St. Thomas Becket | Feast Day December 29

St. Thomas Becket | Feast Day December 29

Not many saints can be relatable to our times, but St. Thomas Becket (December 21, 1118 – December 29, 1170) is one of the few. King Henry II, a good friend, made him chancellor of England at the age of 36. Then, despite St. Thomas Becket warning the king that he would not blindly follow his wishes, he was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162.

Soon after, King Henry insisted upon seizing Church rights. In the name of peace, St. Thomas Becket came close to a compromise, and momentarily approved the Constitutions of Clarendon, which would have denied the clergy the right of trial by a Church court. But he later rejected this, and for his safety fled to France where he remained in exile for seven years.

Although returning to England meant almost certain death, St. Thomas Becket came back. According to historical accounts, King Henry implored, “Who will free me from this troublesome priest!” St. Thomas Becket was later murdered by four knights in his Canterbury Cathedral as he was praying. For his part in the murder, King Henry performed public penance after St. Thomas Becket’s canonization.