Trump Issues Proclamation Hailing Christian Martyr for Defense of Religious Liberty
President Donald Trump marked the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket in a proclamation issued Tuesday, honoring the 12th-century English bishop as “a lion of religious liberty.”
The president’s proclamation heralds Becket as a precursor to “numerous constitutional limitations on the power of the state over the Church across the West.”
“Thomas Becket’s death serves as a powerful and timeless reminder to every American that our freedom from religious persecution is not a mere luxury or accident of history, but rather an essential element of our liberty,” Trump’s proclamation said.
“It is our priceless treasure and inheritance. And it was bought with the blood of martyrs.”
King Henry II of England murdered Becket in his own church on Dec. 29, 1170, after he refused to acknowledge the king as his supreme ruler.
“His last words on this earth were these: ‘For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.’ Dressed in holy robes, Thomas was cut down where he stood inside the walls of his own church,” the proclamation said.
Trump invited “the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches and customary places of meeting with appropriate ceremonies in commemoration of the life and legacy of Thomas Becket” and highlighted “brave and inspiring shepherds” such as Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu, who was imprisoned by the Chinese government.
“To honor Thomas Becket’s memory, the crimes against people of faith must stop, prisoners of conscience must be released, laws restricting freedom of religion and belief must be repealed, and the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed must be protected,” the president’s proclamation said.
“The tyranny and murder that shocked the conscience of the Middle Ages must never be allowed to happen again. As long as America stands, we will always defend religious liberty.”
“A society without religion cannot prosper,” the proclamation added. “A nation without faith cannot endure — because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the grace of God.”
The president’s proclamation comes amid several high-profile religious freedom disputes that have come to a head during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lawmakers across the U.S. have issued orders restricting or prohibiting religious services in response to the outbreak.
The Trump administration and former Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly fought against such restrictions, warning that “even in times of emergency,” federal law prohibits religious discrimination.
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