February 11: Today in Christian History

February 11, 1302

Philip IV “the Fair” of France publically burns Pope Boniface VIII’s bull Ausculta Fili which calls on him to mend his ways. The pope and king have been bitter foes.

February 11, 1482

Tomas de Torquemada, whose name will go down in infamy, is appointed Grand Inquisitor of all Spain.

February 11, 1526

Luther’s books are burned at St. Paul’s, London; and Thomas Bilney is forced to abjure his mildly reformist views.

February 11, 1909

[or 13th] William Wadé Harris desecrates the Liberian flag and plants a British flag in Liberia, hoping his Grebos compatriots can become a British protectorate. Instead Liberian authorities imprison him for treason. While serving his sentence, he claims to receive a vision from Gabriel and will become an evangelist and miracle worker in the Ivory Coast and the Gold Coast, convincing tens of thousands to burn their fetishes and receive baptism in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

February 11, 1933

Repose (death) of Archbishop Simon of Shanghai and Beijing. Under his leadership, the Orthodox mission in China had experienced significant growth.

February 11, 1997

Death in Ecuador of Guiquita Waewae, one of the killers of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian. He had become a Christian and led his people to leave their violent lifestyle.