Evening star., 1935-05-20
ENGLISH MARTYRS
Of CHURCHLAUDED.
Canonization Of More and
Bishop Fisher in Rome
Reflected in Service.

The canonization of Blessed Thomas
More and Bishop John Fisher yester-
day by Pope Plus in Rome was made
the occasion of a special observance
at Georgetown University. at which
Rev. Edmund A. Walsh, S. j.. regent
of the Foreign Service School,
preached a memorial sermon.
PraiSing Sir Thomas More as the
most distinguished layman of the
Catholic Church." the Georgetown
priest declared the rights of con-
science" for which the great British
Chancellor and the Bishop of Roches-
ter gave their lives on the Scaffold,
are being made issues today in Rus
sia, in Mexico and in Germany.
With the aid of the radio the voice
of Pope Plus and the solemn all-day
rites in ST. Peters we're brought to the
university student body and priests
before and after the simple sodality
service for foreign service students in
the chapel. DR.. Walsh took as his
topic "A Sermon From Stained-GlasS
Window" In doing SO he reminded
the student body that years ago, in
anticipation of the canonization of
the English layman. the figure of
Thomas More was given place of
honor in the chapel at the college,
being pictured in the last stained
glass window on the gospel side of the
chapel.
Held Shining Exemplar.
In his sermon Dr. Walsh paid a
special tribute to More as the most
shining eXemplar of every Catholic
layman." who was being elevated that
same day to sainthood for losing his
head because he opposed Henry WIS
marriage to Anne Boleyn. More" ="
he declared, "was one Of that group
OF intellectual giants whose genius
made the Renaissance" and was
author of the first and most famous
utopia"
The scene that is taking place in
St. Peters Basilica today" he said.
"has a particular significance in that
It is a reminder of the ancient con-
flict that has ragged immemorially on
the stage of human affairs. The 400
years that have elapsed since More
and Fisher said no to Henry VIII
have reproduced that same conflict in
changing circumstances and under
forms of accidental variety, but the
basic issue is ever the same"
DR.. Walsh declared the chancellor.
while properly admitting the King S
supreme temporal power as monarch,
had lost his life by refusing to Cae-
sar the things that are Caesars"
Conflict Held Present.
THE wheel of time has turned re-
ientlessly for four centuries, and today
the martyrs crown has been acknowl-
edged by solemn definition of the
church and by the acclamation of all
men, friend and foe alike" he added.
But the lapse of centuries has also
brought a return of the identical con-
flict between Caesar and conscience.
That old, old combat is being
played out again in Russia, in Mexico
and in Germany. We in this country
are not immune from that historical
process. There are even some who
think they detect the first signs OF
such a conflict between the individual
and the state.
1T is not my function from this
altar to discuss these specific problems
at this time" DR.. Walsh said in con-
clusion," but it is my function to re-
mind ourselves that should it come
we are to draw our strength, our
solace and our light from the same
source which illumined Thomas More
as he climbed the scaffold to his
death"