Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Catholic News ServiceDecember 29, 2020
A stained glass window of St. Thomas Becket is seen at St. Alban's Cathedral in St. Albans, England. (CNS photo/Gene Plaisted, The Crosiers)

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The White House issued a proclamation honoring the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket Dec. 29 and inviting "the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches and customary places of meeting with appropriate ceremonies."

The proclamation, signed by President Donald Trump Dec. 28, described Becket as "a statesman, a scholar, a chancellor, a priest, an archbishop and a lion of religious liberty."

A London-born clerk to Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury, St. Thomas studied canon law abroad and was ordained a deacon. His support of Henry II's claim to England’s throne led to his appointment as royal chancellor.

But he and the king clashed over many issues, notably the jurisdiction of ecclesiastical courts. Becket fled to France for six years; soon after his return, Henry's wish to be rid of this troublesome prelate led to Thomas' murder by four knights.

The White House proclamation described this martyrdom as "an event that changed the course of history" and which "eventually brought about numerous constitutional limitations on the power of the state over the church across the West."

It also said Becket's death "serves as a powerful and timeless reminder to every American that our freedom from religious persecution is not a mere luxury or accident of history, but rather an essential element of our liberty."

It urged Americans to "celebrate and revere" the saint's courageous stand for religious liberty and to reaffirm efforts to end religious persecution worldwide.

The White House acknowledged religious believers everywhere who suffer persecution for their faith, particularly Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu, China, describing them as "tireless witnesses to hope."

"To honor Thomas Becket's memory, the crimes against people of faith must stop, prisoners of conscience must be released, laws restricting freedom of religion and belief must be repealed and the vulnerable, the defenseless and the oppressed must be protected," the proclamation said, adding that the "tyranny and murder that shocked the conscience of the Middle Ages must never be allowed to happen again. "

We don’t have comments turned on everywhere anymore. We have recently relaunched the commenting experience at America and are aiming for a more focused commenting experience with better moderation by opening comments on a select number of articles each day.

But we still want your feedback. You can join the conversation about this article with us in social media on Twitter or Facebook, or in one of our Facebook discussion groups for various topics.

Or send us feedback on this article with one of the options below:

We welcome and read all letters to the editor but, due to the volume received, cannot guarantee a response.

In order to be considered for publication, letters should be brief (around 200 words or less) and include the author’s name and geographic location. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

We open comments only on select articles so that we can provide a focused and well-moderated discussion on interesting topics. If you think this article provides the opportunity for such a discussion, please let us know what you'd like to talk about, or what interesting question you think readers might want to respond to.

If we decide to open comments on this article, we will email you to let you know.

If you have a message for the author, we will do our best to pass it along. Note that if the article is from a wire service such as Catholic News Service, Religion News Service, or the Associated Press, we will not have direct contact information for the author. We cannot guarantee a response from any author.

We welcome any information that will help us improve the factual accuracy of this piece. Thank you.

Please consult our Contact Us page for other options to reach us.

City and state/province, or if outside Canada or the U.S., city and country. 
When you click submit, this article page will reload. You should see a message at the top of the reloaded page confirming that your feedback has been received.

The latest from america

Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian journalist who helped expose the abuse committed by leaders of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, gives Pope Leo XIV a stole made of alpaca wool, during the pope's meeting with members of the media May 12, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
Pope Leo offered a heartening message for a global media that has endured a pretty awful year.
Kevin ClarkeMay 23, 2025
If you think our enthusiasm for our basketball team was intense, just wait until you see our support for Pope Leo XIV.
Jack DoolinMay 23, 2025
“I don’t think he’s the kind of man who sends coded messages,” Cardinal Michael Czerny says in this exclusive interview with Gerard O’Connell.
Gerard O’ConnellMay 23, 2025
First-grade students finish an assignment at St. Ambrose Catholic School in Tucson, Ariz., in this 2014 photo. Arizona has one of the nation’s strongest school choice programs, with vouchers available to every child in the state. (CNS file photo/Nancy Wiechec)
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling denying state funds to a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma. What should American Catholics be asking about public funding for school choice?
Beth BlaufussMay 23, 2025