Santos Juan Fisher y Tomás Moro

lunes, 22 de junio de 2020

San Juan Fisher, obispo y santo Tomás Moro, mártires

San Juan Fisher, obispo de Rochester sufrió el martirio el 22 de junio de 1535 y santo Tomás Moro, canciller de Inglaterra, dio su testimonio de fe catorce días después, el 6 de julio. 

Ambos habían sido amigos y a los dos quiso usarlos el rey Enrique VIII para legitimar su divorcio de Catalina de Aragón, su adulterio con Ana Bolena y su pretensión de convertirse en cabeza de la Iglesia de Inglaterra.

Ya antes de ser obispo y canciller de la Universidad de Cambridge Juan Fisher era famoso por su erudición y por la santidad de su vida. Tenía sesenta y seis años cuando lo condenaron. El Papa Pablo III intentó salvarlo nombrándolo cardenal pero no pudo evitar su ejecución. 

Tomás Moro era un abogado de prestigio y un cristiano piadoso que cultivó la amistad de los más sabios humanistas y llegó a ser Canciller de Inglaterra. Tuvo cuatro hijos de su primera esposa y, al enviudar, contrajo matrimonio por segunda vez. En su epitafio dejó constancia de su amor por sus dos esposas, Juana y Alice: «La tumba nos unirá y rezo para que el cielo también nos una. La muerte nos dará lo que la vida no pudo». 

Lo que hemos pedido en la oración colecta por la intercesión de estos dos mártires, lo pedimos ahora por intercesión de la Virgen María: que Dios nos conceda ratificar la fe que profesamos con una vida santa. 

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2020 June 22th, Monday

Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Saint Thomas More, martyrs

Saint John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was martyred on June 22th, 1535, and Saint Thomas More, Chancellor of England, gave his testimony of faith fourteen days later, on July 6th.

Both had been friends and King Henry VIII wanted to use both of them  to legitimize his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his adultery with Ana Bolena and his claim to become head of the Church of England.

Before being Bishop and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Juan Fisher was famous for his erudition and for the sanctity of his life. He was sixty-six years old when he was sentenced. Pope Paul III attempted to save him by appointing him cardinal but could not avoid his execution.

Thomas More was a prestigious lawyer and a pious Christian who cultivated the friendship of the wisest humanists and became Chancellor of England. He had four children by his first wife and, when widowed, he married a second time. In his epitaph he recorded his love for his two wives, Juana and Alice: «The grave will unite us and I pray that heaven will also unite us. Death will give us what life could not ».

What we have asked for in the prayer collected through the intercession of these two martyrs, we now ask for it through the intercession of the Virgin Mary: may God grant us to ratify the faith we profess with a holy life.