Tag Archives: Catholic Church

October 5, 1607

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Joel Byers

On October 5, 1607 Pope Paul V sent secret assassins to Venice to kill the Venetian statesman and scientist Paolo Sarpi. Why? Was it because he had invented a secret death ray using a huge magnifying glass capable of sinking… Continue reading →

Posted in 17th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

September 11, 1226

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Joel Byers

On September 11, 1226, the Roman Catholic practice of the public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (the wine and the wafers, or the grape juice and the crackers if you’re Baptist) spread from the ceremony of the Mass in the… Continue reading →

Posted in 13th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 31, 768

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Joel Byers

On July 31, 768 the shortest tenure of any Pope or Pope hopeful actually happened. On July 31, 768 when Constantine II was forced off the papal seat, Philip, a monk at the monastery of St. Vito was quickly installed to keep the… Continue reading →

Posted in 8th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July 29, 1968

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Joel Byers

On July 29, 1968, Pope Paul VI reaffirmed that the Roman Catholic Church forbid its members to use artificial methods of birth control. He also reminded everyone that masturbation and the various forms of sodomy were still… Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

June 22, 1633

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Joel Byers

On June 22, 1633, Pope Urban VIII forced Galileo Galilei to recant his view that the Earth orbits the Sun. Why did Galileo recant? Because he didn’t want to die. At that time the Church had their own courts, and police, and… Continue reading →

Posted in 17th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 15, 1953

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Joel Byers

On April 15, 1953, Pope Pius XII finally relented and gave his approval of psychoanalysis, but warned the public of possible abuses. He wanted people to know that while not all cases of mental illness were a result of demonic possession, why would you want to take the chance with your immortal soul. He said … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

March 25, 1593

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Joel Byers

On March 25, 1593, Dutch scholar, theologian, and priest, Cornelius Loos recanted his earlier protest against the witchcraft persecution that was being carried out by the Catholic Church in Europe. He wrote a book protesting the witch hunts and questioned the beliefs and morals of the witch hunters. He also questioned the validity of any … Continue reading →

Posted in 16th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

February 21, 1245

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Joel Byers

On February 21, 1245, Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland was granted resignation by Pope Gregory IX. He’d committed several felonies while as Bishop, including torturing a man to death and forging a papal letter. Pope Gregory was thought to have said, “I can forgive the torture and killing of a damned Viking, but … Continue reading →

Posted in 13th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

February 17, 1600

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Joel Byers

On February 17, 1600, Italian philosopher, Giordano Bruno, was on his way to be burned at the stake for heresy, when his handlers put a stake through his tongue to shut him the hell up. Why was Bruno sentenced to die? Because he proposed that the distance stars were in fact suns with planets of … Continue reading →

Posted in 17th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

July 29, 1968

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Joel Byers

On July 29, 1968, Pope Paul reaffirmed that artificial methods of birth control were verboten in the Catholic Church. When he was asked, did that include condoms? He said of course it does. But he did tell the people that their wives could rub one out for them. His archbishops quickly corrected him and told … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century, Historical Facts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment