Marius, Richard (1999). [43]:386406, Some Protestants take a different view. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Coates misappropriated Home School Association funds for more than five years. I always felt I had to do my best.. [53] Cardinal John Fisher and some other clergy refused to sign. Your tuition amount includes student fees, field trips, yearbooks and textbooks. He took out at once from his pocket a portague [A Portuguese gold coin] to send to you as a pledge and token of his good will towards you. "[115] By 1978, the quincentenary of More's birth Trevor-Roper wrote an essay putting More in the Renaissance Platonist tradition, and claim his reputation was "quite independent of his Catholicism. 9:00am-2:00pm through June 16. "[118] Hugh Trevor-Roper called More "the first great Englishman whom we feel that we know, the most saintly of humanists, the most human of saints, the universal man of our cool northern renaissance. He is not, however, buried here, nor is it entirely certain which of his family may be. He was buried at the Tower of London, in the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in an unmarked grave. STMS School Newsletter May 22-26, 2023. The 6th Grade was taught by Sr. Joan, and Sr. Fideles was the 5th Grade teacher. McGuckin said she was honored to "serve the families of Sandford in the new role." . More importantly, they did not stand for mediocrity. We build and support a bilingual and bicultural environment where both Spanish and English are used, taught and valued. A stone immediately to the left of the altar marks the sealed Roper family vault beneath the Nicholas Chapel, itself to the right of the church's sanctuary or main altar. [51] [57] Despite this, his refusal to attend was widely interpreted as a snub against Anne, and Henry took action against him. The catchment area includes Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Zejtun, Fgura, Tarxien and Santa Lucija. He then applied for a job at the school, and began teaching there in the fall of 2011. 2010 - Present 13 years. The Dominican Sisters comprised the first faculty. Moments later, the principal held the front door open as students arrived, including a boy and girl who ran toward the door smiling. Treatise on the Passion of Christ), A Treatise to Receive the Blessed Body (a.k.a. At the ceremony, Gerald Smith Jr., the principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, noted that the school's new library was being dedicated in honor of a former teacher and student there - Larry Jones, a longtime physical education teacher, academic dean and father figure to students who died in 2018, and to Jason Plaskett Jr., a rising . The History is a Renaissance biography, remarkable more for its literary skill and adherence to classical precepts than for its historical accuracy. Believing that More had great potential, Morton nominated him for a place at the University of Oxford (either in St. Mary Hall or Canterbury College, both now gone). The school serves 163 children in prekindergarten through the eighth grade. Our students belong to Faith Families . [19]:27981 In 1529, the circulation of Simon Fish's Supplication for the Beggars prompted More to respond with the Supplycatyon of Soulys. St. Thomas More High School is pleased to share that principal Nicholas Kelly has been selected for the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Principal Leadership Award. The Confutation is an imaginary dialogue between More and Tyndale, with More addressing each of Tyndale's criticisms of Catholic rites and doctrines. [146], Many see More's communism or socialism as purely satirical. By appointment only June 19 - August 8. One morning this past September, Gerald Smith Jr., the principal at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, D.C., added some more brightly colored college pennants on a clothesline decorating a wall along the schools main hallway. According to William Roper's account, More was pleading that the Statute of Supremacy was contrary to the Magna Carta, to Church laws and to the laws of England, attempting to void the entire indictment against him. Shortly thereafter, More was charged with accepting bribes, but the charges had to be dismissed for lack of any evidence. St Dunstan's Church, an Anglican parish church in Canterbury, possesses More's head, rescued by his daughter Margaret Roper, whose family lived in Canterbury down and across the street from their parish church. [26], More had no children from his second marriage, although he raised Alice's daughter from her previous marriage as his own. Hythlodaeus asserts that a man who refuses to believe in a god or an afterlife could never be trusted, because he would not acknowledge any authority or principle outside himself. More opposed the Protestant Reformation, directing polemics against the theology of Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin and William Tyndale. M. Gallant. Children from his school, and from other Catholic schools in the city, testified about the programs importance. [23], More