Many of our heroes today are characterized by their tremendous physical
strength, romantic appeal, and or by valor in battle. St. Thomas More is a rather unique
hero since he is not a physically robust figure, slew no "Dragons," and was
certainly not a romantic figure who appealed to fair maidens throughout England. Thomas
More was an English statesman and writer. More was born in London. In 1504 he entered
Parliament, but was forced to retire from public life after urging a decrease in a
proposed appropriation for King Henry 7. After the death of the king in 1509, More became
active again. During the next decade,
More attracted the attention of King Henry 8. Henry made More one of his favorites and
often sought his company for philosophical conversations. More became Lord Chancellor in
1529; he was the first layman to hold the post. His fortunes change, however, when he
refused to support Henry's request for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. More resigned
from the chancellorship in 1532 and withdrew from public
notice. The king had imprisoned him in 1534. More was tried the following year; he refused
to take an oath of supremacy, asserting that Parliament did not have the right to usurp
papal authority in favor of
the king. More was decapitated in 1535. In 1935 he was canonized by the Roman Catholic
church. More is considered a hero because of his bravery for standing up for his morality.
More had to go against his
friend the king in order to stand up for what is right. More's faith in God and how he
died for Him gave him the right to be considered a hero. More shows us that we should
believe in what is right. He shows that
even withought using weapons and being a "stud" we could be heroes by following
God.
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