By JOHN GRIFFINIf I could time-travel to meet one person in Church history who lived from 1500-1900, it would be Sir Thomas More because of his strength in the face of death. Born in 1478, Thomas was reared as a page in the household of Cardinal Morton, who prophesied greatness for his ward.
Later in his life, More entered the profession of law, but for a time religious piety led him to fast, pray and scourge himself. In fact, he almost entered the priesthood. He eventually gave up on this idea; but religion remained most powerful in his life, and every Friday, he scourged himself as penance for his sins.
In 1504, More gained the King's enmity because he sided against him in a parliament decision. But when Henry VIII took the throne, More, almost against his will, was appointed to a higher place in the court. King Henry liked More because of his wit and youth, and so he was knighted. Later, More was appointed chancellor and quickly became one of the King's favorites.
When it appeared that King Henry had made up his mind to divorce his queen, More stood up for what he believed in and opposed this move by Henry. More knew that he would suffer for this, but he stood by his decision. King Henry was so displeased that he had More beheaded on July 6, 1535.
I admire St. Thomas More for standing up for what he believed in. He made a stand for his religion even in the face of death. One of his most famous quotes is, "I say no harm, I think no harm, but I wish everyone good." If I was to travel back to meet him, I would not know what to say to someone that I admire so much. In 1935, 400 years after his death, More was canonized by Pope Pius XI for being a famous religious martyr. More also wrote a book called "Utopia," which was an imaginary island where all people were equal and there was no sin.
Although the life in Utopia could never be possible in our world today, I feel that Thomas More took this world a step closer to that of Utopia. More influenced a great many people by standing up for Christianity. I know that the world would be a better place if there were more people like Thomas More. I feel that I have a lot in common with him -- or at least hope that I do because we both share interests in law and politics.
I hope that when I become an adult, I will gain more courage and strength as did More. I will try to follow his footsteps and guidelines that he set for us. I also hope that in the future, our world will be more like the "Utopia" that Thomas More spoke of.