Thomas was born in in London. He studied law and became an assistant to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas met influential people in the Church and the government. The archbishop trusted him and sent him to Rome several times on Church matters.
Thomas was also ordained as a deacon. That same year, a new king was crowned in England, Henry II. Thomas and Henry became good friends. Henry appointed Thomas the chancellor of England, an important position in the government. A large salary came with the job, and Thomas began to live like a wealthy man. A strong friendship developed between the king and his chancellor. Unfortunately, King Henry sought complete control over his kingdom and further sought control over the Catholic Church in England as well.
As the king planned to usurp the powers of the Church, he realized that he would need an Archbishop who would not oppose him, an Archbishop who would be under his influence and control.
He looked to Thomas. But of his long friendship with his chancellor, Henry believed that Thomas would support him in his plan to control the Church.
Faced with the responsibility of leading the people of God, Thomas changed his manner of living and began his theological studies anew. Henry continued his pursuit of Thomas and finally persuaded his chancellor to agree to become the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was made a saint in and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage. Search term:. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled.
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