Thomas More

Thomas More (1478-1535) was a distinguished English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and Renaissance humanist. Serving as Lord High Chancellor under Henry VIII from 1529 to 1532, More was a devout Catholic and a staunch opponent of the Protestant Reformation. His refusal to accept Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England and to sanction the annulment of the king's marriage to Catherine of Aragon led to his conviction for treason and subsequent execution. In 1935, Pope Pius XI canonized More as a martyr.