Becket, Saint Thomas (1118?-1170), also known as Thomas a Becket, was an archbishop of Canterbury and a Christian martyr. His struggle to maintain the independence of the church in England from royal control led to his dramatic death on Dec. 29, 1170.
Becket was born in London and known during his lifetime as Thomas of London. About 1143, Becket entered the service of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, from whom he received a variety of church offices. Tall, handsome, and charming, Thomas led the life of an ambitious cleric with many influential supporters.
In 1154, King Henry II, on the advice of Theobald, appointed Thomas chancellor of England. The promotion strengthened the bonds of mutual friendship already established between Thomas and the young king. Thomas adopted a lavish lifestyle and became the king’s favorite companion. In 1162, against popular sentiment and even Thomas’s own protests, Henry had Thomas made archbishop of Canterbury. Henry had started a campaign to gain full control over the English church. However, upon becoming archbishop, Thomas changed his lifestyle from luxury to simplicity and became a champion of the church against royal domination.
Bitter conflicts erupted between Thomas and Henry over the king’s attempts to take control of the English church. When Henry asked, in a fit of rage, whether anyone in his court was brave enough to rid him of a single “meddlesome priest,” four knights took the king at his word. The knights assassinated Thomas in Canterbury Cathedral. The people were angered by the murder, and Thomas’s tomb at Canterbury quickly became a place of pilgrimage. Pope Alexander III declared Thomas a saint in 1173. Thomas’s feast day is December 29.
See also Canterbury Cathedral ; Henry II (king of England).