married Joanna "Jane" Colt in 1505. [88] She was the only member of his family to witness his execution. Toggle Indictment, trial and execution subsection, Toggle Scholarly and literary work subsection, Campaign against the Protestant Reformation, Communism, socialism and resistance to communism, St Dunstan's Church and Roper House, Canterbury, Published during More's life (with dates of publication), Published after More's death (with likely dates of composition), "Homily at the Canonization of St. Thomas More". [54], On 16 May 1532, More resigned from his role as Chancellor but remained in Henry's favour despite his refusal. [19]:38, More began his studies at Oxford in 1492, and received a classical education. "[117], G. K. Chesterton, a Roman Catholic convert from the Church of England, predicted More "may come to be counted the greatest Englishman, or at least the greatest historical character in English history. [106] More completed and theologian Erasmus published the book in Leuven in 1516, but it was only translated into English and published in his native land in 1551 (16 years after his execution), and the 1684 translation became the most commonly cited. More may have used monastic communalism as his model, although other concepts he presents such as legalising euthanasia remain far outside Church doctrine. [18]:xvii[20] In 1496, More became a student at Lincoln's Inn, one of the Inns of Court, where he remained until 1502, when he was called to the Bar. If for More scatology normally expresses a communal disapproval, for Luther, it expresses a deep personal rage."[111]. [13][114] The annual remembrance of 6 July, is recognized by all Anglican Churches in communion with Canterbury, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa. Zelman is undecided as to whether More was being ironic in his book or was genuinely advocating a police state. Faculty and Staff | St. Thomas More School Faculty & Staff Administration Support Staff Preschool Elementary (Grades K-4) Middle School (Grades 5-6) Junior High (Grades 7-8) Enrichment Advisory board Early Learning Center Ms. Georgina Aggrey Custodial Email Ms. Kori Allen Assistant - KC Ms. The protagonist of Walker Percy's novels, Love in the Ruins and The Thanatos Syndrome, is "Dr Thomas More", a reluctant Catholic and descendant of More. Ironically, Hythlodaeus, who believes philosophers should not get involved in politics, addresses More's ultimate conflict between his humanistic beliefs and courtly duties as the King's servant, pointing out that one day those morals will come into conflict with the political reality. More, though considered "a much steadier personality",[109] described Luther as an "ape", a "drunkard", and a "lousy little friar" amongst other epithets. Pope Pius XI canonised More in 1935 as a martyr. [19]:305, Modern commentators are divided over More's religious actions as Chancellor. Superintendent. Martin Luther then attacked Henry VIII in print, calling him a "pig, dolt, and liar". [19]:118,271[24][25] Erasmus reported that More wanted to give his young wife a better education than she had previously received at home, and tutored her in music and literature. His enemies had enough evidence to have the King arrest him on treason. They have a voice, and they showed that that day., A bittersweet experience for the new principal was presiding at the graduation of the 15 eighth graders in St. Thomas Mores class of 2019, with most going to Catholic high schools throughout the archdiocese. Utopia gave rise to a literary genre, Utopian and dystopian fiction, which features ideal societies or perfect cities, or their opposite. The History of King Richard III was written and published in both English and Latin, each written separately, and with information deleted from the Latin edition to suit a European readership. In 1980, More was added to the Church of England's calendar of Saints and Heroes of the Christian Church, despite being a fierce opponent of the English Reformation that created the Church of England. Thomas More is a place where your story and your circumstances can change. St. Thomas More Catholic Church 636 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Decatur, GA 30030-2951 Phone: 404-378-4588 | Emergency Contact: 678-337-8910 [email protected] Mass Times. I enjoyed everything I did here. [141], Having been praised "as a Communist hero by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Karl Kautsky" because of the Communist attitude to property in his Utopia,[14] under Soviet Communism the name of Thomas More was in ninth position from the top of Moscow's Stele of Freedom (also known as the Obelisk of Revolutionary Thinkers),[142] as one of the most influential thinkers "who promoted the liberation of humankind from oppression, arbitrariness, and exploitation. More responded with a half million words: the Confutation of Tyndale's Answer. MacCulloch (2018) p. 160: "[More]turned to waging implacable war on enemies of the Church whom he could crush without inhibition.