6 July: anniversary of an exceptional death

18 Comments

1. Christ-Bearer says:

   6 July 2012 at 10:23 PM

   Why on earth does the [c]hurch of England commemorate “Thomas More and John Fisher, Reformation Martyrs” on their liturgical calendar today?
2. AnAmericanMother says:

   6 July 2012 at 10:31 PM

   Because they are confused?
3. fvhale says:

   6 July 2012 at 11:27 PM

   @Christ-Bearer: An Anglican blog, Catholicity and Covenant has a good answer to your question.

   @AnAmericanMother: The blogger mentions that “no doubt some in the Roman tradition (and in some Protestant traditions) see the inclusion of Thomas More and John Fisher in our liturgical calendars as yet more evidence of Anglican confusion and incoherence.”

   The Anglican blog post on the topic is worth a read.
4. Juho says:

   7 July 2012 at 4:05 AM

   I was also slighty stunned at finding an icon (yes, Byzantine style) of Thomas More in the Lutheran cathedral of Linköping in Sweden. Seems to be popular among modern Protestants ;-)
5. Supertradmum says:

   7 July 2012 at 5:03 AM

   Juho, there is a hidden, sort of statue, of St.Thomas More in the Law Courts in London, put up not by Catholics, I think, but lawyers. I found it once in one of the many squirrely alleys around the courts and Temple area, but I could not find it last time I looked. If any Brits know who to find it, let me know.
6. Sissy says:

   7 July 2012 at 6:56 AM

   Why on earth does the [c]hurch of England commemorate “Thomas More and John Fisher, Reformation Martyrs” on their liturgical calendar today?”

   Just to keep things “fair”, the episcopal organization has Martin Luther on the calendar on Feb. 18th. They don’t like to play favorites.
7. AnAmericanMother says:

   7 July 2012 at 7:45 AM

   supertradmum,
   It’s at Lincoln’s Inn, on the Carey St. side. Up on a building.
8. AnAmericanMother says:

   7 July 2012 at 7:53 AM

   Juno,
   The Episcopalians have gone very gung-ho for Byzantine-style icons, but they memorialize people like Che Guevara and Malcolm X and Margaret Mead (or was it Sanger?) There’s a notorious ECUSA church in California (where else?) with a whole frieze of “dancing saints” including a wide variety of the darlings of the radical leftists.
   I guess they have to really stretch themselves to out-weird California.
9. AnAmericanMother says:

   7 July 2012 at 7:54 AM

   Juho,
   Sorry. Auto correct turned you into a Roman goddess. :-)
10. Supertradmum says:

    7 July 2012 at 8:00 AM

    AnAmericanMom, thanks, I was there about two weeks ago and could not see it. Will look again. None of the Brits I asked knew anything about it, including Catholics….
11. Mariana says:

    7 July 2012 at 9:00 AM

    “Why on earth does the [c]hurch of England commemorate….”

    Because in the CofE EVERBODY is right.

    Lutherans in Scandinavia are giddy with their own ecumenism and love icons.
12. Joe in Canada says:

    7 July 2012 at 10:40 AM

    and today one could commemorate the Blessed Martyr Peter To Rot, a married catechis killed by the Japanese in 1945 during the occupation of Papua because of his defense of the Catholic faith and monogamous marriage. Maybe we could invoke Blessed Peter to help us defend marriage and the family!
13. AnAmericanMother says:

    7 July 2012 at 1:32 PM

    supertradmum,
    I looked it up on Google Maps.
    The statue is in a niche over the door of the red brick building at the corner of Carey Street and Serle Street, on the NE corner across from the Royal Courts of Justice and next door to the Seven Stars. The little archway that leads to Wildy’s bookstore is on the other side of the Seven Stars.
    I took a photo of it when we were in London in ’87. Bought a copy of Uncommon Law at Wildy’s, too.
14. Supertradmum says:

    7 July 2012 at 1:46 PM

    That is about the time I saw it last. Wow, we could have passed each other on the street. Thanks for the work. I am copying this information and putting in a file for next hike to the City.
15. Christ-Bearer says:

    7 July 2012 at 3:29 PM

    @fvhale: Thanks, that was an enlightening read into the Anglican mind. I guess in a religion where personal conscience, however formed, takes more and more primacy over revealed doctrinal and moral truths (to which a saint might be expected to adhere) this choice on their calendar sort of makes sense. @AnAmericanMother: I still agree they are confused, though. :-)

    Reason #761535 for Anglicanorum coetibus!
16. pogacnikr says:

    7 July 2012 at 5:47 PM

    Let us not forget the great Maria Goretti!
17. Venerator Sti Lot says:

    10 July 2012 at 4:43 PM

    A belated question: what is a good source for the history of the universalization of the commemoration of St. Thomas More and St. John [Cardinal Fisher] of Rochester, on 9 July (rather than, say, 6 July) and then the ‘transference’ (if that is an acceptable term) to 22 June (the date of the martyrdom of St. John)? And is it still 9 July, following EF observation?
18. Supertradmum says:

    10 July 2012 at 5:36 PM

    Venerator Sti Lot, the original feast of Thomas More was July 9th, declared so by Pope Leo XIII when he was made Blessed. In the changes of the Liturgical Year Calendar of 1970, his feast was moved to the death date of St. John Fisher, June 22nd. In all the English Dioceses, this year, the July 9th date was kept for the EF. To complicate matters, in the Benedictine Monastic Diurnal, which I use, both saints are commemorated on July 9th still. I went to Mass in England on July 9th and the NO Mass commemorated them. I also celebrated their joint feast on June 22nd, which was very interesting to have celebrated them twice. The 1961 calendar has them for the 9th and the NO 1970 for June 22. Only the Anglicans use the July 6th date, the death date of Thomas More. The Catholics never did.

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