Why do we remember St John Fisher and Thomas More? Right here stands a testament to their intertwined lives. This is St John Fisher & Thomas More. It is a place where their shared defiance against King Henry VIII echoes through time.
St John Fisher was a man of learning. He was closely associated with Erasmus and Thomas More. He rose to prominence as chancellor at Cambridge. Later he became a bishop at the young age of 35. Fisher sought to elevate the standard of preaching in England. He was himself a skilled preacher and writer. His sermons were reprinted seven times before his death.
As Lutheranism spread Fisher entered into theological debate. His eight books against heresy established him as a leading theologian in Europe. In 1521 King Henry VIII sought Fisher’s opinion on his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Fisher angered Henry by defending the validity of the marriage. He further defied the king by rejecting Henry’s claim to be the supreme head of the Church of England.
Henry tried to silence Fisher by accusing him of concealing the revelations of Elizabeth Barton a nun from Kent. Despite his failing health Fisher refused to take the oath to the new Act of Succession. This act affirmed the legality of Henry’s divorce. It also supported his claim as head of the English Church. Fisher and More were imprisoned in the Tower of London. Fisher spent fourteen months there without a trial. They were sentenced to life imprisonment and loss of property.
During interrogations Fisher declared that the king was not the supreme head of the church in England. This angered Henry even more especially since the Pope had made John Fisher a cardinal. Fisher was tried for high treason. He was condemned and executed. His body was displayed on the scaffold all day. His head was hung on London Bridge.
Thomas More met a similar fate two weeks later. Their crime was the same they denied Henry VIII’s supremacy over the church. Though they were often described as soulmates their paths rarely crossed. Fisher was ascetic. More was worldly. Fisher was a clergyman. More was a lawyer.
The Tower of London was a place where these two men spent time. The Tower helps us understand their faith in the face of adversity. It is said that the martyrs were imprisoned in the same building. While this is likely false their bones were thrown together in a chapel within the royal complex.
Their place of execution was a space they definitely shared. Here Henry VIII showed a rare moment of compassion. He changed their sentence from being hanged drawn and quartered to beheading. More and Fisher both spent over a year in the Tower of London. It is believed that Fisher resided in the Bell Tower. More likely had a more comfortable residence. He visited Fisher at least once. Fisher was left in such a state of physical ruin that the crowd gasped when they saw him. Fisher wrote to King Henry pleading for food and clothing.
Both saints spoke of death as a release. Their lives were miserable especially for Fisher. He was not allowed visits from a priest. After their beheadings their remains were abused. Their heads were displayed on London Bridge two weeks apart. Fisher’s head was tossed in the Thames. More’s daughter bought his severed head before it could be thrown in the river. The bodies were dumped into an unmarked grave.
Over time their goodness became evident. Both were raised to sainthood by the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Their joint feast day is June 22 the date of St John Fisher’s execution.
Here at St John Fisher & Thomas More we honor these men who stood firm in their beliefs. Their courage echoes through the centuries. Their story reminds us of the cost of conviction. Their memory inspires us to live with integrity.