Thomas Becket (1118 –1170), also known as Thomas à Becket, was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his martyrdom. He came into conflict with Henry II of England over the rights and privileges of the Church and was assassinated by knights of the king in Canterbury Cathedral.
The story of his life is amply documented. I refer you to the Wikipedia article and the links this page gives:
- Edward Grim’s account of the murder of Thomas Becket at the Internet History Sourcebooks Project
- The Life of S. Thomas, martyr, of Canterbury from The Golden Legend, compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, translated by William Caxton. (Internet History Sourcebooks Project)
- Beckets_Bits, photographs and locations of twenty of the surviving medieval Limoges enamel chasses for relics of Saint Thomas Becket
- The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170, at eyewitnesstohistory.com
- Thomas Becket: Duston & Northampton: The Honeymoon Years
The old story repeats itself throughout the history of the Church, characterised by a feud between the secular authority over the people of a country and the Church’s moral authority. The conflict arises when the secular authority commands something or forbids something and because of that opposes the Church’s doctrinal or moral teaching. The Church sanctions the secular authority, and then the secular authority persecutes the Church. Don’t we see this time and time again? Henry VIII, the revolutions and dictatorships of the twentieth century, the present situation in England, America and most other western countries where secularist “political correctness” tries to marginalise the Church and her spiritual authority….
Today is an occasion to think about the value of a political authority that ignores or consciously violates the moral principles and values given to us by God. Sometimes, choices have to be made.
Something from Fr. Hunwicke's entry for today, quoted from the Sarum Breviary: Salve, Thoma, virga iustitiae, mundi iubar, robur Ecclesiae, plebis amor, cleri deliciae. Salve, gregis tutor egregie, salva tuae gaudentes gloriae. It's nice easy Latin, no need for a translation, and the rhythm of the words is exquisite.
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