Jeanie Hannaman

By Mary Eberstadt, The Catholic Thing - On the feast of St. Thomas Becket, it’s fitting to recall just how exacting the clash between religious faith and earthly powers can be. Some ages, like his, create martyrs. Our own age more often bullies people out of martyrdom pre-emptively, as secular intimidation derails many from fidelity even in small matters. Either way, the lesson bears scrutiny: we aren’t here for long; a comfortable pilgrimage is never guaranteed, with or without a murder in Canterbury Cathedral.