Becket, Saint Thomas

Becket, Saint Thomas (1118-70), Archbishop of Canterbury, b. London.

Thomas Becket (also commonly known as Thomas à Becket) was the son of a wealthy merchant.

He was well educated and obtained a post with Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Archbishop sent him to Italy to study the law of the Church. Thomas became a friend of King Henry II and Henry made him Chancellor of England in 1154.

Thomas dressed in fine clothes, held splendid parties, and went hawking and hunting with the King. Then, in 1162, he was made Archbishop of Canterbury. At once he resigned his post as Chancellor and changed his way of life.

Later, King and Archbishop quarrelled. Thomas said clergymen had to be tried by the Church instead of in the King's court. He had to leave England for six years, but, in 1170, an agreement was made by the Pope, King Henry and Thomas, and Thomas returned to Canterbury.

He set out to punish certain bishops who had sided with King Henry against him. At the time, the King was in Normandy, and news came to him of what Thomas was doing. In rage he cried, 'Will anyone avenge me of this turbulent priest!' Four knights heard his words and set out for Canterbury. They found Thomas in the cathedral and killed him there. The murder of the Archbishop shocked people everywhere and King Henry told the Pope he was sorry for his angry words.

The Pope made Thomas a saint and pilgrims from all parts of Europe visited his shrine at Canterbury. It was destroyed by King Henry VIII in 1538.

See The Correspondence of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury