MILLENNIUM MILESTONES & MEMORIES: TIME CAPSULES

Historical Events in Church Annals for December 3:

(Feast of Saint Francis Xavier)

• 741 A.D.
  
• Pope Saint Zachary becomes the 91st successor of Peter. Born in Calabria, his pontificate would last eleven years during which time he would strongly oppose Rachis, Duke of Friuli, whose desire was to occupy all of Italy. But through Zachary's example and prayers, Rachis converted and became a repentant monk. Zachary is most famous for consecrating Pipin the Short as King of the Franks, which would be the first investiture of a sovereign by a Roman pontiff. St. Zachary would die on March 22, 752.

• 1154 A.D.
  
• Death of Pope Anastasius IV, 168th successor of Peter, whose papacy lasted one year and who had, as counselor, Cardinal Nicholas Breakspeare who would become his successor Pope Adrian IV. By Anasatasius' gentleness of character he succeeded in bringing about the pacification of the temporal domains of the Church.

• 1347 A.D.
  
• Pope Clement VI, the fourth Avignon Pope, excommunicates members of the Roman tribunal and its representative Cola di Rienzo for their disregard of the hierarchy of the Church and especially di Rienzo's plans to become supreme ruler of Italy.

• 1381 A.D.
  
• Death of Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck, a Belgian mystic who wrote his works in Flemish rather than Latin in order to reach the people of that land.

December 3, 1998       volume 9, no. 235
TIME CAPSULES
DAILY CATHOLIC