A Man For All Seasons

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.