A bloodstained tunic belonging to former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket is to be returned to the UK after a 500-year Italian exile.
The garment will be returned on loan by the Vatican to help mark the 850th anniversary of the murder of Becket and the 800th anniversary of the creation of his shrine...
Thomas Becket's bloodied tunic will return to Canterbury 850 years after he was murdered by Henry II's knights
Garment will be returned by Vatican to help mark the 850th anniversary of death
It will also mark the 800th anniversary of the creation of his shrine at Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral was where Becket was martyred in December 1170
By Leigh McManus For Mailonline
4 November 2018
A bloodstained tunic belonging to former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket is to be returned to the UK after a 500-year Italian exile.
The garment will be returned on loan by the Vatican to help mark the 850th anniversary of the murder of Becket and the 800th anniversary of the creation of his shrine.
Canterbury Cathedral was where Becket was martyred in December 1170 following a bitter dispute with King Henry II. It became a shrine after Pope Alexander III made Becket a saint following the murder.
Richard Burton as Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket in the 1964 film 'Becket'
Pilgrims flocked from far and wide to the site before it was destroyed in 1538 by Henry VIII.
The Vatican and The Church of England have been discussing how to mark Becket's anniversaries for some time.
These discussions have included the issue of loaning the blood-stained tunic.
Among those involved are the Foreign Office – via the British embassy to the Holy See – and Father Robert McCulloch, procurator general of the Missionary Society of St Columban, who suggested the tunic might be loaned to Canterbury.
Chasuble of St. Thomas Becket an ornate sleeveless outer vestment worn by a Catholic or High Anglican priest during mass proceedings
Painting of the death of Thomas Becket by four knights acting on behalf of Henry II
He said: 'The archives of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore show that the tunic has been kept there since 1485. There is a theory that Henry VII gave the tunic of a great English saint and martyr to the then pope because he wanted to please him as he was trying to get him to canonise Henry VI.
'If Henry VI was made a saint, Henry VII thought this would put his House of Tudor, with its links to the Lancastrian Henry VI, in a good light. It's ironic that his son, Henry VIII, then broke with Rome and had Becket's shrine destroyed.'
Canterbury Cathedral is to host a series of commemorations in 2020 to mark the anniversaries, including a major church service, jointly held by Catholics and Anglicans, and an exhibition of artefacts linked to Becket.
A vintage cigarette card featuring Archibishop of Canterbury Thomas a Becket, printed in London, circa 1935
A still of the 1964 film 'Becket' with Richard Burton as the Archbishop of Canterbury (centre)
The tunic would be a welcome edition. It has been housed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the great papal churches of Rome, since it was given to the pope by Henry's father, Henry VII, 50 years before the Reformation meant that many of Becket's belongings were destroyed.
Becket has been a figure of interest since his murder. His story inspired Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and in the 20th century he was the subject of TS Eliot's verse drama Murder in the Cathedral.
His life also inspired another play, by French playwright Jean Anouilh that was made into Becket, the 1964 film starring Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O'Toole as Henry II.
According to John Butler, author of 1995 book The Quest for Becket's Bones: the Mystery of the Relics of St Thomas Becket, a reliquary, or casket for holding a sacred object, was opened at Santa Maria Maggiore in 1992.
It was said to contain Becket's tunic sprinkled with his blood. Scientists from Munich University confirmed that it was most probably authentic.
Here, Burton appears as the martyred churchman in the film version of the Jean Anouilh play
Priests at Santa Maria Maggiore are enthusiastic about the loan, which needs approval by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister. Ravasi has previously loaned vestments to a fashion show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Jane Walker, spokeswoman for Canterbury Cathedral, said: 'We are at the planning stage for our 2020 commemoration of Becket. It's very exciting if the tunic comes from Rome.'
Thomas Becket and his death
Becket was a 12th century chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury whose murder resulted in his canonisation.
Thomas Becket was born in around 1120, the son of a prosperous London merchant. He was well educated and quickly became an agent to Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on several missions to Rome.
The murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Thomas Becket, aka Saint Thomas of Canterbury
Becket's talents were noticed by Henry II, who made him his chancellor and the two became close friends. When Theobald died in 1161, Henry made Becket archbishop. Becket transformed himself from a pleasure-loving courtier into a serious, simply-dressed cleric.
The king and his archbishop's friendship was put under strain when it became clear that Becket would now stand up for the church in its disagreements with the king.
In 1164, realising the extent of Henry's displeasure, Becket fled into exile in France, and remained in exile for several years. He returned in 1170.
On the 29 December 1170, four knights, believing the king wanted Becket out of the way, confronted and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
Becket was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage.
'The wicked knight leapt suddenly upon him, cutting off the top of the crown which the unction of sacred chrism had dedicated to God. Next he received a second blow on the head, but still he stood firm and immovable. At the third blow he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living sacrifice, and saying in a low voice, "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death." But the third knight inflicted a terrible wound as he lay prostrate. By this stroke, the crown of his head was separated from the head in such a way that the blood white with the brain, and the brain no less red from the blood, dyed the floor of the cathedral. The same clerk who had entered with the knights placed his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr, and, horrible to relate, scattered the brains and blood about the pavements, crying to the others, 'Let us away, knights; this fellow will arise no more.' - Edward Grim, a witness who was injured in the attack
Canterbury Cathedral
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...nic-return-Canterbury-850-years-murdered.html
The garment will be returned on loan by the Vatican to help mark the 850th anniversary of the murder of Becket and the 800th anniversary of the creation of his shrine...
