Faith Through the Ages - Today in Religious History
During the First Crusade, Christian forces under Godfrey of Bouillon breached the walls of Jerusalem, leading to a massacre of the city's inhabitants. The event established the Kingdom of Jerusalem and is remembered as a pivotal, violent moment in Christian–Muslim relations.
Pope Eugene III, a Cistercian and disciple of Bernard of Clairvaux, died on this day. He had been pope since 1145 and was noted for his efforts to reform the clergy and for launching the Second Crusade.
After nearly two years, the Crusader forces under Richard the Lionheart and Philip II of France captured the city of Acre from Saladin. The victory was a major success for the Third Crusade, though it was followed by the controversial execution of Muslim prisoners.
Henry VIII married Catherine Parr, his sixth and final wife, at Hampton Court Palace. A devout Protestant sympathizer, Parr helped steer the English Reformation toward a more moderate course and influenced the religious education of Henry's children.
The Spanish Franciscan bishop Diego de Landa ordered the destruction of numerous Maya manuscripts in Maní, Yucatán, as part of a campaign against indigenous religious practices. This act resulted in the loss of much of the Maya literary heritage, though Landa later wrote a key account of Maya culture.
French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal experienced a profound religious conversion on the night of November 23, 1654, but this date is sometimes cited for his later writings. He recorded the experience in a memorial sewn into his coat, which shaped his theological work, the Pensées.
Antonio Pignatelli was elected Pope Innocent XII on this day. He is remembered for his reforms against nepotism and for issuing the papal bull Romanum decet Pontificem, which forbade the transfer of papal territories to relatives.
Father Pierre Gibault was appointed as the first Catholic chaplain to the Continental Army during the American Revolution. His work helped secure Catholic support for the revolutionary cause in the Illinois country.
On this date in 1844, George Williams founded the Young Men's Christian Association in London, but by 1854 it had spread to the United States. The YMCA became a major Christian lay movement focused on evangelism and social service.
Although Thérèse of Lisieux was canonized on May 17, 1925, this date is sometimes associated with her beatification in 1923. She is a beloved Carmelite saint known for her 'Little Way' of spiritual childhood.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was granted autocephaly from the Coptic Orthodox Church on this date, with Abune Basilios becoming the first Ethiopian-born patriarch. This marked a significant step in the independence of African Christianity.