A man of prayer, virtue, and conviction, Saint Thomas More is the Patron of HLI America. Throughout his life, Thomas More gave witness to the “inalienable dignity of the human conscience” by pursuing truth and giving witness to that truth in his actions. For this reason, in October of 2000, Blessed John Paul II proclaimed Saint Thomas the Patron of statesmen and politicians.

Thomas was born in London, England in 1478 and was blessed to receive a tremendous education culminating in studies at Oxford University in law. However, he always expressed an appreciation of the unity of truth by diligent study of politics, culture, theology, Greek, and the Classics. Thomas More would achieve great political success, rising quickly through the ranks eventually ascending to the post of Lord Chancellor of all of England, the first layman to do so.

However, Thomas always recognized that it is not in achieving the heights of worldly power that man gains respect, but through diligent pursuit of virtue. Saint Thomas lived a life dedicated to fasting, prayer, and penance. He was a true “family man” who, during the course of his life would have two wives Jane (who died shortly after the birth of their fourth child) and Alice, a widow with one daughter. In his Motu Proprio proclaiming Thomas as Patron of statesmen and politicians, Blessed John Paul II emphasized that “[t]hroughout his life he was an affectionate and faithful husband and father, deeply involved in his children’s religious, moral and intellectual education.” In this way, Saint Thomas is a model for all husbands and fathers.

It was his virtue, his commitment to truth, and love of family and Church that led Sir Thomas More to resign from the post of Lord Chancellor during the tumultuous years of Henry VIII’s reign. He had sought to faithfully serve both his King and his God, but when Henry VIII strove to divorce and remarry yet again, and also take control of the Church in England, Thomas More could not in good conscience support his king. His resignation relegated Thomas to poverty as he was rejected by the many men and women he had thought were his friends.

Because he would not compromise the dictates of his own conscience, Thomas would be imprisoned in the Tower of London where he was constantly pressured to bow to the king’s will. Eventually he was tried for treason, and when he defended himself against this baseless charge, Thomas “made an impassioned defence of his own convictions on the indissolubility of marriage…and the freedom of the Church in her relations with the State.” A condemned man, Thomas was beheaded for his faithfulness to the Church’s teaching. Thomas More was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935, 400 years after he was martyred.

His life and martyrdom is a reminder that every generation faces new challenges to the faith. Certainly our age is no exception. Bessed John Paul II believed Saint Thomas to be “able to indicate the path of truth at a time in history when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing.” He later added, “Today in fact…scientific achievements in the area of biotechnology underline the need to defend human life at all its different stages, while the promises of a new society… urgently demand clear political decisions in favour of the family, young people, the elderly and the marginalized.”

Truly, Saint Thomas More is an exemplar for those who defend the dignity of man, who seek the good of marriage, and who recognize the genuine freedom of the Church, and Christians to act in accord with Truth. Our hope is that HLI America will, like Saint Thomas, give fervent witness to God’s love and truth. For this reason, we entrust our apostolate to his patronage and ask for his intercession.

Saint Thomas, Pray for us.