2015 Event Pope Francis appoints 20 new cardinals from a diverse array of nations, including Vietnam, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Tonga, Mexico, Myanmar, Uruguay, France and Thailand; three-fourths of the cardinals will have authority to vote on a papal successor 2013 Event Pope Francis gives his Urbi et Orbi speech (to the City of Rome and to the World), a papal address and Apostolic Blessing dating back to Ancient Rome; the Pope calls for peace in Syria and South Sudan 2013 Event In Rome, Italy, the papal inauguration ceremony for Pope Francis is held in St. Peter's Square; hundreds of thousands attend 2012 Event John Hume, Ireland's former Social Democratic Party Leader, receives the papal knighthood at a special mass at St. Eugene's Cathedral in Derry 2011 Event Pope Benedict XVI announces Roman Catholic bishops must obey a papal order allowing priests to say the old-style Tridentine Mass 1983 Event Abp Hickey conducts papal investigation of Abp Hunthausen, Seattle 1980 Event 1st papal visit to France since 1814 1968 Event 1st papal visit to Latin America (Pope Paul VI arrives in Bogota) 1921 Birthday Giovanni Benelli, archbishop, Florence, Papal candidate 1870 Event Italy annexes Rome and Papal States; Rome made Italian capital 1850 Event Papal Bull issued, establishes Roman Catholic hierarchy in England 1809 Event Papal States annexed by France 1797 Event 1/3 of papal domain ceded to France 1745 Event Colley Cibbers "Papal Tyranny," premieres in London 1731 Event All Hebrew books in Papal State are confiscated 1622 Event Papal Chancery adopts Jan 1 as beginning of the year (was Mar 25) 1520 Event Martin Luther publicly burned papal edict demands he recant 1499 Event Louis XII of France after papal divorce marries Anne, Duchess of Brittany to keep duchy for the crown
