Eight-hundred and forty-four years ago today--December 29, 1170--before the altar of the northwest transept of Canterbury Cathedral, in the grey light of a late afternoon, four knights of King Henry II murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket by shearing off the top of his skull. Becket, who had been in lesser clerical orders before being made archbishop, and who had been such a good friend of Henrys that it might be fair to call him a buddy, had been essentially installed as archbishop to do Henrys bidding. Though he had warned Henry not to do this to him, Henry had done it anyway (the Plantagenet kings were not known for humility). Once he had become Archbishop, however, he dedicated himself entirely to the defense of the Church, much to Henrys shock. The issues at stake were timeless: does secular government have the right to control the Church, or is the Church independent? Should we render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods, as Jesus Christ directed? Becket said yes, and fought for the independence of the Church as a social and religious authority, acting alongside, not beneath, the state. And for that, he lost his life. Things didnt turn out too well for Henry, though--outrage throughout Christendom forced him to do public penance for the murder, even though he hadnt actually ordered it--and popular pressure saw to it that Becket was beatified AND canonized on the same day, Feb. 21, 1173--very quickly. Needless to say, this is a story with much applicability to the modern world, as the contest continues--which is the superior power? The Church, or the State? The question is as relevant today as it was in 1170. And sometimes leads to bloodshed today, still, in some parts of the world. Heres a link to one version of it: eyewitnesstohistory/becket.htm
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 17:13:38 +0000
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