Thomas Becket

Thomas Becket (1118-1170) was an English churchman and statesman who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He was born in London to Norman parents, and as a young man, he served as a clerk and then as a treasurer for Theobald, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1155, he was appointed as Chancellor of England by King Henry II, who was a close friend of Becket.

In 1162, Becket was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury, which put him in conflict with King Henry II over issues of ecclesiastical and royal power. Becket defended the privileges and independence of the Church against the encroachments of the state, which put him at odds with the king's efforts to assert his authority over the Church. Becket's opposition to the king's efforts to subject clergy to secular law led to a bitter feud between the two men.

In 1164, the king passed the Constitutions of Clarendon, a series of laws that sought to limit the power of the Church and establish royal authority over the clergy. Becket initially supported the laws, but later recanted and opposed them, leading to a major confrontation with the king. In 1170, Becket was excommunicated by the Pope, and he fled to France for safety.

However, Becket returned to England in 1170, despite knowing that he was risking his life. On December 29, 1170, four knights who were loyal to the king stormed into Canterbury Cathedral and murdered Becket while he was saying vespers. The murder shocked Europe, and Becket was quickly venerated as a saint and martyr. He was canonized by the Pope in 1173.

The story of Thomas Becket has been the subject of numerous plays, novels, and films, including T. S. Eliot's play "Murder in the Cathedral" and the film "Becket," which starred Richard Burton as Becket and Peter O'Toole as King Henry II.