Portrait of Sir Thomas More (Holbein)
“I die the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”
Tradition has it that St. Thomas More spoke these words on the scaffold, just before his death by beheading.
When King Henry VIII broke from Rome to start the Church of England, his councilor and Lord High Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, refused to renounce his loyal to the pope and the Catholic Church. For this refusal, More was convicted of treason—after fifteen minutes of jury deliberation—and executed.
More’s death may seem a distant event, a historical curiosity with little relevance to the modern world. After all, with the American tradition of separation of church and state, what U.S. president would try to start his or her own church? What need would there be for an American citizen to martyr himself as More did?
Despite the cultural, political, and temporal differences, I think it’s a mistake to be so dismissive of More. In our modern nation of increasing governmental power, more pervasive media, and millions of consumer products, we citizens will have to decide whom our god will be. As Christ taught, one cannot have two masters (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13), so as Catholics, we are called always to be “God’s servant first.”
That’s what this blog is all about.
This call to be God’s servant first can manifest itself in political ways, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor’s challenge to the HHS contraception mandate, or the Catholic college student’s standing up to political correctness.
It can manifest itself in economic ways, such as the family that foregoes the latest gadget, or the dream vacation, to have another child or support Catholic schools.
It can manifest itself in spiritual ways, such as the person who prays the Rosary or reads Scripture instead of visiting another website or watching that reality show on TV.
Like most Catholics in the post–Vatican II age, I was a modernist without realizing it, accepting the platitudes of the liberal West without question. But then two things happened: First, I discovered the ancient Traditions of the Church, including mystical spirituality, the Tridentine Mass, and the Social Kingship of Christ; and second, I began to feel increasingly frustrated at the decline of American civilization into moral degeneracy, economic injustice, and constant warfare. This blog, in part, is my attempt to come to terms with my newfound discovery. “And he who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev. 21:5).
Because of the importance and pervasiveness of economics, politics, and media, I will focus heavily on issues surrounding Catholic social teaching (CST). These teachings are a beautiful part of Catholic Tradition, but they remain unknown even among many practicing Catholics. I seek to promote CST while discussing some of the controversies that have arisen within it, including such topics as libertarianism, distributism, and the just wage, along with topics it has largely overlooked, such as central banking and the business cycle.
The year 2017 seems an opportune time to launch this blog, as last year marked the 125th anniversary of Rerum Novarum and the 25th anniversary of Centesimus Annus, the landmark social-teaching encyclicals of Popes Leo XIII and St. John Paul II, respectively. The current year could be even more significant, as it marks both the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima, Portugal. The Oscar-winning film about the life of St. Thomas More, A Man for All Seasons, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year as well.
I do not claim to speak for St. Thomas More, as the thoughts I express on his blog are strictly my own, but by discussing CST in light of More’s martyrdom, I hope to promote his witness that each Catholic act as God’s servant first.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. St. Thomas More, pray for us!