Sts. Thomas More & Cardinal John Fisher: patron saints of Marriage

Introduction. On June 22, we celebrate the combined feasts of both Cardinal John Fisher and Sir Thomas More. Both martyrs showed courage in the face of persecution. First with the chaos of Martin Luther and other reformers, then with King Henry VIII.

Famous last words

I forgive thee with all my heart, and I trust thou shall see me overcome this storm. --Saint John Fisher

I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first. --Saint Thomas More

Timeline.

1469--St John Fisher was born in Beverley, Yorkshire, England.

1478--St Thomas More was born in London. Thomas More’s high IQ led to strong faith and a law career. He served in Parliament and as London's undersheriff. When his first wife died, he married Alice Middleton who helped care for his 4 children. Over the next 21 years: Thomas’ faith, family, and career thrived.

1491--At age 22, St John Fisher was ordained a priest after studying theology at the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge, he served as a chaplain, professor, Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor.

1504--St John Fisher was named bishop and assigned to the Diocese of Rochester. He was articulate and a gifted pastor due to his love and adherence to faith.

1516--In response to the religious chaos of Martin Luther and others, St Thomas More published Utopia. The book is deep, hard to read and may be interpreted in many ways. The main plot describes a fictional, small island where morally upright people follow rules resulting in productive lives. Buried within, however, are some undertones implied below. There may be more to it that I have missed.

In an era of religious persecution, it could be a veiled endorsement of Catholicism.
It could be a critique of European style royal rule where peasants starved while nobles gorged.
What we call "eminent domain" today, Sir Thomas More termed "enclosure." Enclosure meant fencing off peasant-owned, productive land for the sole use of the nobles. Sir Thomas More pens it thusly, “Each greedy individual preys on native land like a malignant growth,” and “absorbing field after field, and enclosing thousands of acres with a single fence. . .. Thus a few greedy people have converted England’s greatest natural resource into a national disaster.”
Or, it could be a combination of all of the above.

1527--Dubiously, King Henry VIII sought an papal annulment from Queen Catherine of Aragon. Catherine had a previous husband. It was none other than Henry's older and deceased brother, Arthur. In his annulment request, Henry claimed Leviticus 20:21, "he who marries his brother's wife, will be childless." He claimed the lack of male heir was a sign of divine displeasure. In reality, he wanted to create a legitimate heir through another woman. He was determined to marry Anne Boleyn but there were 4 obvious problems, see bullets. Due to messaging delays, Henry’s impatience intensified. Heated conflicts occurred with anyone who dared to speak their opinions about the many impediments.

Pope Julius II had previously settled the issue prior to Henry's first marriage. The same facts had been reviewed for papal permission and the issue had been dispensed, in writing. Henry was asking to dispense with his previous dispensation. Was Henry was testing the courage of the newer Pope Clement II?
The couple was hardly "childless." They created 2 souls: a son in 1511 who lived a few weeks and Mary Tudor in 1516. Moreover, there were other illegitimate children sired by Henry.
Together, Charles V of Austria and Spain sacked Rome in a coup and took the pope prisoner. This gave them authority over the papal states and their politics. Charles was named as the Holy Roman Emperor. Oh, and by the way, he was Catherine of Aragon's uncle.
Mary Tudor's birth would be illegitimized if the marriage were annulled. Charles V was Mary's great uncle and would not hear of it.

1529--St Thomas More was named Lord Chancellor, the top legal position in England. Normally a Cardinal or other cleric filled the role, but Thomas was a brilliant lawyer despite being a lay person. After 3 years, he resigned, citing health reasons. Meanwhile, he was opposed to Henry VIII’s blatant: disregard for the sacrament of marriage and disrespect for the pope and Catholic Church.

1532--King Henry appointed Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer sympathized with Henry and his reformers seeking to separate from Rome. Cranmer declared Henry’s first marriage null and void thereby validating a sacramental marriage to Anne Boleyn in their new religion.

1533--Henry Tudor "wed" Anne Boleyn.

1534--With Parliament's backing, King Henry VIII crowned himself head of the Church in England. All ties with the pope and the Roman Catholic Church were severed. Bishop John Fisher stated that he was willing to die for this issue, like the martyr Saint John the Baptist who decried Herod's sacrilegious marriage. When this reached the pope in Rome, Bishop John Fisher was promoted to Cardinal. Outraged, Henry VII had Cardinal John Fisher arrested before he could publicly ruin Anne's coronation. Cardinal John Fisher spent his remaining life in prison under horrific conditions. He was beheaded 14 months later. His crime was: being tricked into confessing his opposition, while the king secretly eavesdropped. Cardinal John Fisher's decapitated head was placed on a London Bridge pike. The purpose was to enforce unity within Henry's new "church."

1535--Thomas More refused to support the Church of England, through his failure to attend Anne's queenly coronation. Sir Thomas was arrested and tried for treason. He was executed 2 weeks after Fisher. Sir Thomas More’s bloody head replaced Cardinal John Fisher’s on the London Bridge pike.

1935--Both Sir Thomas More and Cardinal John Fisher were canonized by Pope Pius XI: for preserving the apostolic papal line and supporting the sacrament of marriage. Ironically, their dual feast of June 22 appears on some Anglican calendars. Additionally, their feast appears 2 days before St. John the Baptist's birthday. St. John the Baptist was their role model and first martyr, who gave his head to support rightful marriages. Stay tuned for an article on him.

Conclusion. These 2 men gave their lives to uphold Christ's teachings. Today, Hollywood has produced 2 movies about Sir Thomas More called, "A Man for all Seasons." One was released in 1966 starring Orson Welles. The other was released in 1988 with Charlton Heston. My preference is the 1988 version for its wit, characterization and all-star cast, familiar to Baby Boomers. Please see the You Tube link below and make lots of popcorn!

Saints Cardinal John Fisher & Sir Thomas More, your fidelity and courage leaves for us a worthy example.

Though your deaths appeared wasted at the time, your love of God and king, live on.

Please pray that we draw upon your faith and love for the word of God.

Especially when we are called to give our lives to glorify God and love our neighbor.

Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, pray for us.

Blessed Mother Mary, pray for us.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Sources:

Bing Videos: "A Man for all Seasons" (1988) You Tube

Cardinal John Fisher - Wikipedia

Saints John Fisher and Thomas More - My Catholic Life!

Sir Thomas More - Wikipedia