Churches.*2005 [[October 28|October 28]], 2005 - Tension at the Ecumenical Patriarchate due to the "Grey Wolves" Turkish terrorist group. The Turkish nationalist group "Grey Wolves" staged a rally outside the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Phanar, where they laid a black wreath, demanding the transfer of the Patriarchate to Greece.
*2006 January 2006 - The first Orthodox Prayer Book in Chinese and Russian. A hardcover bilingual Russian-Chinese prayer book was made available for the first time through the support of the Brotherhood of Sts Peter and Paul of Hong Kong. The prayer book consists of the morning and evening prayers and the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.
*2006 [[March 2|March 2]], 2006 - Pope [[Benedict XVI|Benedict]] drops one of his nine official titles, giving up "''Patriarch of the West''" in a discreet step apparently intended to help promote closer ties with the Orthodox churches of the East.
*2006 August 2006 - North Korea Russian Orthodox Church Opens. North Korea's first ever Russian Orthodox Church conducted its inaugural mass Sunday Aug. 13th., although there was no sign the hardline communist regime had eased its tight controls on religion.
*2006 October 2006 - Pope ends "Doctrine of Limbo," as per the conclusions of a 30-strong Vatican international commission of theologians. The commission's conclusions were formally approved by Pope [[Benedict XVI|Benedict XVI]] at a mass Friday [[October 6|October 6th]]
*2006 The eighth Joint Theological Commission of the Orthodox and Roman Cathlolic Churches met in Belgrade, Serbia.
*2006 [[November 29|November 29]], 2006 - Pope [[Benedict XVI|Benedict XVI]] visits the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The visits of his predecessors to the Church of Constantinople included Pope Paul VI in 1967, and Pope John Paul II in 1979. The Pope and the Patriarch signed a 7-point common declaration of ecumenical solidarity, on [[November 30|November 30]], 2006. *2006 [[December 14|December 14]], 2006 - A milestone in the recent history of the Church of Greece was the official visit of [[Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens|Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all Greece]] to the Vatican. The visit was carried out with the “"''aim of reaffirming the need for both Churches to join forces so that they can ensure that Europe maintain her Christian character and to deal with burning human issues needy of a solution the Church can offer.”"''*2007 Restoration of [[full communion]] between [[Moscow Patriarchate]] and [[ROCOR]] took place on the Great Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, [[May 17|May 17]], 2007.
==Notes==