Historical Writings

Bruno is enthroned as pope, taking the name Leo IX. Among his first acts will be countering threats from antipope Benedict IX. He will endeavor to improve the papal finances which are in woeful condition and correct the abuses of simony and sexual misconduct that are rife among churchmen.

Jordan of Saxony, who becomes an early leader of the Dominicans, is accepted into that order.

During the night of this, the eve of St. Ermenilda's day, the central tower of Ely Cathedral collapses.

The first Auto da Fe (ie: Act of Faith, a public confession and implementation of sentences) is conducted by the Spanish Inquisition and takes place in Seville. Twelve men and women are burned alive, charged with relapsing into the practice of Judaism.

Execution in London of Protestant claimant to the English throne Lady Jane Grey, whose family had used her as a pawn in efforts to overthrow Mary Tudor.

An Orthodox synod meeting in the Church of Theotokos Paramythia in Constantinople endorses the decision of Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II to raise the Metropolitan of Moscow to Patriarchal rank. The Russian patriarch thus becomes the fifth ranking patriarch, after that of Jerusalem.

Franz Haydn's AUSTRIAN HYMN was first performed for the Emperor Francis II's fifth birthday. Today, AUSTRIAN HYMN is the most common melody to which we sing the popular hymn, "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken."

Anglican missionary to Persia Henry Martyn wrote in his journal: 'Amazing patience, He bears with this faithless foolish heart and suffers me to come, laden with sins, to receive new pardon, new grace, every day! Why does not such love make me hate sin that grieves Him and hides me from His sight?'

Death in Berlin of heretical German theologian and philosopher Friedrich Schleiermacher. He defined religion as “feeling and intuition of the universe” and “a sense of the Infinite in the finite.”

Katharine Drexel of Pennsylvania, having given up a large inheritance, founds the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to serve African American and Native American people who are oppressed by discrimination and dire poverty. She uses her fortune to fund the society's work and will found Xavier University in New Orleans.

Death of Iosif Trifa, an Orthodox priest in Romania, who had founded the successful revival movement The Lord's Army. The Orthodox Church will refuse him burial with priestly honors, a position it will later acknowledge as wrong.

The Pentecostal awakening known as the "Latter Rain Movement" traces its origin to this date, when students at the Sharon Orphanage and Schools in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada began experiencing a mass spiritual awakening.

The Roman Catholic program "Life is Worth Living" debuted on television. Hosted by (then-) Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, the half-hour program aired on Tuesday nights. It became the longest-running religious TV series of its day, and ran through February of 1957.

Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth predicted in a letter: 'The day will come when we shall no longer speak of Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians but simply of Evangelical Christians forming one body and one people.'

Araromi Baptist Church (in Nigeria) holds a retirement service for Stephen Abioye Adeoye, who had renounced the kingship of his region in order to preach the gospel.