Today is the feast day of Sir Thomas More who was executed on the orders of Henry VIII because he would not take the Oath of Loyalty to Henry and the new Queen Anne.
Sir Thomas holds the distinction of being both a lawyer and a saint.
He was the Lord Chancellor of England and was also a friend of Henry, but Thomas was a pious man and was devoted to Queen Catherine, along with Bishop Fisher who was also executed a couple of days before Sir Thomas and for the same reason.
What strength of resolve and character drove a man, who lived in exalted circles of court, to deny the King what he wanted. Sir Thomas clung to his catholic faith and refused to sign the Oath in the certain knowlege that he would meet his maker sooner rather than later as a result.
As for Henry, he had his friend executed to encourage all the rest to sign up to the new order, The new church in England of which he was now head.
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