- Chancellor of
England and archbishop of Canterbury, who became a saint of the Roman
Catholic church.
Thomas was born in London. When he was 25 years old, he joined the
staff of the archbishop of Canterbury, Theobald of Bec. In 1154 King
Henry II appointed Thomas his chancellor.
- When Theobald
died in 1161, the king made Thomas the archbishop of Canterbury, the
most important ecclesiastical officer in England. However, Thomas
resigned the chancellorship almost as soon as he was made archbishop.
In 1163 Thomas and Henry quarreled over the relations of church and
realm. In 1164 Henry set forth 16 written articles of law, the so-called
Constitutions of Clarendon, which he claimed represented the customs
of the realm in relation to the church in the days of his grandfather
Henry I. The king wanted Thomas and his fellow bishops to accept these
articles. Thomas eventually repudiated them as contrary to canon law
as it had developed. Henry then charged Thomas with various offenses.
Thomas fled the court for France, where he stayed for six years.
- Under threat
of papal sanctions, Henry and Thomas agreed to reconcile. Thomas returned
to England in 1170. Henry still complained vigorously about him, and
four of the king's men, acting on their own accord, traveled to Canterbury
and murdered Thomas. He became a martyr, and after miracles were said
to have been worked at his tomb, he was canonized in February 1173.
Pilgrims then began to visit Canterbury in such numbers that it became
one of the most popular shrines in Europe.
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