Historical Events in Church Annals for April 17:

858 A.D.


Death of Pope Benedict III, the 104th successor of Peter. He was known as the Pope who was beloved by the people for his virtue. He was the first pontiff who suggested the concept of the Crusades by rallying Christians to fight against the threat of the Saracens.

1172 A.D.


The King of England Edward I makes a historic visit to Glastonbury Abbey on Easter Sunday, making it the first official visit by a monarch to this celebrated monastery of the middle ages.

1492 A.D.


Christopher Columbus is appointed Admiral and Viceroy by the Capitulationes de Santa Fe, which paves the way for him to head the expedition to the new world.

1536 A.D.


The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V challenges the French king Francis I to a personal combat as many bolt from the Church and Pope Paul III intervenes to pacify these Catholic monarchs.

1605 A.D.


Pope Leo XI is crowned as the 232nd supreme pontiff but he would only live for ten days, falling ill and dying while on procession from the Vatican to the Lateran.

Historical Events in Church Annals for April 18:

1506 A.D.


Foundation stone is laid at a celebration overseen by Pope Julius II to begin construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

1521 A.D.


The Diet of Worms in which Holy Roman Emperor Charles V condemns Martin Luther a year after the latter had been excommunicated by Pope Leo X. Luther, a proud man, refuses to repent despite the severe action taken against him.

Historical Events in Church Annals for April 19:

1012 A.D.


Death of Saint Alphege, also Elphege, a Benedictine monk who became the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was martyred for his faith by the Danes.

1054 A.D.


Death of Pope Saint Leo IX, the 152nd successor of Peter. It was Leo who excommunicated Michael Cerularius who became the Eastern Patriarch and caused the great schism between East and West that exists to this day.

1529 A.D.


Eight years after the Diet of Worms by the Holy Roman Emperor a protestation was published against it and from that evolved the term "Protestant."

1127 A.D.


Birth of Saint Felix of Valois, a French hermit who, along with Saint John of Malta would found the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, also known as Trinitarians whose specific mission was to ransom captives from the Moors

April 17-19, 1998 volume 9, no. 75        ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME       DAILY CATHOLIC