A man for our seasons

“You must not abandon the ship in a storm because you cannot control the winds….What you cannot turn to good, you must at least make as little bad as you can.” — Utopia, by Saint Thomas More

Photo @ St. Thomas More Parish, Kansas City by Megan Marley

By Megan Marley

SAINT THOMAS MORE is best known as the lord chancellor of England beheaded for his refusal to take an oath approving of King Henry VIII’s divorce, remarriage and establishment of the Church of England. But who was this man, beyond how and why he died?

Thomas More was born in 1478, the second of six children born to a lawyer and judge, John More, and his wife, Agnes. The family was well-connected, and intelligent young Thomas became a protégé of Archbishop John Morton, lord chancellor. As a teen, he attended college at Oxford for two years, becoming well-versed in languages, mathematics, music and literature. His studies fueled a lifelong love of the written word — More wrote poetry in both English and Latin, scathing responses to Martin Luther’s criticisms of the Church, theological treatises, an incomplete history of King Richard III and the socio-political commentary novel Utopia, among other things.

More followed in his father’s footsteps as a lawyer and was involved in the political, theological, literary and social scenes of the day. Despite his successful secular career, at one time More seriously considered joining the Carthusians or Franciscans. His discernment led to ascetic and spiritual practices such as fasting, physical mortifications and a daily schedule of prayer he continued throughout his life as a layman.

Thomas More married Jane Colt at age 27, and the couple had a happy but brief marriage. Left with four young children upon Jane’s death, More quickly married widow Alice Middleton. A wealthy silk merchant with a sharp tongue and a daughter of her own, Alice kept a kind and efficient home, and Thomas loved her as well as, but differently than, his previous wife. Thomas and Alice took special care to instill the faith in their children and foster children, and provided them a fine classical education. The girls were as well-studied as his son too, which was unusual for the time.

As his children grew, More’s legal and political career also rose in prominence. He was a renowned lawyer, member of Parliament and a judge known for fairness and efficiency. He eventually joined the court of King Henry VIII, and was later promoted to lord chancellor — the highest office next to the king. The work was stressful and the spectacle of court distasteful, but Thomas saw it as a call to follow Christ in the chaos and worked hard with peace and good humor.

At the time, Henry VIII was a staunch defender of the Catholic Faith against Protestantism. He even received the title ‘Defender of the Faith’ from Pope Leo X for his book defending the sacramental nature of marriage and the supremacy of the pope (a note of tragic irony). As chancellor, it was one of More’s duties to enforce laws against heretics — he made every effort to have them recant before resorting to more extreme measures.

Having no male heirs to inherit the throne, Henry VIII sought an annulment from his wife Catherine of Aragon, which the pope did not grant. In escalating measures, the king began purging clergy who were against him and moved more and more towards schism with Rome.

Faced with being forced to actively support Henry's break from the Church, More resigned his post as chancellor and did not attend the coronation of Anne Boleyn. In 1534, he was ordered to take the Oath of Supremacy and swear allegiance to Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. In good conscience, More could not accept a secular man as head of the Church. He was arrested, tried for high treason, convicted and sentenced to death by beheading. His sentence was carried out July 6, 1535.