The anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was published in book form today in 1852. One of the best-sellers of the 19th century, including spinoffs into theatre (as witness the poster above), the book had a huge impact on the way slavery was seen before the American Civil War, and prompted pro-slavery books such as Aunt Phillis’s Cabin, in which slaves and their owners live contented and respectful lives. An apocryphal story claims that when Abraham Lincoln met Stowe in 1862, he greeted her as ‘the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.’
Today is the feast of Cuthbert, the much-loved Northumbrian saint who lived in the 7th century. In his lifetime, Cuthbert was revered for his miracles and pastoral gifts, although he also lived the life of a hermit on Farne Island, a mile off the coast of Northumbria, where he died today in 687. Cuthbert has never really rested in peace. After his death, his body was frequently carried across country by monks, and his coffin has been opened six times over the centuries, most recently in 1899.
Henry IV of England died of an illness no one can quite agree on, today in 1413. He had longed to go on a crusade, but having taken the throne by rebellion, he had to stick at home to try and stop others doing the same to him. It had been prophesied he would die in Jerusalem, and in fact, he died in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Abbey, which is close enough.
John Duns Scotus, the Scottish philosopher-theologian and Franciscan friar, was beatified by Pope John Paul II today in 1993, almost 700 years after he died. He is now known as Blessed John Duns Scotus, and it’ll probably be another 700 years before the church gets around to making him a full-blown saint.
‘In our age, rich in immense human, technological and scientific resources, but in which many have lost the sense of faith, and lead a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel, Blessed Duns Scotus offers not only the sharpness of his wit and his extraordinary capacity to penetrate the mystery of God, but also the persuasive force of his holiness of life. This makes him a teacher of thought and life for the Church and for all humanity.’ Pope John Paul II
Image: Library of Congress