Flora Cantábrica

Saint Thomas More

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Saint Thomas More
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June 25
«Blessed are those who are persecuted for their religion,
for their reward will be very great in the kingdom of heaven» (Mt 5:11).
SAINT THOMAS MORE
Martyr
(Year 1535)
HIS LIFE
This is one of the two great martyrs of the Church of England, when an impure king wanted to put an end to the Catholic religion and they opposed him. The other is Saint John Fisher (June 20). Thomas means «the twin.» And he was truly a true twin in holiness and qualities with his fellow martyr, Saint John Fisher.
Thomas More was born in Cheapside, England, in 1478. At the age of 13, he went to work as a messenger in the household of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop, noticing the young man’s great intelligence, sent him to study at Oxford University College. His father, a judge, sent him only the money he needed for his most essential expenses, and this was very useful, because as he himself later stated: «Because I didn’t have money to go out and have fun, I had to stay home and study in the library.» This was of great benefit to his future.
At 22, he already had a doctorate in law and was a brilliant professor. He was an avid reader who spent every spare moment reading good books. One of his classmates at the time testified about him: «He is a very brilliant intellectual, and to his great intellectual qualities, he adds a very pleasant friendliness.»
He began to doubt what vocation God had destined him for. At first, he went to live with the Carthusians (those monks who never speak or eat meat, and pray a lot day and night), but after four years, he realized he was not born for that heroic vocation. He also tried to become a Franciscan, but it turned out that wasn’t his path either. Then he decided to choose the vocation of marriage. He married, had four children, and was an excellent husband and a very loving father. His vocation lay a little further: his vocation was to serve in government and write books.
To his children, to the poor, and to all who wished to interact with him, Thomas was always an excellent and friendly friend. He used to personally visit the poor neighborhoods to understand their needs and be able to help them better. He frequently invited very poor people to his table, and almost never invited the rich to lunch. Many intellectuals visited his house to chat with him about very important topics of the time and to discuss the latest books being published. His wife was amazed to see him always in a good mood, no matter what happened. It was hard to find a more entertaining conversationalist.
Thomas More wrote quite a few books. Many of them were against the Protestants, but his most famous is the one called Utopia. This is a word that means «that which does not exist» (U = no. Topos = place. That which has no place). In that book, he describes a nation that doesn’t really exist, but should exist. In his writing, he strongly attacks the injustices committed by the rich and those in high positions of government toward the poor and the disadvantaged, and describes what an ideal nation should be like. This work made him well-known throughout Europe.
The young lawyer Thomas More was accepted as a professor at one of London’s most prestigious colleges. He was later elected secretary to the mayor of the capital. In 1529, he was appointed Chancellor, or Minister of Foreign Affairs. But this exalted position did nothing to change his simplicity. He continued to attend Mass every day, confess frequently, and take Communion. He was sociable and kind to everyone. Someone even said: «It seems as if they had chosen him Chancellor only to be able to do more for the poor and the helpless.» Another added: «The king could not have found a better advisor than this.» But Thomas, who knew Henry VIII well, declared with his fine humor: «The king is such that if he is offered a good house for my head, he will have it cut off at once.»
He had been Chancellor for two years when a terrible act against the Catholic religion occurred in England. The shameless King Henry VIII divorced his lawful wife and went to live with his concubine, Anne Boleyn. And when the Supreme Pontiff did not accept this divorce, the king declared himself Supreme Head of the nation’s religion and declared persecution against anyone who did not accept his divorce or accept him as the Pope’s replacement in Rome. Many Catholics would have to die for opposing all this.
Thomas More did not accept any of the wicked king’s terrible errors: neither the divorce nor anyone trying to replace the Supreme Pontiff. He was then removed from his high office, his property confiscated, and the king had him imprisoned in the dreadful Tower of London. Saint Thomas and Saint John Fisher were the two main high officials of the capital who refused to accept such a large
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