[He] had a positive relish for burning heretics.". which I never did, nor never would reveal; when the Act was once made, either to the King himself, or any of his Privy Councillors, as is well known to your Honours, who have been sent upon no other account at several times by his Majesty to me in the Tower. In 1531, a royal decree required the clergy to take an oath acknowledging the King as Supreme Head of the Church of England. Vice-Principal. That same year, he also became Catholic at that parish, receiving the sacraments of Communion and Confirmation. Email Kaci Johnson. "[115] (Only, later on, did a more critical view arise in academia, led by Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton, which "challenged More's reputation for saintliness by focusing on his dealings with heretics, the ferocity of which, in fairness to him, More did not deny. Sentencing in her case is scheduled for June 15, 2022, and the maximum sentence for that charge is 20 years in prison and financial penalties. One of the things I want them to understand is the world affects them, too. (CS photo/Andrew Biraj) The oath reads:[63]. And of her former teaching colleague who is now leading St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, she said, His expectations are high Its always in a loving manner. [146] In 1888, while praising More's communism, Karl Kautsky pointed out that "perplexed" historians and economists often saw the name Utopia (which means "no place") as "a subtle hint by More that he himself regarded his communism as an impracticable dream". [155] The capitals on the medieval arch connecting the chapel to the main sanctuary display symbols associated with More and his office. "[143] This monument was erected in 1918 in Aleksandrovsky Garden near the Kremlin at Lenin's suggestion. It was directed by Fred Zinnemann and adapted for the screen by the playwright. Saint Thomas More Academy is an educational program that honors the theological order of the domestic church, affirming parents as the primary educators of their children. Marquette University. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered (the usual punishment for traitors who were not the nobility), but the King commuted this to execution by decapitation. Four days later, Henry had More imprisoned in the Tower of London. After Wolsey fell, More succeeded to the office of Lord Chancellor in 1529. [10] A man for all seasons.[119]. The jury took only fifteen minutes, however, to find More guilty. Peter Ackroyd also lists claims from Foxe's Book of Martyrs and other post-Reformation sources that More "tied heretics to a tree in his Chelsea garden and whipped them", that "he watched as 'newe men' were put upon the rack in the Tower and tortured until they confessed", and that "he was personally responsible for the burning of several of the 'brethren' in Smithfield. Zelman comments, "More is the only Christian saint to be honoured with a statue at the Kremlin. But that summer, he taught science at St. Thomas More, teaching children about a range of topics including cells, chemical reactions and volcanoes and the Earths crust. They include: A Treatise on the Passion (a.k.a. Erasmus intervened, however, and ended the dispute.[37]. I always wanted to be a doctor, he said. Cicero, Quintilian, epideictic oratory), the Renaissance genre continued into the Age of Enlightenment and survives in modern science fiction. St. Thomas More Catholic School. Eul, who will replace Nicholas Kelly on July 1, 2021, previously served as St. Thomas More's principal from 1997 to 2003 and most recently worked as assistant principal at 53rd Street School on Milwaukee's northwest side. In 1523 More was elected as knight of the shire (MP) for Middlesex and, on Wolsey's recommendation, the House of Commons elected More its Speaker. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, refused the oath along with More. Principal's Message. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and executed. Thats how theyll eventually be able to change the world, she said. Utopia contrasts the contentious social life of European states with the perfectly orderly, reasonable social arrangements of Utopia and its environs (Tallstoria, Nolandia, and Aircastle). As secretary and personal adviser to King Henry VIII, More became increasingly influential: welcoming foreign diplomats, drafting official documents, and serving as a liaison between the King and Lord Chancellor Wolsey. One group of scholars believes that the judges dismissed the first two charges (malicious acts) and tried More only on the final one, but others strongly disagree. Saint Thomas More currently offers a one- or two-day program for students aged 2 - 14 taught by 100% practicing, orthodox Catholic tutors and headed by the parish priest. He just wants the best for all of them., That morning in a nearby classroom where middle schoolers were taking a STEM robotics class, eighth grader Amare Fields noted, I like that I get to explore new things. He praised the example set by his principal, noting, When someone is doing something wrong, he talks to them and gets them on the right path., After a Grandparents Day celebration, Donise Yeager, the mother of two St. Thomas More scholars, said she appreciates how Smith knows all the children by name. I know not his fellow. Email Phone Twitter Facebook Instagram. [147], In 2008, More was portrayed on stage in Hong Kong as an allegorical symbol of the pan-democracy camp resisting the Chinese Communist Party in a translated and modified version of Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons.