Faith Through the Ages - Today in Religious History
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Cybo was elected pope on this date, taking the name Innocent VIII. His papacy is remembered for issuing the papal bull 'Summis desiderantes affectibus' in 1484, which spurred the witch hunts.
Portuguese Franciscan friar Antônio de Oliveira was executed in Lisbon for his adherence to Luther's teachings. He is considered one of the earliest Protestant martyrs in Portugal.
The Ottoman Empire captured Buda (part of modern Budapest), which had significant religious implications for Christian Europe. Many churches were converted into mosques, and the event intensified calls for crusade.
The Lutheran 'Book of Concord' was published on this date, gathering the confessional documents of the Lutheran faith. It remains a doctrinal standard for Lutherans worldwide.
The first Baptist church in New England was established in Newport, Rhode Island, on this date. It became a cornerstone of religious liberty in the American colonies.
Scientist Michael Faraday formally joined the Sandemanian church, a small Christian sect, on this date. He served as an elder and preacher there for decades.
The first issue of 'The Christian Century' magazine was published on this date. It became a leading voice for mainline Protestantism in America.
Pope Paul VI beatified 22 Ugandan Catholic martyrs on this date. They had been executed between 1885 and 1887 for refusing to renounce Christianity.
The last known survivor of the Armenian genocide, Knar Haygazian, died on this date. Her death marked the end of a living memory of the tragedy that deeply affected Christian communities.