In this episode, Frank Mitjans explains his pick of some of St. Thomas More’s writings and studies on him.
- Thomas More: A Short Biography by James McConica
- Thomas More: A Portrait in Courage by Gerard Wegemer
- Thomas More (Classic Thinkers) by Joanne Paul
- The Life and Illustrious History of Sir Thomas More by Thomas Stapleton
- The Sadness of Christ by St. Thomas More
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St. Thomas More (1478-1535) was a leading humanist, English statesman, and ended his earthly pilgrimage as a martyr. The son of a judge, More received an excellent classical education before becoming a lawyer. After a period of vocational discernment, he decided to remain a layman rather than become a Carthusian. He married twice and had four children with his first wife. Elected to Parliament in 1504, he rose through a series of public offices until succeeding Cardinal Wolsey as Lord Chancellor. He was esteemed by leading humanists of the age, such as Erasmus and Juan Luis Vives. He also engaged in theological debates with Martin Luther and took action to quell the nascent spread of Protestantism in England. However, he fell out of favour when he refused to recognise the validity of Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and the king’s claim to be the head of the Church in England. Finally, after various attempts, a trial found him guilty of treason and he was executed, refusing up to the end to renounce his Catholic faith.
He was beatified in 1886 and canonised along with St. John Fisher in 1935. The memorial of the two saints is celebrated on June 22. In 2000, St. John Paul II named Thomas More patron saint of statesmen and politicians.
Frank Mitjans is a Spanish architect who has worked in London since 1976 and has long been interested in St. Thomas More. Since August 2002 he has given many presentations and talks on the topography of More’s London to groups of students and other interested people in Britain, Ireland, and Sweden. He has published various papers on St. Thomas More and more recently Thomas More’s Vocation (Catholic University of America Press).
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