St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More
(Patron Saint of Lawyers)
St. Thomas More held various positions in the government of England during the reign of King Henry VIII. A devoted husband and father of four children, he was a deeply religious man who lived an austere life. He was renowned throughout England and beyond for his wit and brilliance.
While Lord Chancellor of England, Thomas came into conflict with King Henry VIII. He could not agree that it was lawful for the king to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, in order to marry Anne Boleyn.
Moreover, as a devout Roman Catholic, Thomas refused to take an oath that required acceptance of the king as supreme head of the Church of England.
As a consequence, Thomas was imprisoned in the Tower of London, tried for treason and beheaded. In his final words from the scaffold he affirmed that he died “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.” He was beheaded on July 6, 1535. His feast day is June 22nd.
