St. Thomas Becket and St. Thomas More have much in common. Both men were English martyrs who were killed opposing a king (named Henry) who wanted to usurp the rights of the Catholic Church. Both were, at one time, Chancellors of England. And both were the subjects of an Oscar winning adaption of a stage play made in the 1960's. There are also (obviously) many differences between the men. In this weeks Lent "review" I'm going to compare and contrast both of these saints and the films that tell their stories.
Thomas Becket's England (circa the late 13th century) was much more primitive than More's (circa the early 16th century). England was still recovering from the Norman conquest of 100 years prior and there was much enmity between ruling Normans and the oppressed Saxons. These racial tensions had ceased by Thomas More's time. The church was also still consolidating secular political power in the 13th century, while in the 16th century it was at the height of its power in England. So in many ways Thomas Becket helped the church to gain power under the reign of Henry II. In Thomas More's time, Henry VIII would challenge that power and ultimately break from Papal authority altogether.
The actions of both men also had similarities and differences. Becket opposed the Constitutions of Clarendon which gave the clergy less independence from the government and weakened their connection with Rome. More refused to swear an oath to the Act of Succession, which declared Anne Boleyn the wife of Henry VIII contrary to the ruling of the Pope. So the act that More opposed was a much more specific one but both challenged the Pope's authority. The biggest difference between the two men is that Becket was steadfast in his opposition and clashed with Henry II much more directly. More, on the other hand preferred to stay out of trouble and only came into conflict when directly confronted. Both men would resign their post as Chancellor of England but while Becket did this in opposition to Henry, More did so to hoping to stay out of the conflict. The source of these differences may be in the two men's political positions. Thomas More was a lawyer and then a chancellor, purely temporal political positions. Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury and, as such, responsible much more directly for the Church's well being. Of course another major difference is that Becket's death caused Henry II to eventually make public penance and it helped the church to consolidate its political position while More's martyrdom was followed by many more.
The films themselves take different approaches to the material. A Man for All Seasons is the more historically accurate of the two going so far as to use actual quotes (though changed and translated to modern English) from More's trial and interrogation. Becket takes certain liberties, portraying the saint as a Saxon when he was, in fact, a Norman (Jean Anouilh, who wrote the play, was misinformed about this at the time) and exaggerating the extent of his personal relationship with Henry. There are also differences in narrative structure. Becket goes back and forth between Thomas and Henry while A Man for All Seasons focuses solely on Thomas More's perspective. Finally there are thematic differences. Becket focuses on the theme of honor. Thomas finds honor in defending God and his church as Archbishop that he never possessed as Henry's chancellor. A Man for All Seasons, on the other hand, is all about conscience. Thomas More feels compelled to follow his conscience under increasingly difficult circumstances.
With so much focus on scandals in the clergy and the separation of church and state lately, both films feel very relevant. The Catholic Church of today does not have the same temporal power that it did in the times of Becket and More. Considering many of the recent sex scandals many would say this is a good thing. It certainly demands more transparency and accountability from the clergy. On the other hand the Pope and the Bishops are no longer able to defend Catholics from religious persecution in the same way. So, while there is perhaps, less temptation toward corruption within the church the church has less ability to curb political corruption outside it. In many ways however I feel that this is ultimately a call to action for the laity. Like Thomas More we must stand strong in the face of worldly corruption. As shepherds the priests and bishops can and should support us in this, taking example from Thomas Becket. In an ever-changing world we, as Catholics, must remain strong.
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