APOSTOLIC LETTER ISSUED MOTU PROPRIO
PROCLAIMING SAINT THOMAS MORE
PATRON OF STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS
POPE JOHN PAUL II
FOR PERPETUAL REMEMBRANCE
1. The life and martyrdom of
Saint Thomas More have been the source of a message which spans the
centuries and which speaks to people everywhere of the inalienable
dignity of the human conscience, which, as the Second Vatican Council
reminds us, is
"the most intimate centre and sanctuary of a person, in which he or she
is alone with God, whose voice echoes within them" (Gaudium et Spes,
16). Whenever men or women heed the call of truth, their conscience
then
guides their actions reliably towards good. Precisely because of the
witness
which he bore, even at the price of his life, to the primacy of truth
over
power, Saint Thomas More is venerated as an imperishable example of
moral integrity. And even outside the Church, particularly among those
with responsibility for the destinies of peoples, he is acknowledged
as a source of inspiration for a political system which has as its
supreme
goal the service of the human person.
Recently, several Heads of
State and of Government, numerous political figures, and some Episcopal
Conferences and individual Bishops have asked me to proclaim Saint
Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians. Those supporting
this petition include people from different political, cultural and
religious allegiances,
and this is a sign of the deep and widespread interest in the thought
and activity of this outstanding Statesman.
2. Thomas More had a
remarkable political career in his native land. Born in London in 1478
of a respectable family, as a young boy he was placed in the service of
the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Morton, Lord Chancellor of the
Realm. He then studied law at Oxford and London, while broadening his
interests in the spheres of culture, theology and classical literature.
He mastered Greek and enjoyed the company and friendship of important
figures of Renaissance culture, including Desiderius Erasmus of
Rotterdam.
His sincere religious
sentiment led him to pursue virtue through the assiduous practice of
asceticism: he cultivated friendly relations with the Observant
Franciscans of the Friary at Greenwich, and for a time he lived at the
London Charterhouse, these being two of the main centres of religious
fervour in the Kingdom. Feeling himself called to marriage, family life
and dedication as a layman, in 1505 he married Jane Colt, who bore him
four children. Jane died in
1511 and Thomas then married Alice Middleton, a widow with one
daughter.
Throughout his life he was an affectionate and faithful husband and
father,
deeply involved in his children’s religious, moral and intellectual
education.
His house offered a welcome to his children’s spouses and his
grandchildren,
and was always open to his many young friends in search of the truth or
of
their own calling in life. Family life also gave him ample opportunity
for
prayer in common and lectio divina, as well as for happy and wholesome
relaxation.
Thomas attended daily Mass
in
the parish church, but the austere penances which he practised were
known
only to his immediate family.
3. He was elected to
Parliament for the first time in 1504 under King Henry VII. The
latter’s successor Henry VIII renewed his mandate in 1510, and even
made him the Crown’s
representative in the capital. This launched him on a prominent career
in public administration. During the following decade the King sent him
on several diplomatic and commercial missions to Flanders and the
territory
of present-day France. Having been made a member of the King’s Council,
presiding judge of an important tribunal, deputy treasurer and a
knight,
in 1523 he became Speaker of the House of Commons.
Highly esteemed by everyone
for his unfailing moral integrity, sharpness of mind, his open and
humorous character, and his extraordinary learning, in 1529 at a time
of political and economic crisis in the country he was appointed by the
King to the post of Lord Chancellor. The first layman to occupy this
position, Thomas faced an extremely difficult period, as he sought to
serve King and country. In fidelity to his principles, he concentrated
on promoting justice and restraining the harmful influence of those who
advanced their own interests at the expense of the weak. In 1532, not
wishing to support Henry VIII’s intention to take control of the Church
in England, he resigned. He withdrew from public life, resigning
himself to suffering poverty with his family and being deserted by many
people who, in the moment of trial, proved to be false friends.
Given his inflexible
firmness
in rejecting any compromise with his own conscience, in 1534 the King
had
him imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he was subjected to
various
kinds of psychological pressure. Thomas More did not allow himself to
waver,
and he refused to take the oath requested of him, since this would have
involved accepting a political and ecclesiastical arrangement that
prepared the way for uncontrolled despotism. At his trial, he made an
impassioned
defence of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage, the
respect due to the juridical patrimony of Christian civilization, and
the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State. Condemned by
the Court, he was beheaded.
