The skull of Santo Tomás Moro could be exhumed and preserved on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his martyrdom, according to a spokeswoman for the Anglican Church of St. Dunstan, in Canterbury (England), where it is believed that the relic currently rests.
While the parish begins the first steps in a “permissions process”, Sue Palmer, responsible for the Parish Council of St. Dunstan, he declared CNA – an English assistance from Ewtn News – that they are open to receive contributions from all those interested in the saint and that “they would gladly welcome communication with the Vatican”.
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“It is unusual to have relics in an Anglican church, especially those of a Catholic saint, and the parish council sees in this an opportunity for dialogue and ecumenical cooperation,” he said.
After being decapitated in 1535 by order of King Henry VIII, Moro’s head was exposed to the London bridge as a warning for those who challenge the real authority. However, his daughter, Margaret Roper, managed to recover her. At his death in 1544, Margaret was buried along with his father’s head in the crypt of the Roper family in the Church of St. Dunstan, where he remains until today.
With views of the quincing of the death of the saint, which will be commemorated within ten years, the Church wishes to explore the possibility of exhuming and conserving relic as a tribute to its spiritual and historical legacy for Catholics and other Christians in the United Kingdom and the world.
In a statement published on July 6 —490 years after its execution – the Church explained: “The 500th anniversary of Moro’s death will focus on us as a center of worship, pilgrimage, education and hospitality, since the head is the only known relic of Tomás Moro. His body is in St. Peter Ad links, in the Tower of London, but it is not possible to determine its exact location, for which it is possible. Dunstan will have a key role in commemoration. ”
The text added: “We can not stay the relic only for us. We have a responsibility, both ecumenical and global, with it and with the Christians and scholars around the world. According to the comments in our visitors’ book, having it deteriorating in a crypt is not enough for many of those who venerate Tomás Moro.”
The parish council agreed that, if the necessary permits are obtained, the head will be exhumed and what is left of the relic will be preserved, which could then be exposed for the veneration of the pilgrims.
Palmer clarified that there are no plans to “exhibit” the relic as a museum piece: “Our Church is not a museum or relic an exhibition. Everything would be done with respect and dignity, in consultation with experts, archaeologists, diocesan committees, Catholics and not Catholics, and any person interested in Tomás Moro”.
Palmer assured that there is clear evidence that the skull is still in the crypt of the Roper. “In several openings of the crypt in the last 200 years the presence of the head has been found in a niche, and the last opening was in 1997, so we have direct evidence that remains there.”
It is estimated that some 1,500 people are buried in the crypt of the Chapel of St. Peter Ad links, in the Tower of London, ancient parish temple whose name refers to the imprisonment of San Pedro Bajo Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem.
Palmer explained that the following steps in the process include meetings with specialists, the writing of a formal application (called faculty application) for the Diocesan Advisory Committee and, finally, wait for the decision of the commissary general (Ecclesiastical Judge), which “is not guaranteed.”
The Church of St. Dunstan opens the seven days of the week and receives numerous pilgrims, both individual and group, who come to venerate Santo Tomás Moro.
“Many have expressed their desire that the relic will be preserved and placed in a visible reliquary, instead of being in a crypt sealed as now, keeping it, ordering a reliquary and obtaining the necessary permits will take time,” Palmer concluded.
Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.
Madeleine Teahan
Madeleine is former associated editor of Catholic Herald. He has collaborated with Sky News, BBC News, Woman’s Hour, Beyond Belief and many other programs. It also usually collaborates in Pause for Thought in BBC Radio 2.