Thomas More: A Saint for Today

Born in 1478, Saint Thomas More was a lawyer, statesman, and the Lord Chancellor of England, among a few other titles. Thomas was also a father and husband. Thomas was good friends with the king of England, Henry VIII, who eventually had him killed. During his reign, Henry tried to divorce his wife, Catherine, who was barren. He intended to marry Anne Bolyen. To do this, Henry separated from Rome and declared himself Holy Roman Emperor.  When Henry sought Thomas’s opinion on this separation, Thomas remained silent. But Thomas's silence spoke volumes. By remaining silent he asserted his allegiance to the Catholic Church, and to the State, but not to the actions of the King.  His silence, while eventually resulting in his martyrdom, provides an example for Catholics living in a post Christian culture. 

Thomas was a lawyer and statesman during the reign of King Henry VIII. Henry was married at the time to his late brother’s wife, Catherine. Henry received a special dispensation from Rome to marry Catherine. After a few years, when Henry realized that Catherine would be unable to bear an heir for him, he decided to divorce her and marry Anne Boleyn. Henry did not receive a dispensation to marry Anne, and separated himself from the Catholic Church, naming himself the “Holy Roman Emperor.” Thomas did not necessarily have a say in the King's ability to do this. However, the King desired Thomas’s approval, as they were good friends. Thomas decided to remain silent on the matter. He disapproved of the King’s marriage to Anne, and his separation from the Church but did not say anything about it. He never once spoke against the King, even to his own wife. Eventually, the King arrested and had Thomas killed on false charges of treason for speaking against him. 

Many people examining the life of Saint Thomas More might wonder why he did not submit to the King’s decision to separate from Rome and divorce his wife. In the movie, A Man for all Seasons, Thomas is asked why he does not accept the King’s decision with his words, but deny him in his heart. (Zinnemann) Thomas remained silent for a few different reasons. The first reason being if he was silent, he would not be speaking against the Church. To separate oneself from the Pope and the Catholic Church is a grave sin. Thomas being a devout Catholic did not want to separate himself from the true Catholic Church. Nor did he want to turn away from Jesus by submitting to agreement to sin. The second reason Thomas remained silent was that by remaining silent, he did not allow for the King to entrap him in treason. If Thomas never spoke ill of or against the King, then the King could not say Thomas had done anything wrong. Therefore, by remaining silent, Thomas stayed out of legal trouble. 

“How is Thomas’s Silence a good example for Catholics in the post-Christian culture?” You may ask. The answer to this question is rather simple. Many Catholics in their everyday lives encounter their King Henry’s. That is to say there are many Catholics with friends who make immoral decisions. Many people stand by the idea of “living your own truth” which means they believe that truth is subjective to everyone’s own opinions. The people who stand by this idea often use it as an excuse to sin, whether knowingly or not, and want the people around them to support their sinful decisions. These decisions can be as terrible as abortion, becoming trans, same sex relationships and marriages, drugs, drinking, and everything in between. Catholics often feel the pressure to support their friends in these decisions, but this is where they can look to Saint Thomas. Catholics can choose to love their friends, as Saint Thomas loved Henry, without supporting their decisions. This is not to say that Catholics should remain silent and not lovingly tell those living in sin that they are acting sinfully, but that Catholics can love their friends, not support the sin, and not speak against their friends. 

In conclusion, Saint Thomas is a beautiful example for Catholics today. His silence did not excuse the marriage and separation from Rome as permissible, rather it stood starkly against it. No matter how the King tried to make his marriage seem legitimate, he could not shake Thomas’s knowledge that it was both unlawful, and against the Catholic Church. Thomas stood silently against the marriage, while not saying anything against the King himself. By following Saint Thomas’s example, Catholics can stand in the truth of the Catholic Church and against the sins proposed by the post-Christian culture, without speaking against anyone who is committing such sins. Saint Thomas More truly is a saint for today.

See you in the Eucharist,

May

    Works Cited

Roper, William. The Life of Sir Thomas More. Templegate Publishers, 1985.

Zinnemann, Fred, director. Thomas More: A Man for all Seasons. Fred Zinnemann, 1966.