Meddlesome Priest

On this date in 1170 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was slain on the altar steps of Canterbury Cathedral.  His murder would deliver him the title martyr, and see him declared a saint within about two years of his murder.  Henry II, King of England, was responsible for the murder and would later do public penance for his role.  Born on 21 December 1118 or 1120, Thomas was from a fairly well-to-do family and was educated in Paris.

Thomas Becket was not originally a clergyman.  Serving as an aide to the then  Archbishop of Canterbury Theobold, Thomas was introduced to Henry II and the two became friends.  Seeing the acumen, intelligence, and administrative capabilities Thomas possessed, Henry appointed him Chancellor.  Henry was looking at ways to curb the power of the Church, and when Theobold died in 1161 he devised a scheme to gather more power for himself.  He would appoint his adviser as Archbishop. Henry petitioned the pope who agreed to the appointment of Thomas.  The fact that he was not even a priest was of little concern, for on June 1, 1162 Thomas was ordained, and the following day was invested as a bishop in the morning and archbishop in the afternoon.  A quick two days of work.

But, Henry would not be able to count on Thomas.  Thomas would shift his allegiance from the crown to church.  A rift over prosecution of clergy crimes from church to state, became but one of the policies of Henry that Thomas would disagree, and would begin to seal his fate.  Thomas would flee to exile in France in 1163.  A meeting in Normandy with King Henry II  in 1170 seemed to clear the air between the two, and on November 30, 1170 Thomas would return to England and his post at Canterbury.  Within a month his brains would be scattered on the floor of Canterbury Cathedral.

The air was not fully cleared between king and archbishop. Becket still refused to remove the excommunication of two bishops who supported Henry. Henry, still in France, upon hearing that his buddies, who were bishops of London and Salisbury, were still under order of excommunication would, it is believed, say the fateful words: "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"  Four knights of the King would travel to Canterbury and confront Thomas during vespers.

Canterbury Cathedral (from Google images)

Edward Grim, a monk who was standing with Thomas and injured in the attack, would recount the event. It would take a knight three slays to Thomas' head before his mortal wounds would send his soul to heaven. The white of his brains was mixed with red blood, and then the further indignity of having his brains squashed about the Cathedral floor.  News of the murder spread over Europe and pilgrimages to Canterbury became commonplace.  The famous Chaucer work Canterbury Tales recounts the story of one such pilgrimage.  Henry VIII, it is said, would put the bones of Thomas Becket on trial and convict him of treason. His grave site would be destroyed in the 16th century rampage which destroyed Catholic religious sites in England.  Yet today, when one hears of Canterbury it is either associated as the seat the Anglican Archbishop, or Thomas Becket.

I am not sure what it is with Chancellor's named Thomas and their King's named Henry.  We know that Henry VIII would have his chancellor Thomas More murdered.  This is one Thomas, who shares the 21 December birthday with Thomas Becket, that prefers that trend not continue.