St Dunstan’s Church in Canterbury is starting to consult on how best to preserve the relics of St Thomas More ahead of the 500th anniversary of his death in 2035.
The head of the advisor to King Henry VIII has been interred in a vault at the church whilst his torso is buried at the Tower of London. Sir Thomas More, later St Thomas More, was the Lord High Chancellor of England. He opposed the Protestant Reformation and King Henry’s separation from the Catholic Church.
Sir Thomas More refused to acknowledge the king as Supreme Head of the Church of England, and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, More was convicted of treason. He was beheaded at Tower Hill on 6 July 1535.
The PCC’s [Parochial Church Council’s] consultation began with informing the congregations on Sunday 6 July, the anniversary of St Thomas More’s death.
In a statement read out to the parishioners, Churchwarden Sue Palmer said:
‘The PCC has been in discussion as to what we could do, or ought to do, and what the wider church and others interested in Thomas More might consider appropriate to mark his 500th anniversary; and what the PCC has agreed, subject to all the right permissions being granted, is to exhume & conserve what remains of the relic (which will take several years to dry out and stabilise).
‘The big question is, what we do with it after that? We could just put it back in the vault, maybe in a reliquary, or we could place the reliquary in a shrine or carved stone pillar above ground in the Roper Chapel, which is what many of our visitors have requested.’
‘It’s our church - your church - God’s church; it’s not a museum, and we’re here for everyone, pilgrim, visitor, Christian and non-Christian alike, now and always.’
The intention to preserve the relics relies on legal permissions being granted before any work can begin. The Archdeacon of Canterbury, Will Adam said:
‘The five hundredth anniversary of the martyrdom of St Thomas More provides an opportunity to reflect on past divisions and redouble efforts towards reconciliation and Christian unity. The PCC wishes to apply for a faculty for the exhumation and conservation of More’s relics. The decision on whether this will be possible lies with the Commissary General of Canterbury. The PCC is seeking expert advice and looking to raise funds to develop a sensitive project to reorder the church to strengthen its ministry as a place of worship, pilgrimage, hospitality and reconciliation.’
Since the announcement of the consultation, the story has been widely covered in media including in newspapers in Ireland and the US.