A clever man who saw through the system even then. And mind you, back then there was no radio, no television and certainly no internet. He was even canonized, but the institution that canonized him, whether they ever understood his words?
In his work “Utopia”, Thomas More has his protagonist Raphael Hythlodeus give a speech about the best state constitution. He sees this in the utopian form of government and he criticizes the social grievances in the existing states:
“I would like to see him who dares to compare the justice of other peoples with such equality of law [namely: in the utopian state]! Yes, I want to be dead if I can even find a trace of justice and equity in the others!
Because what kind of justice is it that any nobleman or goldsmith or usurer or any other of the class of people who does nothing at all or at least engages in an occupation that is not urgently necessary for the state, that they lead a lavish and brilliant life may from an acquisition that brings him his idleness or his superfluous business, while at the same time the day laborer, the carter, the blacksmith, the farmer with all his hard and constant work, as it would not endure a draft animal, which is so urgently needed that without them society could not get by for a year, but only earn such a meager livelihood, has to lead such a miserable life that the situation of the draft oxen could seem much better, who do not have to fight so constantly, not much worse, but get them much better tasting food and with all that not have to fear the future?
For these people, on the other hand, the daily agitation of unsuccessful, fruitless work spoils the enjoyment of the present, and in the thought of the future they also torture the prospect of a helpless old age. For if their daily wages are too meager to last even for the same day, how is something supposed to jump out and be left over that one could put aside every day for use in old age? Isn't that an unjust and ungrateful state that has so much favor wasted on the so-called noblemen, on jewelers and other members of this class of people, which consists of day thieves or mere parasites and members of useless luxury trades, but does not give any care to farmers, charcoal burners, day laborers, carters and blacksmiths, without whom no state could exist at all but first of all exploiting their work during the best years of their lives and then, when they finally, bent by age and illness, lack all necessities, repaid them in the most disgraceful way, unthinking so many wakeful nights, so many and so great services by doing them let die in the most wretched poverty?
What can one say in full about the fact that the rich are still wringing something off the daily wages of the poor, not only through private fraud, but even on the basis of public laws? So they have completely distorted what was previously considered unjust: the greatest merits in repaying the state with the worst ingratitude, in its public validity, and finally made justice through legal sanctions.
Therefore, if I look in my mind and ponder all of our states that are in bloom somewhere today, I come across nothing else, so help me God, than a kind of conspiracy by the rich, which is the name and legal title of the state abusing them to gain their own benefit. They think up and devise all sorts of methods and tricks, first to hold onto their property, which they have gathered with reprehensible means, without risk of loss, then to buy and abuse the labor and labor of the poor as cheaply as possible. Once the rich have made the decision in the name of the state, that is to say also of the poor, to carry out their machinations, they are immediately given legal force.
But even if these abominable people, in their incomprehensible greed, have divided among themselves all the goods in life that would have been sufficient for everyone, how far are they from the happy state of the utopian state! "
Source: Thomas More: Utopia. Translated by G. Ritter. Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart 1983, pp. 143-145
In a letter from prison to his daughter Margret, Thomas More explains his motives for his behavior towards the king: “My daughter Margret, we have discussed these things more than once or twice. ... Each time I told you that no man would have sworn the oath with more joy than I if I saw a way to do the king's will without offending God at the same time. More than anyone else, I feel deeply indebted to my royal highness for the many extraordinary favors that I have enjoyed at all times. But I have to stick to my conscience, which is why I have no other course of action. I did not form my opinion after briefly examining the matter; For many years I have studied the question from various angles. I've considered all the options.
I never read or heard anything, and I will hardly ever come across anything that could somehow change my convictions. I can't find a way out; God presented me with the alternative: Either I am mortally displeasing to him, or I have to accept whatever human misfortune he wants to come upon me to atone for my other sins. As you know, even before I was brought here, I was thinking of the worst and most dangerous consequences that my conduct could have. I know my own weakness very well; I know about the timidity of my heart. If I had not trusted in God, who will certainly give me the strength to endure all these difficulties, in order to offend him by perjury which I would have to undertake against the conviction of my conscience, I would certainly not have come here. I just want to go by God in this matter; therefore I do not mind at all if people measure my attitude by their standards and even see the reason for it not in my conscience, but only in foolish scruples. "
Source: The English Works of Sir Thomas More. London 1557; German text from: Readings for the holy festivals in May and June. Salzburg 1970, pp. 46-48
Thomas More defends his frankness towards the king and his silence before the royal commission in court:
“The indictment contains, if I am not mistaken, four main points which, with God's help, I will answer in order.
Above all, I am said to have disapproved of the king's marriage to the current Queen Anna. It is true that whenever the King deigned to ask me, I always conscientiously and frankly expressed my opinion on this subject. But I cannot see how I can therefore be accused of high treason. On the contrary, I would have been an unfaithful traitor to my God as to my king if, on such a very important matter, I had asked my advice out of flattery and favoritism against my convictions and against my conscience. ... The second charge is that, despite two interrogations before a royal commission, I refused to express my view on the parliamentary law which declares and titles the king as the supreme head of the English Church; it is said that I did this out of malicious and treasonable disposition and intention. This law does not affect me, I enjoy no earthly benefits from the Church and leave the question of whether the law is lawful or not to be decided. I have never said or done anything against the same thing. Nobody will be able to convict me of such a statement or act. As I said before, all I want to think about is the suffering of Christ and my own death. Neither the law in question, nor any other law, can punish a man for his silence; only words and actions are punishable by the law. God alone is the judge of our thoughts. "
Source: Documents on the history of the church, collected by Michael Pfliegler. Tyrolia-Verlag Innsbruck / Vienna / Munich 1958, p. 228f
Quotes from Thomas More: "We can't just look for raisins from the cake of life."
“Since people were reluctant to be guided in their actions according to Christ's prescription, they stretched his teaching like a measuring stick made of soft lead according to their customs, so that the two still coincide somewhat. I don't know what they'll achieve with it, except that one can do evil with a clearer conscience. "
Nothing will be good and perfect until people are good and perfect.
There is no sorrow on earth that heaven cannot heal. Music, with your magical sounds, language seems poor and cold.
Lord, give me a sense of humor, give me the grace to understand a joke so that I can know a little luck in life and share it with others.
As if you were about to die, spend what you have acquired, as if you were going to live a long time, treat it sparingly. Wise is he who, considering both possibilities, practices frugality and waste in the right measure.
A pilgrim never comes home without one less prejudice and one more new idea.
Many people buy hell with labor so great and hard that with half of it they could have bought heaven.
Source:
accessed on November 12, 2019
compiled by Abbot em. Dr. Emmeram Kränkl OSB, Benedictine Abbey Schäftlarn, for the Catholic Sunday newspaper Source:
Source and Reblog: Franz Ferme, Facebook
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