This week in Christian history: Pope Urban VI dies, Knights Templar arrested, Martin Luther debates cardinal
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WITTENBERG, GERMANY - OCTOBER 31: A statue of 16th-century theologian Martin Luther holds a bible in the hand on the marketplace during the celebrations to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Luther's nailing of his 95 theses on the doors of the nearby Schlosskirche church on October 31, 2017 in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther drafted his 95 theses that called for reform within the Catholic Church in Wittenberg and held the first mass in the vernacular at the Sankt Marien church. Germany is today celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation that Luther set in motion and that led to the creation of successful Protestant movements in history's most significant challenge to the Catholic Church. Luther's translation of the Bible made it accessible to a much broader audience. He spoke out against the practice of indulgences and the sale of relics, and also argued that a place in Heaven is possible not by good deeds but through faith. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)
Christianity is a faith with a long and extensive history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.
Each week brings the anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, births, deaths, and everything else in between.
Some of the things drawn from over 2 millennia of history might be very familiar to the reader, while other happenings might be previously unknown.
Here are three things that happened this week, Oct. 11-17, in Church history. They include the death of Pope Urban VI, the arrests of the Knights Templar, and the start of a three-day debate between Martin Luther and a cardinal.
