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History lesson: The murder of Thomas BecketThomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury in England during the reign of King Henry II. He initially served as Lord Chancellor to the king and was even entrusted with the care of the crown prince, who lived in his household. At some point, Becket received the highly prized bishopric of Canterbury. After this appointment, however, the famous transformation of Becket into an ascetic occurred.
This led to a growing rift between Thomas Becket and the king, as Becket sought to recover and extend the rights of the Church of Canterbury. This resulted in a series of escalating conflicts with Henry II, including a dispute over the jurisdiction of secular courts over English clergymen. The antagonism between Becket and the king intensified. Becket was accused and eventually convicted of contempt of royal authority and malfeasance in his former role as chancellor, which forced him to flee the country. After the intervention of the pope, he was allowed to return to England.
The conflict, however, did not subside. After another confrontation, King Henry II is said to have uttered the famous words: **βWill no one rid me of this turbulent priest?β**
Regardless of what Henry said precisely, his words were interpreted as a royal command. Four knights set out for Canterbury, and on 29 December 1170 they entered the monastic cloister and [killed the archbishop](
Thomas Becket - Wikipedia
) on the steps of the crypt.
This is what I think of when I read such news:
