Love Is Forever - Sir Thomas More

During his last few months, while he was in prison, More demonstrated remarkable courage in the face of his impending death. He wrote many letters to his family and even a few theological works and spent a great deal of time in prayer and in making penance for his sins. He is said to have uttered several memorable phrases in the hours and minutes before his death, including his last words which are reported to have been, "The King's good servant, but God's first." His cheerful acceptance of death is probably as important as the way he lived to his enduring reputation in history.

Ultimately, Sir Thomas More's resolve proved to be both an asset and a liability. It gave him the determination to succeed, which propelled him to national fame, but also the persistent steadfastness for his convictions that eventually resulted in his death. He was a victim of the absolutist monarchy of King Henry VIII, not through any deficiency in and of himself, but because of the very qualities which had been of such service to the King for years. Thus, More is a tragic figure and one worth being venerated by people of all religious affiliations. It is, therefore, little wonder that Anglicans and Catholics alike "claim him" as one of their own

ompared to the people of his day, he was fairly lenient. No doubt, his relationship with Erasmus helped influence his opinions in this area.

By this time, More and the King were very close. The King granted More titles and lands in exchange for the fine service More rendered him. The King was even a frequent guest in More's house. Despite their apparent friendship, More knew that his position was every bit as precarious as that which Cardinal Wolsey had enjoyed. More is even reported to have said that, "If my head should gain him one castle in France, it shall not fail to go". More had no delusions about the security of his position and apparently he accepted it. He knew full well that high politics was a dangerous game during the reign of Henry VIII. It had the potential to bring one enormous wealth, but it also had the potential to bring about one's ruin.

That is exactly what happened just a few months after More took office. That account, however, requires some exposition. For years, King Henry VIII, the "Defender of the [Catholic] Faith" had been drifting away from Rome. This is because his religious convictions were overshadowed by his intense desire to preserve the Tudor Dynasty. His twenty year marriage to Catherine of Aragon had failed to produce a male heir. Fearing that he had somehow transgressed against God by marrying the woman who had been betrothed to his brother, he sought to have the marriage annulled. He petitioned the Pope, but the Pope refused to grant him a dispensation.

After Cardinal Wolsey had tried for years and failed to secure an annulment or divorce for the King, the

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