St Thomas Becket: sign of
contradiction
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| Martyrdom of St Thomas Becket depicted in the Book of the Hours, Sarum Rite, 14th century. |
St Thomas Becket, statesman, pastor and martyr, still lives
on in the memory of Christians 900 years after he was born.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Thomas Becket was born in Cheapside, London, on
21 December 1118. It was the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle. 900 years
later, he is remembered on 29 December, the anniversary of his martyrdom.
True to the Gospel used in today’s Christmas liturgy, Thomas Becket’s memory is
truly a sign of contradiction, like that of the Lord to whom he chose to remain
faithful.
Statesman
Thomas Becket was born to Norman merchants. His early
education was minimal. He began to work as a clerk and secured a position in
the household of Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas would
later study in Paris and eventually studied Canon Law in Bologna. He then
proved his capabilities through several ecclesiastical offices entrusted to him
by Theobald, who then recommended him to King Henry II for the vacant position
of Chancellor of England. Not only did Thomas serve his king faithfully, he
also became great friends with the king.
Pastor
On Theobald’s death, Henry II named Becket as his successor
as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. Not yet a priest, Becket was ordained on
June 2 and consecrated bishop the following day. What King Henry did not expect
was the transformation that now Archbishop Becket was going through. Not long
after becoming Archbishop, Thomas resigned as Chancellor due to tensions that
had begun to arise between him and the king. Those tensions would lead to
Becket’s 6-year exile in France after he was convicted on trumped up charges
for refusing to sign a document that would undermine the Church’s freedom in
England.
Martyr
When Thomas Becket returned to England in 1170 and began to
excommunicate bishops faithful to the king. In December, Henry uttered the
famous words:
"What miserable drones and traitors have I nourished
and brought up in my household, who let their lord be treated with such
shameful contempt by a low-born cleric?"
Four knights interpreted these words as an order that Becket
be put to death and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December
1170.
Memory
Pope Alexander II canonized Thomas three years later and his
shrine became a popular medieval pilgrimage destination. Later under the
English Reformation, British Catholics in exile on the mainland found a perfect
patron in Thomas. In the 19th century, he would be formally
declared Patron of the English pastoral clergy. His memory and devotion have
been kept alive at the Venerable English College in Rome which reopened its
doors on his Feast Day in 1818 after the French occupation of Rome. The
Venerable English College in Rome commemorated the 900th anniversary
of St Thomas’ birth in April of this year, with a symposium and exhibition. One
of the items in the exhibition is what is perhaps the only surviving piece of
the hair shirt Thomas Becket was wearing when he was martyred.
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