Faith Through the Ages - Today in Religious History
St. Julian of Antioch was a Christian martyr who suffered persecution and death during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
The trial of Joan of Arc, the French military leader who helped secure the French throne, began in Rouen, France. She was eventually convicted of heresy and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431.
Pope Pius V issued the papal bull Regnans in Excelsis, which excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England and declared her to be a heretic, absolving her subjects from their allegiance to her.
The Reign of Terror, a period of violence and repression during the French Revolution, began with the execution of King Louis XVI. This period saw the persecution and execution of many Catholic priests and religious figures.
The first of a series of Marian apparitions occurred in Fatima, Portugal, where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to three young shepherd children, delivering messages and visions that became an important part of Catholic devotion.