St. Thomas More
The London lawyer who became Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor, refused the oath acknowledging the king as head of the Church in England, and was beheaded in 1535.
Canonized 1935
John Paul II, E sancti Thomae Mori, apostolic letter motu proprio (31 October 2000)
Sources
- General Roman Calendar, 22 June — 'Sts John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs', kept jointly. Liturgy Office, England and Wales. https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/Info/General-Roman-Calendar.pdf
- USCCB Liturgical Calendar 2026, 22 June — 'Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs' (optional memorial). https://www.usccb.org/resources/2026cal.pdf
- John Paul II, E sancti Thomae Mori, apostolic letter issued motu proprio proclaiming St Thomas More patron of statesmen and politicians, 31 October 2000 — born in London in 1478; Speaker of the House of Commons 1523; Lord Chancellor 1529, the first layman to hold the office; 'Thomas More, together with 53 other martyrs, including Bishop John Fisher, was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886. And with John Fisher, he was canonized by Pius XI in 1935.' https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_20001031_thomas-more.html