# Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1963-letter-from-birmingham-jail
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Themes: Papacy

Martin Luther King Jr. defends nonviolent protest. At this point in the timeline (1963), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Paul VI (21 June 1963 – 6 August 1978).

## Why it matters
Letter from Birmingham Jail mattered because it changed the relationship between the churches and political power.

Pope at the time: [Pope Paul VI](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-paul-vi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Letter from Birmingham Jail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Letter from Birmingham Jail](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Letter+from+Birmingham+Jail)
- [Wikipedia — Modern Era (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_20th_century)