The Anglican church at St. Dunstan's Church in Canterbury, England, plans to exhume the remains of St. Thomas More's head. The church aims to create a shrine for the relic by 2035, the 500th anniversary of More's martyrdom. St. Thomas More was martyred in 1535 for refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as the head of the church. More's head was displayed on London Bridge before being recovered and preserved by his daughter, Margaret Roper. The relics were last observed in 1997.
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The Anglican St. Dunstan's Church in Canterbury, England, is seeking permission to exhume and conserve the skull of St. Thomas More, which is believed to be interred in the Roper family vault within the church 2, 3. This initiative aims to prepare the relic for display in a shrine by 2035, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of St. Thomas More's martyrdom 2. The parochial church council (PCC) has agreed to the exhumation and conservation, noting that the process of drying and stabilizing the relic will take several years 2, 3.
St. Thomas More was martyred in 1535 by King Henry VIII after he refused to acknowledge the king as the head of the Church of England 2, 3. His purported last words were, "I am the king’s good servant, and God’s first" 2. Following his execution, More's head was displayed on London Bridge as a warning 2, 3. His daughter, Margaret Roper, famously bribed the bridge-keeper to retrieve the head, which she then preserved with spices 2, 3. Eventually, the skull was buried alongside Margaret in the Roper family vault at St. Dunstan's Church 2, 3. The relic was briefly displayed in the 19th century and was last observed in 1997 2, 3. St. Thomas More was canonized as a martyr by Pope Pius XI in 1935 and declared the patron of statesmen and politicians by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000 2.
The church's decision is driven by the upcoming quincentenary of More's death, which is expected to draw significant attention to St. Dunstan's Church as a site of worship, pilgrimage, and education 3. Visitors have frequently requested that the relic be preserved and made more accessible, rather than remaining in a sealed vault 2, 3. Churchwarden Sue Palmer emphasized that the presence of a Catholic saint's relic in an Anglican church presents a unique opportunity for ecumenical outreach and cooperation 3. The church welcomes input from all interested parties, including the Vatican, and stresses that any future display would be respectful and dignified, not merely a museum exhibit 3.
The exhumation and conservation project requires a multi-stage permissions process 2, 3. This includes discussions with specialists, submitting a faculty application to the diocesan advisory committee, and awaiting a decision from the commissary general, who acts as the equivalent of a diocesan judge 3. If approved, the church envisions placing the conserved relic in a reliquary, possibly within a carved stone pillar or shrine above ground in the Roper chapel 2, 3. The aim is to have this setup complete by 2035 for the 500th anniversary 2.
What constitutes veneration of relics within the Church?
The veneration of relics within the Catholic Church is a long-standing practice that involves showing honor and reverence to objects associated with saints. This practice is distinct from the worship due to God alone and is rooted in the belief that saints, as members of Christ's Mystical Body and temples of the Holy Spirit, continue to intercede for the faithful in heaven .
Relics primarily refer to the bodies, or significant parts of the bodies, of saints. These are considered sacred because the saints' bodies were once living temples of the Holy Spirit and are destined for resurrection and glorification . The Church also recognizes other objects as relics, including:
The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints further distinguishes between "significant relics" (bodies or notable parts of bodies, or the sum total of ashes from cremation) and "non-significant relics" (little fragments of the body or objects that came into direct contact with the saint) .
The veneration of relics is justified by several theological principles:
The veneration of relics is a "relative honor" (cultu duliae relativae), meaning the honor shown to the relic is referred to the saint it represents . It is not divine worship (latria), which is reserved for God alone . The Council of Trent explicitly states that no divinity or power is thought to reside in the images or relics themselves, nor should anything be asked of them, or trust be placed in them as heathens do with idols .
Practices of veneration include:
The Church has established strict guidelines to ensure proper veneration and prevent abuses:
In summary, the veneration of relics in the Catholic Church is a deeply rooted practice of honoring saints through their physical remains or associated objects, understood as a relative veneration that ultimately points to Christ and serves to strengthen the communion of the faithful with the saints in heaven .