King Henry VIII.
Over 350 years after Thomas Becket’s death, his shrine was destroyed by agents of King Henry VIII.
What happened to Thomas Becket’s tomb?
50 years after his murder, the remains of Thomas Becket were carefully removed from his tomb in the cathedral’s crypt and transferred (or ‘translated’) to a bejewelled and golden casket in a purpose-built chapel behind the high altar.
What did Henry II do to Thomas Becket?
On 29 December 1170, 850 years ago, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by four knights from Henry II’s household. The murder shocked medieval society. Becket quickly came to be seen as a martyr, people prayed to him, and he was believed to work miracles.
What were Thomas Becket’s last words?
‘Willingly I die in the name of Jesus and in defence of the Church. ‘ These were Becket’s last words, so reported. Almost overnight he became a hero.
What injuries did Becket have?
They reached Canterbury Cathedral on December 29th, where they found Becket before the High Altar, as he had gone there to hear Vespers. One of the knights approached him, and struck Becket on the shoulder with the flat of his sword.
Why did Becket wear a hair shirt?
Instead of wearing expensive clothes, Becket now wore a simple monastic habit. As a penance (punishment for previous sins) he slept on a cold stone floor, wore a tight-fitting hair-shirt that was infested with fleas and was scourged (whipped) daily by his monks.
What miracles did Thomas Becket do?
Thomas. One of the miracles which can be seen in the Trinity Chapel’s windows is the cure of Petronella of Polesworth. Petronella was a nun who suffered from epilepsy and travelled down from North Warwickshire to Canterbury to visit the tomb of St. Thomas.
Why was St Thomas Becket put to death?
He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral.
Why did Henry want Becket death?
Henry hoped that Becket would work with him to bring the Church under control. In particular, Henry wanted to put an end to the practice of clerics being tried in religious courts rather than the king’s court.
What did Thomas Becket refuse to do?
While in France, he excommunicated several of the English bishops. Naturally, the English bishops did not want him back when he returned. Despite Henry’s pleas, Thomas was adamant, refusing to absolve the excommunicated.
Who did Thomas Becket betray?
The Becket controversy or Becket dispute was the quarrel between Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England from 1163 to 1170.
Was Thomas Becket a hero?
Thomas Becket is a tragic hero in Murder at the Cathedral, because he dies thinking he is sacrificing himself for the greater good. He is laid out as the hero and protagonist based on the four temptations he must conquer after returning to Canterbury Cathedral from exile as laid out by the poor women chorus.
Why was Thomas called Becket?
Thomas Becket was the son of Norman settlers who lived in the city of London. His father was a merchant who traveled among the circles of French-speaking Norman immigrants. The name “Becket” is likely a nickname, possibly meaning beak or nose, which was given to his father.
Where are relics of St Thomas Becket?
*A reliquary within the Martyr’s Chapel of this church, located within the right transept, contains three relics of St Thomas Becket.
What was purported to have happened to Becket’s corpse after the sack of Canterbury Cathedral and the destruction of the shrine inside?
Four knights took the king at his word and killed Becket, attacking him with their swords in his own cathedral. After his shrine’s destruction, Becket’s body is thought to have been burned or reburied elsewhere.
What notable thing happened to Becket three years after his death?
Within a few days after Thomas’s death, his tomb became a goal of pilgrimage, and he was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1173. In 1174 Henry did penance at Canterbury and was absolved. For almost four centuries, Becket’s shrine was one of the most famous in Europe.
What happened to Becket after his death?
St Thomas of Canterbury
1210. Soon after his death, Becket gains a reputation as a great healer and hundreds of miraculous cures are attributed to him. These miracle stories are told to the monks at Canterbury Cathedral by pilgrims visiting to give thanks at the archbishop’s tomb in the crypt.