Pray to St. Thomas More on Election Day

Faithful Catholics around the nation have been praying ceaselessly — in groups, at mass, and in private — for a Donald Trump victory on Tuesday. St. Thomas More, the patron saint of statesmen and politicians, is remembered in many of these prayers.

Thomas More, born in London in 1478, was martyred for his faith after resisting King Henry VIII’s co-opting of the Catholic Church for his own personal gain. During his tenure as lord chancellor, More worked tirelessly defending the Catholic faith in England.

Revelations of dishonesty, bribery, and a plethora of scandals during this political cycle leave the faithful hungering for selflessness, righteousness, and honesty in their elected officials.

Although he initially enjoyed great favor from Henry VIII, this relationship was strained to the breaking point over matters of faith.

More’s opposition to the king’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, along with his refusal to sign a letter of annulment for the king, which would free him from his first wife, Catherine, and his subsequent refusal to acknowledge Henry as the head of the church, led to his execution at the order of King Henry — his once-loyal friend and benefactor.

“St. Thomas More strictly adhered to his conscience and his faith, mentioning in his trial that ‘King Henry taught me at my first coming to his noble service to look first upon God and next upon the King,'” Fr. Michael Sliney, a Catholic priest in New York, told LifeZette. “His ‘vote of conscience’ was not only against the will of his friends and colleagues, but even his wife and daughter. He was at peace with himself, because he consulted his faith and God — not public opinion.”

More climbed the scaffold on July 6, 1535, joking to his executioners to help him up but that he would see himself down, according to Catholiconline.com. More then said his last words, proclaiming he was “the king’s good servant, but God’s first.” He was then beheaded, and his severed head was displayed in public on a pike.

Related: New Poll: Trump up 13 Points with Catholics

For this conscientious defense of the faith that ultimately led to his death, St. John Paul II proclaimed Thomas More as the heavenly patron of statesmen and politicians in 2000.

In his proclamation, St. John Paul identified as one reason for More’s sainthood “the need felt by the world of politics and public administration for credible role models able to indicate the path of truth at a time in history when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing.”

More, who prayed continuously, is a good example for Catholics to follow when it comes to politics.

Day three of a nationwide presidential-election Novena, which began on Oct. 29 and ended on Nov. 6, was dedicated to praying to St. Thomas More, and the prayer was as follows:

“St. Thomas More, adorer of Christ’s Passion, who put prayer before all else, devoted husband and father, defender of the Church, perfect model of friendship, impervious to all bribery, committed to the common good, who reverenced civil and Divine law, civil judge of unimpeachable integrity patron of those who hold public office, pray for us now at this critical time of election, where so much is at stake, where the lives of the unborn and those most vulnerable hang in the balance, where the lives of the downtrodden and defenseless against the terrorist are most at risk. Pray for us, St. Thomas More, martyr for the truth, that with this election, we may draw ever closer to the way God would have our country governed.”

Related: A Catholic Priest’s Act of Courage

Never before have we needed spiritual guidance when it comes to politics as we do today. Revelations of dishonesty, bribery, and a plethora of scandals during this political cycle leave the faithful hungering for selflessness, righteousness, and honesty in their elected officials.

“Our country and its political institutions need fine, faithful men and women who are loyal to our Constitution and who also realize the importance of the natural law,” wrote historian and research fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute, Father C. John McCloskey III, on The Catholic Thing website. “Thank God we Catholics have received in a special way the teaching that comes down to us from the Magisterium of the Catholic Church related to civic duties and the just state.”

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“But in addition, it is up to us to intervene in the particular issues of our time, especially those concerning the value of human life from conception to natural death, and the primary role of the family in transmitting life, religion, morality, and culture,” he continued.

St. Thomas More also reminds the faithful that forgiveness and reconciliation despite all troubles are Christian virtues — and not to be taken lightly.

Related: Exercising Wisdom to Solve Our Country’s Problems

“St. Thomas More showed tremendous magnanimity and nobility toward his persecutors, writing near the end of his life, ‘Bear no malice or evil will to any man living,’ even to the point of praying for ‘His Highness and all his and all the realm,'” said Fr. Sliney. “This election may be the most divisive in our history, potentially pitting many friends, family member,s and work colleagues against each other. St. Thomas More taught us to make sure that love transcends politics — regardless of the outcome.”