Thomas+More

RESEARCH: Born 1478. Died  1535. English statesman and author of //Utopia,// celebrated as a martyr in the Roman Catholic Church. He received a Latin education in the household of Cardinal Morton and at Oxford. Through his contact with the new learning and his friendships with [|Colet], [|Lyly], and [|Erasmus], More became an ardent humanist. As a successful London lawyer, he attracted the attention of [|Henry VIII], served him on diplomatic missions, entered the king's service in 1518, and was knighted in 1521. More held important government offices and, despite his disapproval of Henry's divorce from [|Katharine of Aragón], he was made lord chancellor at the fall of [|Wolsey] (1529). He resigned in 1532 because of ill health and probably because of increasing disagreement with Henry's policies. Because of his refusal to subscribe to the Act of Supremacy, which impugned the pope's authority and made Henry the head of the English Church, he was imprisoned (1534) in the Tower and finally beheaded on a charge of treason. http://www.infoplease.com/people.html A man of noble character and deep, resolute religious conviction, More had great personal charm, unfailing good humor, piercing wit, and a fearlessness that enabled him to jest even on the scaffold. His [|Utopia] (published in Latin, 1516; tr. 1551) is a picture of an ideal state founded entirely on reason. Among his other works in Latin and English are a translation of //The Life of John Picus, Earl of Mirandula// (1510); a //History of Richard III,// upon which Shakespeare based his play; a number of polemical tracts against the Lutherans (1528–33); devotional works including //A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation// (1534) and a //Treatise on the Passion// (1534); poems; meditations; and prayers. More was beatified (1886) by a decree of Pope Leo XIII, canonized (1935) by Pius XI, and proclaimed (2000) the patron saint of politicians by John Paul II.

http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9414278&page=4 he resigned, stating his ill health as the reason, but many believe that it was his opposing views with the King that made his resign. He also rufused to sign the Act of Supremacy, which discredited the pope's authority and made Henry the head of the church in England. The rusult of this refusal was his imprisonment and eventually, he was beheaded.

a fearlessness that enabled him to jest even on the scaffold. His [|Utopia] (published in Latin, 1516; tr. 1551) is a picture of an ideal state founded entirely on reason. Among his other works in Latin and English are a translation of //The Life of John Picus, Earl of Mirandula// (1510); a //History of Richard III,// upon which Shakespeare based his play; a number of polemical tracts against the Lutherans (1528–33); devotional works including //A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation// (1534) and a //Treatise on the Passion// (1534); poems; meditations; and prayers. More was beatified (1886) by a decree of Pope Leo XIII, canonized (1935) by Pius XI, and proclaimed (2000) the patron saint of politicians by John Paul II.

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Thomas More was born on February 7, 1478 in Milk Street, London. He had a Latin education in the home of Cardinal Morton and at Oxford. He was torn wheather he should live a life of Monastic calling or of civil service. After Trying to live with monks at a nearby monastary, he decided that he felt devoted to serve his country through politics. In 1496, More was accepted in Lincoln's inn, one of the four legal societies in his time. While More was a great lawyer, he manage to keep up on his literary work, including reading religous works quite often, and writing his own works in all different genres.

In 1509, More conducted many important discussions regarding trade disputes between London companies and Antwerp merchants. This confirmed the beliefs of those who though he was a good spokesperson and interpreter. Through these discussions, More caught the eye of King Henry the Eighth, and served Henry on different types of government services. He entered the King's service in 1518 and was appointed undertreasurer and knighted in 1521. He was a secratary and confident for the King, and he delivered many speeches and treaties for Henry. More later held important government offices, including lord chancellor. He was made lord chancellor at the fall of Worsley. On November 3,1529, he entered the Parliament that would later turn against him and put him to death. In 1530 and 1531, More refused to sign letters to the pope trying to convince him that Henry's first marriage with Katherine of Aragon was void, and that began to make the king unhappy. The reason that Henry wanted a divorce was because Katherine had failed to produce a male heir for Henry. With that, Thomas More tried to resign from this position in 1531 when the clergy of England chose recognized King Henry as their head.

When More refused to sign the Act of Supremacy, which took away all religious power from the pope in England, this infuriated the king, and More was put into the tower as a punishment for his decision. But this did not change his mind. His daughter was only allowed to visit him in the tower after she had agreed to and signed the Act of Supremacy. Days after being put into the tower, Thomas More was tried for treason, and found guilty. He was sentenced to the "traitors death", which was to be drawn, hung, and quartered. But the King changed the sentence to beheading, probably because he had been close with More and thought this would be less agonizing. In the five days between his trial and his putting to death, More wrote a fine prayer and several letters of farewell. But, in 1535, he was put to death none the less. Simply for standing up for what was right when no one else did. And that is why Sir Thomas More is now recognized as a connonized saint within the Catholic Church.__**505 words.**__