History according to the Catholic Church is the theological interpretation of the history of humanity and the history of Israel, as recorded in the Bible. The Catholic Church's view of history also covers contemporary history and predictions for the future.
This view of history is not the same as a timeline of the Catholic Church or an ecclesiastical history of the Catholic Church, but the method of historical interpretation using the Bible and the church, or in other words, a combination of Catholic origin myth and eschatology. In academic theology, the field of Church history develops and contributes to the Catholic Church's understanding of history. The church believes its foundation by Jesus marks the end-times, because Judaism believes that the messiah will come in the end-times. While the church accepts much of the Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament, such as the existence of God, divine inspiration, the Exodus to the Promised Land, Babylonian captivity, etc., the church does not agree with everything Judaism believes.
The Catholic Church interprets many scriptural events literally (whereas Judaism interprets them symbolically), applies the messianic prophecies to Jesus (whereas Judaism discounts certain scriptural verses as messianic prophecies and rejects Jesus' claims to messiahship and divinity), and applies Jewish self-identity to the church. For example, where Judaism believes that the world was created for the sake of Israel, the church teaches that the world was created for the sake of the New Israel (the church itself); and where Judaism is centered on God and his Torah, the church is Christocentric (since Christ is believed to be God and his Word).
Official interpretation of biblical history
Past
Pre-Creation Before creation, God predestined JesusCCC 602 and his whole life,CCC 600 the Virgin Mary his mother,CCC 488 the church,CCC 760 each person to enjoy the beatific vision,CCC 1711 the universal destination of goods,CCC 2452 and all of creation to be renewed.CCC 1047 God did not predestine man to die,CCC 1008 and "predestines no one to go to hell."CCC 1037
Creation The world was created in a "state of journeying" to its predestined renewal,CCC 302 and its creation is the first step toward God making a covenant with his people.CCC 288 After the sin and fall of the angels,CCC 392 Satan tempts Adam and Eve to sin and fall; but God promises mankind a redeemer.CCC 410-411 God only permitted the fall of the angels and men to display his power and love. That said, the church interprets the creation accounts in Genesis symbolically.CCC 362
Salvation history
Salvation history is the history of revelation.CCC 234 God progressively revealed to his people creation,CCC 287 himselfCCC 204 and the resurrection.CCC 992 By his promise to Abraham to make him the father of believers, God redirects human history from death to life.CCC 1080 By accepting God's promise, Abraham inaugurates the salvation history that will culminate in Jesus.CCC 280 The passover, the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Torah, and the covenant with his people begin to fulfill God's promise to Abraham.CCC 2574 Salvation history includes a number of blessings - the "birth of Isaac, the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus), the gift of the promised land, the election of David, the presence of God in the Temple, the purifying exile, and return of a 'small remnant'"CCC 1081 - that reveal how, from the beginning to the end of time, God's work is a blessing.CCC 1079
Times of the promises and preparations The times of the promises and preparations is the time when God promised to send his people a redeemer and prepared his people for said redeemer.CCC 702 God spoke through the prophets,CCC 64 who summoned his people to repentance,CCC 2595 and, unlike the other mitzvot that were written by Moses, God wrote the Decalogue.CCC 2056
Fullness of time The fullness of time is the time of fulfillment of God's promises to and preparations of his people. The Virgin Mary is the culmination of God's preparation of his people for the messiahCCC 744 via her Immaculate Conception, Perpetual Virginity, and becoming the Theotokos.CCC 721 The Annunciation inaugurates the fullness of time.CCC 484 The conception of Jesus in Mary's womb inaugurates the end-timesCCC 686 and the messianic age.CCC 1287
Hour of glory The hour of glory is the hour of JesusCCC 729 and the hour of the New Covenant:CCC 2618 the Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery is historical, yet transcends time by being made present in the Eucharist.CCC 1085 The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost fulfills the Paschal MysteryCCC 731 and inaugurates the age of the church.CCC 1076
Present
Age of the church The age of the church is the age of the resurrection of JesusCCC 1168 and the age of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.CCC 2819 The church is the beginning of the kingdom of GodCCC 567 that will come in its fullness at the second coming.CCC 1042 The second coming is hastened every time the Eucharist is celebrated,CCC 1107 and every time a Christian prays for Jesus to comeCCC 671 and lives according to the mind of Jesus.CCC 2046 The Assumption of Mary is an anticipation of the future resurrection.CCC 966
Future
Signs that proceed the second coming The second coming is suspended until Jesus is recognized by "all of Israel,"CCC 674 and until the church undergoes a final test by the antichrist.CCC 675-677
Sign of the antichrist The antichrist will be the supreme pseudo-messianism that claims to solve everyone's problems at the cost of apostasy. It will cause the final persecution of the church. The antichrist is foreshadowed throughout history by secular messianisms and millenarianism.CCC 675-676
Second coming of Jesus The second coming of Jesus will happen on the last day.CCC 678 It will bring about the resurrection and judgment of mankind.CCC 1038 The judgment of mankind will reveal each person's good and evil deeds and will reveal the ultimate meaning of history and creation, how God led everything to its goal, and how God's justice surpasses every injustice and God's love surpasses death.CCC 1039-1040
Unofficial interpretation
Past Calculation of creation and Christmas The Anno Mundi is sometimes used by Catholics to determine the date of Christmas.Catholic Answers: Why is Christmas on December 25?
Deicide Jewish deicide is not accepted by the church. The church teaches that not Jews, but all sinners, are "the authors and the ministers" of Jesus' passion and death.CCC 597-598
Present Chastisement Certain alleged private revelations, such as Our Lady of Akita and Our Lady of Medjugorje, claim mankind is undergoing a chastisement for its sins.National Catholic Register: Our Lady of Akita, Japan, and Today's Crisis
Six Ages of the World Augustine of Hippo believed the world is divided into six ages, with the fifth age being the contemporary age and the sixth age beginning at the second coming.New Advent: Augustine, On the Catechising of the Uninstructed, chapter 22
Future Signs that will proceed the second coming According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Judgment Day will be proceeded by the return of Elijah and Enoch, a number of natural disasters, and a supernatural fire that will renew creation.Catholic Encyclopedia: General Judgment
Identity of the antichrist Some Church Fathers, such as Irenaeus and Hippolytus, taught that the Antichrist will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan. Thomas Ice argues that the Antichrist will be a gentile.The Ethnicity of the Antichrist by Thomas Ice
See also List of private revelations approved by the Catholic Church Criticism of the Catholic Church Historiography Philosophy of history
References