9 July: Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher

St. Thomas More, once Chancellor of England, was martyred on 6 July 1535.  St. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was martyred on 22 June 1535.   In the Novus Ordo calendar, they are celebrated on 22 June.  In the traditional calendar they are celebrated today, 9 July.  John Paul II named St. Thomas the patron of statemen.

It is quite hard to find their proper for celebration in the Vetus Ordo, the Traditional Latin Mass.  HERE My good friend Fr. Finigan sent it to me.  In your kindness pray for his swift and full recovery from a stroke.

Let us ask St. Thomas to intercede with God to obtain special graces of sorrow and of tears for Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi and all other Catholic politicians who have for years contributed by their efforts in government and by giving scandalous example, to the extermination of countless pre-born children.

Let us ask St. John to intercede with God to obtain special graces, a deepening of the gifts of fortitude and of fear of the Lord, so that they will at last, as a body, fulfill their duty before God and His people in the instruction of errant Catholic politicians and in the proper administration of the Eucharist in Holy Communion to those who manifestly and persistently cause grave scandal.

I posted this on 22 June, but it bears repetition. From the 2005 Martyrologium Romanum.

Sanctorum Ioannis Fisher, episcopi, et Thomae More, martyrum, qui, cum Henrico regi Octavo in controversia de eius matrimonio repudiando et de Romani Pontificis primatu restitissent, in Turrem Londinii in Anglia trusi sunt.  Ioannes Fisher, episcopus Roffensis, vir eruditione et dignitate vitae clarissimus, hac die iussu ipsius regis ante carcerem decollatus est; Thomas More vero paterfamilias vita integerrimus et praeses coetus moderatorum nationis, propter fidelitatem erga Ecclesiam catholicam servatam sexta die iulii cum venerabili antistite martyrio coniunctus est.

Sts. Thomas and John, pray for us.