[148]. More supported the Catholic Church and saw the Protestant Reformation as heresy, a threat to the unity of both church and society. St Dunstan's Church has carefully investigated, preserved and sealed this burial vault. [40] During More's chancellorship, six people were burned at the stake for heresy; they were Thomas Hitton, Thomas Bilney, Richard Bayfield, John Tewkesbury, Thomas Dusgate, and James Bainham. "[145], Utopia also inspired socialists such as William Morris. These include everything from personal letters to official government correspondence (mostly in English), letters to fellow humanist scholars (in Latin), several epistolary tracts, verse epistles, prefatory letters (some fictional) to several of More's own works, letters to More's children and their tutors (in Latin), and the so-called "prison-letters" (in English) which he exchanged with his oldest daughter Margaret while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London awaiting execution. Portrait of Saint Thomas More, executed on Tower Hill (London) in 1535, apparently based on the Holbein portrait. [69], The trial was held on 1 July 1535, before a panel of judges that included the new Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas Audley, as well as Anne Boleyn's uncle, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, her father Thomas Boleyn and her brother George Boleyn. [123][124] The metaphysical poet John Donne, also honoured as a hero by Anglicans,[125] was More's great-great-nephew. In 1520 the reformer Martin Luther published three works in quick succession: An Appeal to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (Aug.), Concerning the Babylonish Captivity of the Church (Oct.), and On the Liberty of a Christian Man (Nov.). They were not coached, Smith said, adding, they were so respectful, so scholarly. Some sources, including one from 2004, claimed that the shirt, made of goat hair was then at the Martyr's church on the Weld family's estate in Chideock, Dorset. [128], In 1963, Moreana, an academic journal focusing on analysis of More and his writings, was founded. Smith, who is 32, is in his second year leading St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, which is one of four D.C. Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Washingtons Consortium of Catholic Academies. Kelly, who has served as St. Thomas More's principal since 2016, was one of only 16 administrators statewide and one of only five in CESA 1, which includes Southeast Wisconsin to receive this prestigious recognition. [29]:152, More's decision to educate his daughters set an example for other noble families. '[19]:298299, More instead claimed in his "Apology" (1533) that he only applied corporal punishment to two heretics: a child who was caned in front of his family for heresy regarding the Eucharist, and a "feeble-minded" man who was whipped for disrupting the mass by raising women's skirts over their heads at the moment of consecration. [43]:404, Burning at the stake had been a standard punishment for heresy: 30 burnings had taken place in the century before More's elevation to Chancellor, and burning continued to be used by both Catholics and Protestants during the religious upheaval of the following decades. St. Thomas More Catholic School provides outstanding educational and faith-filled opportunities for students [] I think its really crucial. Our school was founded in 1954 and we are proud of the amazing and loving community that continues to this day. St. Thomas More - May 2020: Welcome One Another as Christ has Welcomed You by St. Thomas More Admin | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for individual educators, schools and districts . Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 - 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, [7] [8] was an English lawyer, judge, [9] social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. Catholic science fiction writer R. A. Lafferty wrote his novel Past Master as a modern equivalent to More's Utopia, which he saw as a satire. Financial Policies for the 2022-23 School Year. Near an old-fashioned school bell, a Slinky and Legos are on display. [113], In 1980, despite their opposition to the English Reformation, More and Fisher were added as martyrs of the reformation to the Church of England's calendar of "Saints and Heroes of the Christian Church", to be commemorated every 6 July (the date of More's execution) as "Thomas More, scholar, and John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, Reformation Martyrs, 1535". Speaking of his experiences as a St. Thomas More