Sir Thomas More Essays

Sir Thomas More Essays Sir Thomas More Essay Sir Thomas More Essay Thomas More finds himself on the horns of a dilemma of conscience. It was during his era that the Catholic Church was experiencing turbulent times with the emergence of Protestant ideas and the Kings ecclesiastical proclamations to obtain the supremacy of the Church. When King Henry VIII appointed him as Lord Chancellor, he was expected to make hasty, favorable judgments on the case involving the annulment of the marriage of the king to Catherine of Aragon, daughter of the Spanish king and to assert the validity of his marriage to   Anne Boleyn, one   of Queen Catherines ladies in court.   Zielke (2002) on his short summary of Saint Thomas Mores life, interpreted this as a way of using Thomas More as an instrument to widen the   Anti-Catholic policy of the crown because this would mean that he would have to renounce the authority of the pope who issued the formal dispensation of Henry and Catherines marriage and to acknowledge the children of Henry and Anne as legitimate heirs to the throne. When he refused to do so, he was accused of committing the act of treason and later on beheaded.In the cause of royal prerogative, More followed the kings order and proclaimed Henrys first marriage as unlawful. However, the idea of declaring the king as the Supreme Head of the Church fueled his decision to resign from his position because of his strict adherence to his theological principles. He also refused to take the oath of acknowledgment of Anne Boylens coronation out of loyalty to his friendship with the former Queen Catherine and to avoid public encounters with the king. Zielke (2002) noted that although More   knew that his firm opposition over Henrys orders in regards of the divorce and papal supremacy will not gain him popularity over the kings side, he opted to stand up for his faith in a time of great turbulation- that the Pope is the head of the Church and the king could not reign supreme over him. Moreover, Wegemer (2006) opin ed that   More was convinced that a person can overcome any form of suffering and pain for as long as he believes in the goodness of God and stays on his side all throughout his given life.Personal beliefs were often tested in twisted circumstances and Thomas Mores decision to stand up for the truth was admirable. According to Blake (2004), in certain professions, a person is expected to either adhere to his personal beliefs or to suffer the consequences of convictions for choosing not to align yourself with the majority and to support sovereign goals. As a leading humanist scholar, Sir Thomas More exemplified a desire to serve his countrymen upon his appointment to various public offices but did not compromise his faithfulness to God and the Church. Zielke (2002) stated that Thomas More must have noticed the grave threat that King Henry VIII posed against the Church for renouncing Papal Authority and instead trying to obtain by force the Supremacy of the Church but he did not let professional expectations hinder him from his practice of personal beliefs and theological principles.. His good character is full of richness and versatility because he boldly stood up for his viewpoints although he was faced with many challenges that made him face convictions.He held his true allegiance to his self and to his faith on God and not to any other man in the parliament, something he proved until the last days of his life.   According to Wikipedia database,   Thomas More steadfastly held on to his religious conviction in the face of imprisonment, unfair trials, and even death even if it stained his professional reputation. Wegemer (2006) further added that More was able to surpass everything in the midst of a series of great storms in his life by acquiring calmness and integrity that goes with opting to stick to the truth. Internal freedom may be tried and tested for violating several laws of the society but it is the truth that sets the freedom of the soul. Faced with the 15 judges who wrongfully condemned him, there was no trace of fear on his face when he boldy stated to them that he is and will always be a servant of God and God alone and that no matter how he much he believes on political authority, he has no obligations to follow orders of any person who would try to twist that belief. Another admirable trait to look at Thomas Mores decision is his unwavering support and loyalty for his friendship with Queen Catherine. He expressed wishes for happiness for the marriage of the king to his second wife, Anne Boylen but this did not mean that he is ending his magnanimous friendship with the Catherine. This is a trait you rarely see on a person nowadays, especially on times when a lot is at stake and the only escape you can get is to renounce the friendship and save yourself.Zielke (2002) found out in his research about Thomas Mores life that during his last days in prison, he suffered from his old heart disease and chest cramps but he remai ned cheerful when visited by friends and family members. He was also often seen to pray and practice his penitential activities on hours when he had nothing to do. Richard Rich, the Solicitor General who visited   on his cell, twisted Mores words to further pin evidences against him and make him look guilty for the act of treason. Thomas More, after being given an unjust trial with Anne Boylens father, brother and uncle as members of the panel who evaluated his case, was later convicted and beheaded.Wikipedias database revealed that he was later beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and was proclaimed as a political saint in 1935 when the Anti-Catholism rallies were at its peak His trial and conviction was considered unfair for an honest statesman who only stood on his theological grounds instead of opting to renounce it for political ambitions. In a play entitled A Man for All Seasons shown in 1966, he was portrayed as a man of conscience and biographers like Peter Ackroyd referred to him as a scholastic humanist and a man of letters. In todays setting, there are individuals   condemned for twisted truths and unreliable justice systems while people, who have been tried with sufficient evidences, find ways to get hide the truth and get around the justice system. Obtaining a moral conscience should always be a persons motivation and goal in life, regardless of whatever predicament he is facing or challenges he is forced to battle.