Saints Thomas More & John Fischer - June 22nd

 

Today, we celebrate memorial of the martyrs Saint John Fisher, and St. Thomas More. These two men laid down their lives for the unity of the Church, and for the sanctity of marriage.

In early 1500’s, King Henry the VIII wanted to divorce his wife Catherine, so that he could marry Anne, because he wanted her to be the royal successor to the throne, as Queen. St. John Fisher opposed the divorce, which was not permitted by the Catholic Church. He also resisted King Henry VIII’s interference with the Catholic Church in England. Most all of the other bishops of England gave in to King Henry’s wishes, but Bishop John Fisher would not. He refused to sign an oath, which would have acknowledged Henry and Anne, as lawful heir to the throne. King Henry VIII, declared himself, head the Catholic Church in England, and therefore separated the church in England from the Pope and universal Church.

The Catholic Church teaches divorce is not permitted, and marriage lasts until death do they part. The Church also teaches that the Pope is the head of the Church, not a king. And so the Pope wanted to show his approval of the bishop’s defense of the Church’s teachings and therefore, made John Fisher, a cardinal. Henry the VIII became angry with the Pope. This angered King Henry, and so he imprisoned the bishop in a Tower. And within a month, he had Bishop John Fisher beheaded.

Jesus warned His disciples by stating, “Beware of false prophets, who come in sheep clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them.” King Henry acted like an innocent sheep, declaring his own marriage invalid, declaring himself head of the Catholic Church in England, and declared his unlawful wife Anne, as rightful successor to the throne as queen. He became a ravenous wolf, because he divorced his wife Catherine, and because he caused many to be separated from the Catholic Church, as he demanded loyalty to himself as king, rather than loyalty to the Pope. He bore such bad fruit that the entire Catholic Church in England fell away from the one True Church founded by Jesus Christ.

St. Thomas More, who became chancellor of King Henry the VIII, also defended the Pope, and the life-long vow of marriage until death, do you part. He spent the rest of his life defending the authority of the Pope and sanctity of marriage. He refused to declare his allegiance to King Henry as head of the Church in England, and he too, like that of Bishop Fisher was imprisoned in a Tower. After being in prison for 15 months, and 9 months after St. John Fisher was executed, he was tried and convicted of treason. He told the court he could not go against his conscience and wished his judges that “We may yet hereafter in heaven merrily all meet together to everlasting salvation.” Just before he died, while at the scaffold, he said, “He was the King’s good servant, but God’s (servant) first.” He was then beheaded.

In our day, when divorce is so widespread and when people openly desire same-sex marriage, and when many will not follow the pope or the Church’s teaching, by following their own morality, such as contraception, let us pray ask St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More to intercede for us, that our country and the world will be protected from ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing, and that all will have a change of heart, so that all of us may meet together in God’s heavenly kingdom, with Mary our Mother, and all the angels and saints.