RELIGION AND THE PRESS - SOME INCIDENTS

The 25^th September seems to signal the beginnings (or at least the planting of seeds) of respect for freedom of thought, although a degree of censorship was vigorously imposed along the way. There are some curious associations over nearly 1500 years. Here are four of them:

Saint Fermin, depicted in an

18^th century oil painting

On the 25^th September 303, Saint Fermin of Pamplona was beheaded in Amiens, France apparently for preaching the Gospel. Saint Fermin of Amiens is one of many locally venerated Catholic saints. Fermin is the co-patron of Navarre, where his feast, the 'San Fermin' in the capital Pamplona, is forever associated with the Encierro or 'Running of the Bulls’.

The front page of the

document. Mainz, 1555.

On 25^th September 1555, at the imperial city of Augsburg, now in present-day Bavaria, Germany, the then Holy Roman Emperor Charles V signed a treaty with the forces of the Schmalkaldic League (an alliance of Lutheran Princes). This was the Peace of Augsburg, also known as the Augsburg Settlement. It officially ended the religious struggle between the two groups and made the legal division of Christendom permanently within the Holy Roman Empire. The Peace established the principle Cuius regio, eius religio  (To each, his religion) which allowed Holy Roman Empire's states' princes to select either Lutheranism or Catholicism within the domains they controlled, ultimately reaffirming the independence they had over their states. Subjects, citizens, or residents who did not wish to conform to the prince's choice were given a period in which they were free to emigrate to different regions in which their desired religion had been accepted.

Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick was the title of the first multi-page newspaper published in the Americas. The first edition was published on the 25^th September 1690, in Boston, Massachusetts, and was intended to be published monthly, "or, if any Glut of Occurrences happen, oftener." It was printed by American Richard Pierce of Boston, and it was edited by Benjamin Harris, who had previously published a newspaper in London. The paper contained four six by ten inch pages, and filled only three of them. No second edition was printed, as the paper was shut down by the British colonial authorities on the 29^th September 1690, issued an order as follows: "Whereas some have lately presumed to Print and Disperse a Pamphlet, Entitled, Publick Occurrences, both Forreign and Domestick: Boston, Thursday, Septemb. 25th, 1690. Without the least Privity and Countenace of Authority. The Governour and Council having had the perusal of said Pamphlet, and finding that therein contained Reflections of a very high nature: As also sundry doubtful and uncertain Reports, do hereby manifest and declare their high Resentment and Disallowance of said Pamphlet, and Order that the same be Suppressed and called in; strickly forbidden any person or persons for the future to Set forth any thing in Print without License first obtained from those that are or shall be appointed by the Government to grant the same."

U.S. Bill of Rights, created 25th September 1789

Just short of 100 years later, on the 25^th September 1789, the United States Congress passed the first twelve amendments to the United States Constitution: The Congressional Apportionment Amendment (which was never ratified), the Congressional Compensation Amendment, and the ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment reads:

Article I - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.