Thomas Becket's bloodied tunic will return to Canterbury 850 years after he was murdered by Henry II's knights
Garment will be returned by Vatican to help mark the 850th anniversary of death
It will also mark the 800th anniversary of the creation of his shrine at Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral was where Becket was martyred in December 1170
By Leigh McManus For Mailonline
4 November 2018
A bloodstained tunic belonging to former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket is to be returned to the UK after a 500-year Italian exile.
The garment will be returned on loan by the Vatican to help mark the 850th anniversary of the murder of Becket and the 800th anniversary of the creation of his shrine.
Canterbury Cathedral was where Becket was martyred in December 1170 following a bitter dispute with King Henry II. It became a shrine after Pope Alexander III made Becket a saint following the murder.
Richard Burton as Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket in the 1964 film 'Becket'
Pilgrims flocked from far and wide to the site before it was destroyed in 1538 by Henry VIII.
The Vatican and The Church of England have been discussing how to mark Becket's anniversaries for some time.
These discussions have included the issue of loaning the blood-stained tunic.
Among those involved are the Foreign Office – via the British embassy to the Holy See – and Father Robert McCulloch, procurator general of the Missionary Society of St Columban, who suggested the tunic might be loaned to Canterbury.
Chasuble of St. Thomas Becket an ornate sleeveless outer vestment worn by a Catholic or High Anglican priest during mass proceedings
Painting of the death of Thomas Becket by four knights acting on behalf of Henry II
He said: 'The archives of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore show that the tunic has been kept there since 1485. There is a theory that Henry VII gave the tunic of a great English saint and martyr to the then pope because he wanted to please him as he was trying to get him to canonise Henry VI.
'If Henry VI was made a saint, Henry VII thought this would put his House of Tudor, with its links to the Lancastrian Henry VI, in a good light. It's ironic that his son, Henry VIII, then broke with Rome and had Becket's shrine destroyed.'
Canterbury Cathedral is to host a series of commemorations in 2020 to mark the anniversaries, including a major church service, jointly held by Catholics and Anglicans, and an exhibition of artefacts linked to Becket.
A vintage cigarette card featuring Archibishop of Canterbury Thomas a Becket, printed in London, circa 1935
A still of the 1964 film 'Becket' with Richard Burton as the Archbishop of Canterbury (centre)
The tunic would be a welcome edition. It has been housed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the great papal churches of Rome, since it was given to the pope by Henry's father, Henry VII, 50 years before the Reformation meant that many of Becket's belongings were destroyed.
Becket has been a figure of interest since his murder. His story inspired Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and in the 20th century he was the subject of TS Eliot's verse drama Murder in the Cathedral.
His life also inspired another play, by French playwright Jean Anouilh that was made into Becket, the 1964 film starring Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O'Toole as Henry II.
According to John Butler, author of 1995 book The Quest for Becket's Bones: the Mystery of the Relics of St Thomas Becket, a reliquary, or casket for holding a sacred object, was opened at Santa Maria Maggiore in 1992.
It was said to contain Becket's tunic sprinkled with his blood. Scientists from Munich University confirmed that it was most probably authentic.
Here, Burton appears as the martyred churchman in the film version of the Jean Anouilh play
Priests at Santa Maria Maggiore are enthusiastic about the loan, which needs approval by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister. Ravasi has previously loaned vestments to a fashion show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Jane Walker, spokeswoman for Canterbury Cathedral, said: 'We are at the planning stage for our 2020 commemoration of Becket. It's very exciting if the tunic comes from Rome.'
Thomas Becket and his death
Becket was a 12th century chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury whose murder resulted in his canonisation.
Thomas Becket was born in around 1120, the son of a prosperous London merchant. He was well educated and quickly became an agent to Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on several missions to Rome.
The murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Thomas Becket, aka Saint Thomas of Canterbury
Becket's talents were noticed by Henry II, who made him his chancellor and the two became close friends. When Theobald died in 1161, Henry made Becket archbishop. Becket transformed himself from a pleasure-loving courtier into a serious, simply-dressed cleric.
The king and his archbishop's friendship was put under strain when it became clear that Becket would now stand up for the church in its disagreements with the king.
In 1164, realising the extent of Henry's displeasure, Becket fled into exile in France, and remained in exile for several years. He returned in 1170.
On the 29 December 1170, four knights, believing the king wanted Becket out of the way, confronted and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
Becket was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage.
'The wicked knight leapt suddenly upon him, cutting off the top of the crown which the unction of sacred chrism had dedicated to God. Next he received a second blow on the head, but still he stood firm and immovable. At the third blow he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living sacrifice, and saying in a low voice, "For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death." But the third knight inflicted a terrible wound as he lay prostrate. By this stroke, the crown of his head was separated from the head in such a way that the blood white with the brain, and the brain no less red from the blood, dyed the floor of the cathedral. The same clerk who had entered with the knights placed his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr, and, horrible to relate, scattered the brains and blood about the pavements, crying to the others, 'Let us away, knights; this fellow will arise no more.' - Edward Grim, a witness who was injured in the attack
Canterbury Cathedral
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...nic-return-Canterbury-850-years-murdered.html
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