teacher, Smith said, They became so invested in learning about science When we give them the opportunity to work harder, they do. And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. More:Meet Angela Madigan, the new principal of St. Thomas School in Sanford. In this research, More's role as a prosecutor, or persecutor, of dissidents has been at the center of the debate. [19]:227 At the king's request, More composed a rebuttal: the Responsio ad Lutherum was published at the end of 1523. [99] More uses a more dramatic writing style than had been typical in medieval chronicles; Richard III is limned as an outstanding, archetypal tyranthowever, More was only seven years old when Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 so he had no first-hand, in-depth knowledge of him. The original manuscript has survived as a handwritten text that shows many revisions by its several authors, as well as the censorious influence of Edmund Tylney, Master of the Revels in the government of Queen Elizabeth I. Witnesses Richard Southwell and Mr. Palmer (a servant to Southwell) were also present and both denied having heard the details of the reported conversation. Education University of San Francisco . [19]:132, Going "against friends' advice and common custom," within 30 days, More had married one of the many eligible women among his wide circle of friends. In addition, the song "So Says I" by indie rock outfit The Shins alludes to the socialist interpretation of More's Utopia. Parliament's reinstatement of the charge of praemunire in 1529 had made it a crime to support in public or office the claim of any authority outside the realm (such as the Papacy) to have a legal jurisdiction superior to the King's. Principal Occupational field Manager: Director 3% within United States work as Director Job functions Operations LinkedIn profile linkedin.com/in/patrick-iataegein-66a7aaemob Experience since 2008 1+ years company experience Director in United States Seniority Higher Management He admitted that he did imprison heretics in his house 'theyr sure kepynge' he called it but he utterly rejected claims of torture and whipping 'as help me God. Persecution and the Dialogue of Comfort: A Fresh Look at the Charges against Thomas More., This page was last edited on 5 July 2023, at 14:13. [21][22] Between 1503 and 1504 More lived near the Carthusian monastery outside the walls of London and joined in the monks' spiritual exercises. He was added jointly with John Fisher, to be commemorated every 6 July (the date of More's execution) as "Thomas More, scholar, and John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, Reformation Martyrs, 1535". The chapel is accessible to Tower visitors. We are extremely proud of our students and the amazing gifts they bring each and every day. The charges of high treason related to More's violating the statutes as to the King's supremacy (malicious silence) and conspiring with Bishop John Fisher in this respect (malicious conspiracy) and, according to some sources, included asserting that Parliament did not have the right to proclaim the King's Supremacy over the English Church. Principal's Welcome Welcome to St. Thomas More Catholic School in San Francisco. As the school principal, Coates had access to the Home School Associations checks, and could use her discretion to pay expenditures for only school-related purposes, the U.S. Attorneys Office statement said. Nancy Taylor Williams, the academic dean at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, noted that she was a math teacher when Smith taught science there, and they did a lot of cross-teaching, using the example of the X-men superheroes to teach about genetics, and showing how in physics, concepts like buoyancy and force are based on math. On his execution, he was reported to have said: "I die the King's good servant, and God's first". Henry purged most clergy who supported the papal stance from senior positions in the church. The sisters made sure that whoever went through Xavier would do just that. "[36] He also pointed out that some of the marginal glosses challenged Catholic doctrine. In choosing the recipient, consideration is . Theologian Scott W. Hahn notes that the widely misquoted "but God's first" is a line from Robert Bolt's popular stage play A Man For All Seasons, which differs from his actual words. