Roman Catholic Dogmas
A dogma, in Rome’s own definition, is a truth that the Church’s teaching office proposes as divinely revealed and therefore binding on every Catholic; the Magisterium exercises its authority “to the fullest extent when it defines dogmas” (Catechism 88). Yet many of Rome’s dogmas were believed, prayed, and practiced for centuries before any council or pope defined them. This timeline therefore dates each teaching from the point at which it took hold in the Church’s teaching and worship, and notes where it was later formally defined. For the official acts themselves, see the Roman Catholic Decrees.
These teachings have no warrant in Scripture, and the dates reveal the sobering lack of antiquity for many of the doctrines that the Reformers called into question. Dates marked “c.” are approximate, because a church-wide practice cannot always be fixed to a single year.
Mary’s Part in Salvation: Contrasting Mary’s obedience with Eve’s disobedience, Irenaeus of Lyons writes that “so also did Mary … by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race” (Against Heresies 3.22.4). Justin Martyr had drawn the Eve–Mary contrast a generation earlier, but Irenaeus is the first to give Mary a causal part in salvation. Rome still cites him for her cooperation in the work of redemption (Catechism 494).
Prayers for the Dead: Prayers and offerings for the departed become common, preparing the ground for the later doctrine of purgatory.
Veneration of Saints and Images: Honor paid to angels and departed saints, and the use of images in worship, begin to take hold.
Baptismal Regeneration: The Council of Carthage condemns those who deny that newborn infants are baptized for the remission of original sin, and baptism comes to be regarded as the instrument of the new birth.
Mary, Mother of God: The Council of Ephesus confirms the title Theotokos to guard the unity of Christ’s person. The title is sound in that sense, but it becomes the foundation on which later Marian devotion is built.
Purgatory taught by Gregory the Great as a purifying fire for lesser faults after death (Dialogues 4.39); defined as dogma at Florence in 1439 and Trent in 1563.
The Mass as a Sacrifice: Gregory teaches that Christ is offered anew at every Mass for the living and the dead; Trent defines the Mass as “truly propitiatory” in 1562.
Prayers to Mary and the Saints: Invocation of Mary, departed saints, and angels becomes widespread.
Mary’s Perpetual Virginity: The Lateran Synod under Martin I teaches that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ. The title “ever-virgin” had already appeared at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553.
Veneration of Images and Relics: The Second Council of Nicaea approves the veneration of icons of Christ, Mary, the angels, and the saints, though attempted to maintain that worship (latria) was reserved for God alone.
Corporeal Presence: Paschasius Radbertus teaches that the very body of Christ born of Mary is present in the Eucharist, preparing the way for transubstantiation.
Mass Attendance made obligatory, its neglect counted a mortal sin, as the Mass comes to be regarded chiefly as a sacrifice.
Indulgences: Urban II promises full remission of penance to those who take the cross for the First Crusade, the pattern for the indulgence system that followed.
Transubstantiation defined and auricular confession to a priest required of every Christian once a year by the Fourth Lateran Council under Innocent III.
Treasury of Merit: Clement VI declares that the merits of Christ, Mary, and the saints form a treasury that the Church dispenses through indulgences.
Purgatory defined as dogma and the seven sacraments affirmed by the Council of Florence.
Sacred Tradition declared equal in authority with Scripture, and the Apocrypha added to the canon, by the Council of Trent in direct opposition to sola Scriptura.
Justification defined as the infusion of righteousness, increased by good works and recovered by penance; justification by faith alone condemned under thirty-three anathemas.
Immaculate Conception of Mary proclaimed by Pius IX.
Papal Primacy and Infallibility defined by the First Vatican Council: the pope cannot err when he defines a doctrine of faith or morals.
Mary’s Assumption into heaven, body and soul, proclaimed by Pius XII.
Mary, Mother of the Church, a title proclaimed by Paul VI at the close of the third session of the Second Vatican Council on November 21, 1964.