1079
Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Berengar of Tours
At a synod in Rome, Pope Gregory VII condemned Berengar's teaching on the Eucharist, which denied the real presence. Berengar was forced to recant, though he later retracted his recantation.
📅
All Events
1521
Martin Luther appears before the Diet of Worms
Luther defended his writings before Emperor Charles V and the German estates. He refused to recant unless convinced by Scripture and reason, reportedly saying, 'Here I stand.'
1582
Spanish Inquisition begins auto-da-fé in Toledo
A large public auto-da-fé was held in Toledo, where several accused heretics were reconciled or relaxed to the secular arm. Such events were part of the Inquisition's public penance ceremonies.
1789
First Catholic parish in Australia established
Father James Dixon, a transported Irish priest, arrived in New South Wales. He was later permitted to celebrate Mass in Sydney in 1803, marking the beginning of Catholic ministry in Australia.
1867
Wilfrid Laurier born in Saint-Lin, Canada
Laurier, a devout Catholic, became the first French-Canadian Prime Minister of Canada. He championed religious tolerance and moderate liberalism.
1917
First apparition at Fátima reported
Three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal, reported seeing the Virgin Mary on this date. The apparitions continued monthly until October, becoming one of the most famous Marian devotions.
1946
Pope Pius XII canonizes Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini
Mother Cabrini, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized. She was known for her work with Italian immigrants.
1962
Second Vatican Council announced by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII formally announced the Second Vatican Council in a consistory. The council, which opened later that year, would radically reshape the Catholic Church's engagement with the modern world.
2000
Pope John Paul II issues 'Memory and Reconciliation'
The Vatican released a document asking forgiveness for sins committed by Catholics over the centuries, including against Jews, women, and indigenous peoples. It was part of the Jubilee year of 2000.