With the passing of the
centuries discrimination against the Church diminished. In 1850 the
English Catholic Hierarchy was re-established. This made it possible to
initiate the
causes of many martyrs. Thomas More, together with 53 other martyrs,
including Bishop John Fisher, was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886.
And with John Fisher, he was canonized by Pius XI in 1935, on the
fourth
centenary of his martyrdom.
4. There are many reasons
for
proclaiming Thomas More Patron of statesmen and people in public life.
Among
these is the need felt by the world of politics and public
administration
for credible role models able to indicate the path of truth at a time
in
history when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are
increasing.
Today in fact strongly innovative economic forces are reshaping social
structures; on the other hand, scientific achievements in the area of
biotechnology underline the need to defend human life at all its
different stages,
while the promises of a new society — successfully presented to a
bewildered public opinion — urgently demand clear political decisions
in favour of
the family, young people, the elderly and the marginalized.
In this context, it is
helpful to turn to the example of Saint Thomas More, who distinguished
himself by his constant fidelity to legitimate authority and
institutions precisely in his intention to serve not power but the
supreme ideal of justice.
His life teaches us that government is above all an exercise of virtue.
Unwavering in this rigorous moral stance, this English statesman placed
his own public activity at the service of the person, especially if
that
person was weak or poor; he dealt with social controversies with a
superb
sense of fairness; he was vigorously committed to favouring and
defending
the family; he supported the all-round education of the young. His
profound detachment from honours and wealth, his serene and joyful
humility, his balanced knowledge of human nature and of the vanity of
success, his
certainty of judgement rooted in faith: these all gave him that
confident
inner strength that sustained him in adversity and in the face of
death.
His sanctity shone forth in his martyrdom, but it had been prepared by
an entire life of work devoted to God and neighbour.
Referring to similar
examples
of perfect harmony between faith and action, in my Post-Synodal
Apostolic
Exhortation Christifideles Laici I wrote: "The unity
of life of the lay faithful is of the greatest importance: indeed they
must
be sanctified in everyday professional and social life. Therefore, to
respond
to their vocation, the lay faithful must see their daily activities as
an
occasion to join themselves to God, fulfil his will, serve other people
and
lead them to communion with God in Christ" (No. 17).
This harmony between the
natural and the supernatural is perhaps the element which more than any
other defines the personality of this great English statesman:
he lived his intense public life
with a simple humility marked by good humour, even at the moment of his
execution.
This was the height to which
he was led by his passion for the truth. What enlightened his
conscience was the sense that man cannot be sundered from God, nor
politics from morality. As I have already had occasion to say, "man is
created by God, and therefore human rights have their origin in God,
are based upon the design of creation and form part of the plan of
redemption. One might even dare to say that the rights of man are also
the rights of God" (Speech, 7 April 1998).
And it was precisely in
defence of the rights of conscience that the example of Thomas More
shone brightly. It can be said that he demonstrated in a singular way
the value of a
moral conscience which is "the witness of God himself, whose voice and
judgment penetrate the depths of man’s soul" (Encyclical Letter Veritatis
Splendor, 58), even if, in his actions against heretics, he
reflected
the limits of the culture of his time.
In the Constitution Gaudium
et Spes, the Second Vatican Council notes how in the world today
there is "a growing awareness of the matchless dignity of the human
person, who is superior to all else and whose rights and duties are
universal
and inviolable" (No. 26). The life of Saint Thomas More clearly
illustrates a fundamental truth of political ethics. The defence of the
Church’s
freedom from unwarranted interference by the State is at the same time
a defence, in the name of the primacy of conscience, of the
individual’s
freedom vis-à-vis political power. Here we find the basic
principle
of every civil order consonant with human nature.
5. I am confident therefore
that the proclamation of the outstanding figure of Saint Thomas More as
Patron of Statesmen and Politicians will redound to the good of
society. It is likewise a gesture fully in keeping with the spirit of
the Great Jubilee which carries us into the Third Christian Millennium.
Therefore, after due
consideration and willingly acceding to the petitions addressed to me,
I establish
and declare Saint Thomas More the heavenly Patron of Statesmen and
Politicians, and I decree that he be ascribed all the liturgical
honours and privileges which, according to law, belong to the Patrons
of categories of people.
Blessed and glorified be Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man, yesterday,
today and for ever.
Given at Saint Peter’s,
on the
thirty-first day of October in the year 2000, the twenty-third of my
Pontificate.
IOANNES PAULUS PP. II
- John
Paul II’s Proclamation of Thomas More as Patron of Statesmen,
October 31, 2000.
