St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More was born in 1477 and when thirteen years old was placed in the household of Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor. His happy demeanor and brilliant intellect attracted the notice of the archbishop, who sent him to Oxford in 1492, where he excelled in his study of Greek, Latin, French, history, mathematics and music. He then went on to study the law in London in about 1494, where he met and became great friends with Erasmus. During this time he also wrote poetry in English and Latin and studied the Church Fathers. He was engrossed in his faith for a period of years between 1499 and 1503 and he seriously discerned a vocation to the priesthood.

Thomas married Jane Roper in 1505 and was the father of one son, John and three daughters: Margaret, Elizabeth, and Cecilia. Jane died after just 6 years and Thomas was married again shortly after to Alice Middleton who was slightly older than he and an excellent homemaker and mother to the children. Alice was not as well educated and cultured as Thomas and she didn't always appreciate his sense of humor, but their marriage was a devoted and happy one.

Meanwhile Thomas had become quite famous as a lawyer, and was appointed to an embassy post by Cardinal Wolsey. While he was away he finished writing his most famous work, Utopia. Thomas came under the notice of King Henry VIII, who respected him for his accomplishments in literature, law, scholarship, and manners. The King often visited Thomas at his home to converse and dine with him. He was appointed to the Kings court, knighted and eventually succeeded Cardinal Wolsey as Chancellor of England, the first layman ever to hold that position. He was very successful as a judge and for the first time in anyone's recollection he eliminated the backlog of cases put before him.

One of his duties as Chancellor was to enforce the laws against heresy, which he did with compassion toward the person accused of heresy. Almost all the people brought before him recanted through his efforts and only four were condemned. he wrote works on the governance of the realm and the defense of the Faith. Thomas was well known among his peers for his honesty and goodness, he was renowned for his never accepting bribes and for dispensing his office with justice.

In 1529 Henry decreed that the English clergy were to acknowledge him as "Supreme Head" of the Church "as far as the law of God will permit". More immediately turned in his resignation of the chancellorship, which was not accepted due to the Kings friendship with Thomas. He remained firm opposition to Henry's designs in regard to the divorce, the papal supremacy, and the laws against heretics, which slowly but surely lost him the royal favour. In May, 1532, his resignation of the post of Lord Chancellor was accepted, he held it less than three years.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

For the next eighteen months More lived in seclusion and gave much time to controversial writing. Anxious to avoid a public rupture with Henry he stayed away from Anne Boleyn's coronation, and when, in 1533, his nephew William Rastell wrote a pamphlet supporting the pope, which was attributed to More, he wrote a letter to Cromwell disclaiming any share therein and declaring that he knew his duty to his prince too well to criticize his policy. Neutrality, however, did not suit Henry, and More's name was included in the Bill of Attainder introduced into the Lords against the Holy Maid of Kent and her friends. Brought before four members of the Council, More was asked why he did not approve Henry's anti-papal action. He answered that he had several times explained his position to the king in person and without incurring his displeasure. Eventually, in view of his extraordinary popularity, Henry thought it expedient to remove his name from the Bill of Attainder. The incident showed that he might expect, however, and the Duke of Norfolk personally warned him of his grave danger, adding "indignatio principis mors est". "Is that all, my Lord," answered More, "then, in good faith, between your grace and me is but this, that I shall die today, and you tomorrow." In March, 1534, the Act of Succession was passed which required all who should be called upon to take an oath acknowledging the issue of Henry and Anne as legitimate heirs to the throne, and to this was added a clause repudiating "any foreign authority, prince or potentate". On 14 April, More was summoned to Lambeth to take the oath and, on his refusal, was committed to the custody of the Abbot of Westminster. Four days later he was removed to the Tower, and in the following November was attainted of misprision of treason, the grants of land made to him in 1523 and 1525 being resumed by the Crown. In prison, though suffering greatly from "his old disease of the chest . . .gravel, stone, and the cramp", his habitual gaiety remained and he joked with his family and friends whenever they were permitted to see him as merrily as in the old days at Chelsea. When alone his time was given up to prayer and penitential exercises; and he wrote a "Dialogue of comfort against tribulation", treatise (unfinished) on the Passion of Christ, and many letters to his family and others. In April and May, 1535, Cromwell visited him in person to demand his opinion of the new statutes conferring on Henry the title of Supreme Head of the Church. More refused to give any answer beyond declaring himself a faithful subject of the king. In June, Rich, the solicitor-general, held a conversation with More and, in reporting it, declared that More had denied Parliament's power to confer ecclesiastical supremacy on Henry. It was now discovered that More and (St. John) Fisher, The Bishop of Rochester, had exchanged letters in prison, and a fresh inquiry was held which resulted in his being deprived of all books and writing materials, but he contrived to write to his wife and favourite daughter, Margaret, on stray scraps of paper with a charred stick or piece of coal.

More was finally convicted of high treason in July of 1535 and was sentenced to death, which the King specified be by beheading on July 6, 1535. His last words to the crowd of spectators gathered for his execution were "I die as the King's good servant-but God's first." St. Thomas More was canonized in 1935 and is admired for never compromising his moral values, he is the patron of lawyers.

Reading:

Although I know well, Margaret, that because of my past wickedness I deserve to be abandoned by God, I cannot but trust in his merciful goodness. His grace has strengthened me until now and made me content to lose goods, land, and life as well, rather than to swear against my conscience. God's grace has given the king a gracious frame of mind toward me, so that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my liberty. In doing this His Majesty has done me such great good with respect to spiritual profit that I trust that among all the great benefits he has heaped so abundantly upon me I count my imprisonment the very greatest. I cannot, therefore, mistrust the grace of God.

By the merits of his bitter passion joined to mine and far surpassing in merit for me all that I can suffer myself, his bounteous goodness shall release me from the pains of purgatory and shall increase my reward in heaven besides.

I will not mistrust him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at a blast of wind began to sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do as he did: call upon Christ and pray to him for help. And then I trust he shall place his holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning.

And finally, Margaret, I know this well: that without my fault he will not let me be lost. I shall, therefore, with good hope commit myself wholly to him. And if he permits me to perish for my faults, then I shall serve as praise for his justice. But in good faith, Meg, I trust that his tender pity shall keep my poor soul safe and make me commend his mercy.

And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let you mind be troubled over anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best.

(from a letter written by Saint Thomas More from prison to his daughter Margaret)
 

The Story Of Thomas More
by John Farrow