What Would Thomas More Do?

Hat tip: Rich Leonardi

Let's make it 3 days in a row for one of my favorite saints.

Father Raymond J. de Souza has a piece in the National Post addressing the relevance of the example of St. Thomas More in Canada's ongoing march toward the legalization of simulated marriage for homosexuals:

On Wednesday, the Catholic Church marked the feast of St. Thomas More, a leading statesman of the 16th century and one of the most noble figures in the history of law and politics. Indeed, so impressive were More's fidelity and courage in opposing England's King Henry VIII that the Anglican Communion, despite an obvious disagreement with his position, recognizes him as a martyr.

As this sorry sitting of the House of Commons draws to an end, St. Thomas More is strikingly relevant. He was executed for treason by Henry VIII in 1535 -- an early victim of what we might call today a "democratic deficit." More opposed Henry's declaration that the King would be the head of the Church in England, not the Pope. And of course he opposed Henry's (first) divorce, the proximate cause of Henry wishing to declare himself the head of the Church. Marriage, freedom of conscience and the democratic deficit are all on our federal agenda today. Would that some measure of More's courage was also in evidence.

There are a handful of MPs for whom St. Thomas More's example is particularly relevant. While a free vote will be held in the House on the homosexual marriage bill, the Liberal Cabinet is being whipped to vote in favour. There are several Cabinet ministers whose opposition to gay marriage is well known -- they voted against it before they entered into Cabinet -- but who are now voting in favour.

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Sir Thomas More was, along with Erasmus, the most distinguished humanist of his time. He was a highly-praised chancellor -- what might today be called prime minister. He was a gifted writer. But we don't remember him for all that. We remember him for his willingness to sacrifice all that for his principles. To be sacked from Cabinet for voting one's conscience is not the worst thing that can happen to an MP. The worst thing is to stay in Cabinet by sacking one's conscience.

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