Posted on 03/21/2006 12:13:56 PM PST by sionnsar
Today is the 450th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Thomas Cranmer.
Those of you who followed my travels to England this past Advent know I was quite moved by visiting the sites of his martyrdom and of Latimer and Ridley’s.
It’s difficult for me to put into a few words why his martyrdom means so much to me. I know I love the Prayer Book that he wrote. I sympathize with him because, as Diarmaid MacCulloch’s biography of Cranmer brings out well, he was quite human and, yes, weak at times. Yet I revere him because, as an old man Bloody Mary thought she had broken, he finished with such defiant strength.
I’m sure others can opine on his martyrdom with much more eloquence than I. So instead, here’s a few photos I took of the martyrdom sites that meant so much to me:
The prison door that held Cranmer. Now in the tower of St. Michael’s at the North Gate.
A column cut to hold the platform on which Cranmer denounced his recantations in the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin on the day he was martyred. By the way, you can just reach out and touch the door and the column cut. History is much more accessible in the U. K. than in the U. S.
Where Cranmer and earlier Latimer and Ridley were burned right in the middle of Broad Street.
By the way, you can see many other photos of my pilgrimage to England here. They are roughly in reverse chronological order.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Great guy.
If I ever want to get rid of my old wife and replace her with a younger, hotter, and more charming wife... I should pray to Saint Thomas Cranmer, patron saint of unhappy husbands.
Let's put this in context. Conservatives were very willing to cast stones at Bill Clinton for his affair. Imagine if he wanted to get rid of Hillary and marry his mistress, Monica. Hillary refuses. Then Bill Clinton has everyone in America sign a document that his marriage to Hillary was not valid and his marriage with Monica would be the valid marriage. Whoever protests is killed by Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton is supported by clergymen like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
When Chelsea Clinton grows up, she has Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton killed.
I am sorry for being uncharitable, but I would not consider Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to be martyrs of the faith if Chelsea Clinton was responsible for their death. They may have given great speeches or wrote great prayers, but still...
Many Protestants of that day believed the institution of the papacy -- not the Pope, as you incorrectly note -- was the Antichrist.
Thomas Cranmer said: "Whereof it followeth Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons." (Referring to prophecies in Revelation and Daniel.)
Cranmer's greater contribution was the Book of Common Prayer, which has enlightened our minds and spirits ever since.
Here I agree with you. Some of the great composers were not men of great faith and fidelity to the truth, but their music does uplift our spirits.
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