October 17 in Vatican and Catholic history

 October 17 in Vatican and Catholic history

Ø 1912: Albino Luciani, who later became Pope John Paul I (ugust 1978 until his death 33 days later), was born on October 17, 1912, in Forno di Canale (now Canale d'Agordo), Italy. His reign is among the shortest in papal history. 

Ø 1976: Pope Paul VI formally canonized Saint John Ogilvie, a 17th-century Scottish Jesuit priest martyred in Glasgow, making him the first post-Reformation Scottish saint in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica. 

Ø 1980: Queen Elizabeth II made history, as the first reigning British monarch to undertake an official state visit to the Vatican, where she met Pope John Paul II. 

Ø 2000: The Pope John Paul II welcomed Queen Elizabeth II back to the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican during the Jubilee Year 2000, celebrating decades of reconciliation in Anglican-Catholic relations. 

Ø 2012: Pope Benedict XVI used his general audience, to officially launch the Year of Faith and emphasize the importance of rediscovering the Christian Creed. 

Ø 2018: Pope Francis dedicated his general audience, to a deep reflection on the Fifth Commandment ("You shall not kill"), addressing anger, indifference, and human dignity. 

Ø 2026: Catholics worldwide unite in the International Missionary Rosary to pray for the Church’s global mission and for Pope Leo XIV’s health and recovery, on the eve of the 100th edition of World Mission Day.