Faith Through the Ages - Today in Religious History
Some early martyrologies list the death of Æthelberht, a legendary early Christian figure, on this date, though historical verification is thin. The entry reflects the ancient practice of commemorating saints on fixed days.
Pope Innocent I, who served from 401 to 417, died on March 11. He was a strong advocate for papal authority and condemned Pelagianism, influencing Western church discipline.
On March 11, the Byzantine Empress Theodora and Patriarch Methodios I restored the veneration of icons, ending the second Iconoclasm. This is commemorated as the Feast of Orthodoxy in Eastern Christianity.
Giovanni de' Medici was elected Pope Leo X on March 11, 1513. His papacy saw the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, and he excommunicated Martin Luther in 1521.
Tomás de Torquemada, the notorious Grand Inquisitor of Spain, was born on March 11, 1544 (some sources cite 1420). He intensified the Spanish Inquisition, leading to thousands of executions.
Saint Jerome Emiliani, founder of the Somascan Fathers, was canonized on March 11, 1602. He is the patron saint of orphans and abandoned children.
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet delivered a famous funeral oration for Louis de Bourbon on March 11, 1687. Bossuet was a leading Catholic theologian and preacher of the French court.
Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), a Christian missionary and nurseryman, died on March 11, 1847. He planted apple orchards across the American frontier and was known for his Swedenborgian faith.
On March 11, 1913, the First Baptist Church of Seoul was formally organized, marking a milestone in Protestant missions in Korea. It grew from earlier missionary work by American Baptists.
On March 11, 1958, Mother Teresa opened her first Missionaries of Charity home outside Calcutta, in Asansol, India. This expanded her work among the poor and dying.
On March 11, 2000, Pope John Paul II held a Day of Pardon, asking forgiveness for sins committed by Catholics over the centuries, including against Jews, heretics, and women. This was a landmark act of repentance.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 11, 2013, taking the name Francis. He became the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, known for his humility and reform efforts.