Faith Through the Ages - Today in Religious History
Saint Valentine, a priest in Rome, was executed on this date for secretly marrying couples and aiding Christians during the persecution of the Roman Empire. He is now recognized as the patron saint of lovers and his feast day is celebrated as Valentine's Day.
Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, leading to a long-standing conflict between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire over the right to appoint church officials, known as the Investiture Controversy.
The Council of Trent, a major 16th-century ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, was convened on this date to address the Protestant Reformation and to enact Catholic spiritual and ecclesiastical reforms.
The first of 18 apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the young Bernadette Soubirous occurred in Lourdes, France, leading to the site becoming a major Catholic pilgrimage destination.
The publication of Salman Rushdie's novel 'The Satanic Verses' led to widespread outrage in the Muslim world and a fatwa (religious decree) issued by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran calling for Rushdie's execution, sparking a major controversy over freedom of expression and religious sensitivities.