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Medieval · Saint
St Thomas Becket
Archbishop of Canterbury
MartyrReformer
1119 – 1170
1162
Ordained
1162
Consecrated Bishop
Canterbury
Diocese
England
Country
The Life
Born in London around 1119, Thomas Becket rose to become Chancellor of England and a close friend of King Henry II. When Henry had him made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, Becket unexpectedly became a fierce defender of the Church's liberties against royal power.
The conflict over the Constitutions of Clarendon led to his murder by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. Venerated almost at once, his shrine became one of medieval Europe's greatest pilgrimage destinations.
Notable Actions
- Ordained priest and consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury in June 1162
- Resisted Henry II's Constitutions of Clarendon (1164) limiting the Church's independence
- Endured roughly six years of exile in France before returning in 1170
- Martyred in Canterbury Cathedral, 29 December 1170
- Canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1173, barely two years after his death
I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.
Attributed; reported by his biographer Edward GrimPortrait: Unknown Miniaturist, English (active 1170s in Cirenchester) / Wikimedia Commons