Independence
day
Holy See (Vatican
city)
UN
Day
International
Day of Women and Girls in Science
Events
of the day
World
Day of the Sick Instituted by Pope John Paul II
The World Day of the Sick is a feast day of the
Roman Catholic Church which was instituted on
May 13, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. Beginning on
February 11, 1993, it is celebrated every year
on the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes, for
all believers seeks to be "a special time
of prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering".
Pope John Paul II had been diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease as early as 1991, an illness which was
only disclosed later, and it is significant that
he decided to create a World Day of the Sick only
one year after his diagnosis. The Pope had written
a great deal on the topic of suffering and believed
that it was very much a salvific and redeeming
process through Christ, as he indicated in his
apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris. The feast
of Lourdes was chosen because many pilgrims and
visitors to Lourdes have reportedly been healed
by intercessions of the Blessed Virgin. The pontiff
was also fond of the sanctuary of Harissa in Lebanon.
660
BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan
by Emperor Jimmu.
1752 – Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital
in the United States, is opened by Benjamin Franklin.
1826 – Swaminarayan writes the Shikshapatri, an
important text within the Swaminarayan faith.
1889 – Meiji Constitution of Japan is adopted;
the first Diet of Japan convenes in 1890.
1916 – Emma Goldman is arrested for lecturing
on birth control.
1937 – A sit-down strike ends when General Motors
recognizes the United Auto Workers Union.
1959 – The Federation of Arab Emirates of the
South, which will later become South Yemen, is
created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
1964 – The Republic of China (commonly known as
Taiwan) breaks off diplomatic relations with France.
1971 – Eighty-seven countries, including the US,
UK, and USSR, sign the Seabed Treaty outlawing
nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international
waters.
1987 – The Constitution of the Philippines goes
into effect.
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