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Regular schedule of 7:30am-4pm beginning August 9. More also became the guardian of two young girls: Anne Cresacre who would eventually marry his son, John More;[19]:146 and Margaret Giggs (later Clement) who was the only member of his family to witness his execution (she died on the 35th anniversary of that execution, and her daughter married More's nephew William Rastell). [19]:150[29]:xiv. Mr. Tim Przybysz Admissions and Communications. L. Antilope. Melchiori, Giorgio, editors, A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, calendar of Saints and Heroes of the Christian Church, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Real Colegio Seminario del Corpus Christi, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters, List of institutions named after Thomas More, Yale Edition of the Complete Works of St. Thomas More, A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation, "Plato's Dialectical Politics and Thomas More's Utopia", The Trial of Sir Thomas More: A Chronology, Jubilee of parliament and government members, proclamation of Saint Thomas More as patron of statesmen, "The Trial and Execution of Sir Thomas More", "Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 8, January-July 1535", "Lady Margaret Roper and the head of Sir Thomas More", "St. Thomas More's hair shirt now enshrined for public veneration", "Hair-shirt worn by St Thomas More is enshrined for public veneration for possibly the first time", "Writings on Religion and the Church, Vol. [91] Some have claimed that the head is buried within the tomb erected for More in Chelsea Old Church. Early works influenced by Utopia included New Atlantis by Francis Bacon, Erewhon by Samuel Butler, and Candide by Voltaire. During his five years teaching science there, he helped organize a science fair at the school, supported by community partners, and in 2014, he took 12 St. Thomas More scholars to Costa Rica, where they journeyed to rainforests and witnessed the plant and animal life there. [102][103] Clements Markham asserts that the actual author of the chronicle was, in large part, Archbishop Morton himself and that More was simply copying, or perhaps translating, Morton's original material.[104][105]. A small plaque marks the former home of William and Margaret Roper; another house nearby and entitled Roper House is now a home for deaf people. Everything was about Jesus. Literary critic James Wood in his book The Broken Estate, a collection of essays, is critical of More and refers to him as "cruel in punishment, evasive in argument, lusty for power, and repressive in politics".[135]. I saw the city get flooded and then watched the city rebuild itself, he said. Along the way, in his work as principal Smith has earned high marks from his colleagues, from parents and from the scholars themselves. More's best known and most controversial work, Utopia, is a frame narrative written in Latin. He dispatched cases with unprecedented rapidity. ST. THOMAS MORE SCHOOL A tradition of award-winning Catholic education for children Preschool through 8th Grade PRINCIPAL'S WELCOME Welcome to St. Thomas More, where great things happen everyday! [33] More also engaged in controversies, most notably with the French poet Germain de Brie, which culminated in the publication of de Brie's Antimorus (1519). [19]:2267. Holy Body Treaty), and De Tristitia Christi (a.k.a. [115] Thanks to the play's depiction, this "brought his life to a broader and more popular audience" with the film "extending its impact worldwide following the Oscar triumphs". Vice Principal. [128], Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian Nobel Prize-winning, anti-Communist author of The Gulag Archipelago, argued that Soviet communism needed enslavement and forced labour to survive, and that this had been " foreseen as far back as Thomas More, the great-grandfather of socialism, in his Utopia". [110] Stephen Greenblatt argues, "More speaks for his ruler and in his opponent's idiom; Luther speaks for himself, and his scatological imagery far exceeds in quantity, intensity, and inventiveness anything that More could muster. [19]:3079 More, who valued structure, tradition and order in society as safeguards against tyranny and error, vehemently believed that Lutheranism and the Protestant Reformation in general were dangerous, not only to the Catholic faith but to the stability of society as a whole. [70], Thus More was relying upon legal precedent and the maxim "qui tacet consentire videtur" ("one who keeps silent seems to consent"[71]), understanding that he could not be convicted as long as he did not explicitly deny that the King was Supreme Head of the Church, and he therefore refused to answer all questions regarding his opinions on the subject.[72]. Some take the novel's principal message to be the social need for order and discipline rather than liberty. The popular sixteenth-century English Protestant historian John Foxe was instrumental in publicising accusations of torture in his Book of Martyrs, claiming that More had often personally used violence or torture while interrogating heretics. School voicemail messages will be checked regularly at (513) 753-2540. Other biographers, such as Peter Ackroyd, have offered a more sympathetic picture of More as both a sophisticated philosopher and man of letters, as well as a zealous Catholic who believed in the authority of the Holy See over Christendom. [64][65] While he had no argument with the basic concept of succession as stated in the Act, the preamble of the Oath repudiated the authority of the Pope.[54][66][67]. For many of them, Im the first person of color theyve seen in leadership, especially male. Gary Davis is a Principal at St Thomas More School based in San Francisco, California.