| Where: | Canterbury, Kent at the Cathedral |
| When: | 29th December |
| Time: | 5.30 pm |
Thomas Becket was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry II in 1162; as the King’s friend and Lord Chancellor, it was hoped by Henry that Thomas would continue to operate with his best interests at heart. However, Thomas took his ecclesiastical role seriously and soon found himself in opposition to Henry over issues such as the jurisdiction of the crown over clerics. After years of bitter opposition, excommunication of Henry and periods of exile for Thomas, Henry apparently said something along the lines of “Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?” (the exact words are disputed but this is what’s in many histories including the Ladybird book on the subject which I grew up with!); a group of four knights interpreted this as a regal command for the murder of the Archbishop so they set out for Canterbury. Reginald Fitzurse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton murdered the Primate in his own Cathedral at Canterbury, and today that shocking event is remembered in a special service on the anniversary of the assassination on December 29th. After the martyrdom it was discovered that Thomas wore a penitential hair shirt beneath his robes, and soon a cult grew up venerating the principled Archbishop, with many pilgrims visiting his shrine. The service includes readings from T.S.Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral”, the lighting of candles, the placing of red roses at the site of the martyrdom by the clergy, and exquisite singing from the choir. After the conclusion of the service, pilgrims may process to St Thomas’ shrine, where the martyrdom took place.
Helpful Hints
The service takes place on the actual anniversary of the martyrdom and it lasts for about an hour. Entry to the Cathedral is free for those attending services, and there is a retiring collection at the end of the service.
During the service there’s no photography allowed, but there are opportunities to take a few snaps before and after (and there’s a large Nativity scene outside the main doors which is well worth a look).
Click here for the Cathedral website: https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org
and here for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CburyCathedral
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