St. Thomas More, “A Man for All Seasons,” Pray for us that we may be more like you. Pray that we may defend and proclaim the Faith amidst opposition, and pray that we remain good and faithful servants, but firstly to God. Amen.

• St. Thomas More was heavily influence by the Carthusian lifestyle of simple poverty, but pursued a career in law and civil science.
• He fathered four children of his own and step-fathered the daughter of his second wife
• He was a skilled theologian and writer.
  • Utopia is one of his most popular works.
• He was elected to the English Parliament in 1504 and was knighted in 1521.
• He refused to sign an annulment for King Henry VIII. More later resigned because he thought the king was losing sight of what it meant to be Catholic; he refused to promote King Henry’s schism from the Church.
• More was a noble man and due to his integrity could not even be brought down by trumped up charges against him.
• On April 13, 1534, More was ordered to take an oath, acknowledging the legitimacies of Anne’s position as queen, of Henry’s self-granted annulment from Catherine, and the superior position of the King as head of the church. More accepted Henry’s marriage to Anne, but refused to acknowledge Henry as head of the church, or his annulment from Catherine. This led to his arrest and imprisonment. 
• More was unfairly tried and found guilty of treason.
• More ascended the scaffold on July 6, 1535, joking to his executioners to help him up the scaffold, but that he would see himself down. He then made a final statement, proclaiming that he was “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”
• Beatified in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII; canonized in 1935 by Pope Pius XI
• Patronage: 
  • Adopted children
  • Lawyers
  • Civil servants
  • Politicians
  • Difficult marriages

Click Here to check out Catholic.org's page on St. Thomas More
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