Thomas Becket

Saint Thomas Becket
Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of England
One of the earliest known depictions of Becket's assassination, c. 1175–1225
Church	Latin Church
Archdiocese	Canterbury
See	Canterbury
Appointed	24 May 1162
Term ended	29 December 1170
Predecessor	Theobald of Bec
Successor	Roger de Bailleul (Archbishop-elect)
Orders
Ordination	2 June 1162
Consecration	3 June 1162 by Henry of Blois
Personal details
Born	21 December c. 1119 Cheapside, London, Kingdom of England
Died	29 December 1170 (aged 50 or 51) Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, Kingdom of England
Buried	Canterbury Cathedral
Denomination	Catholicism
Parents	Gilbert Beket Matilda
Previous post(s)	Archdeacon of Canterbury Lord Chancellor of England
Sainthood
Feast day	29 December
Venerated in	Catholic Church Anglican Communion
Beatified	by Pope Alexander III
Canonized	21 February 1173 by Pope Alexander III
Attributes	Sword martyrdom episcopal vestments
Patronage	Exeter College, Oxford Portsmouth Arbroath Abbey secular clergy City of London
Shrines	Canterbury Cathedral
Cult suppressed	1538 (by Henry VIII)
Lord Chancellor
In office 1155–1162
Monarch	Henry II
Preceded by	Robert of Ghent
Succeeded by	Geoffrey Ridel

Thomas Becket (/ˈbɛkɪt/), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London^[1] and later Thomas à Becket^{[note 1]} (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then notably as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his death in 1170. He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the King in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death, he was canonised by Pope Alexander III. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

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