John Fisher

John Cardinal Fisher ( * 1469 in Beverley (Yorkshire ), † June 22, 1535 in London) was a Catholic priest in England.

Life

Fisher appeared in 1483 in the College Michael House, Cambridge, in 1491 he became Master of Arts, 1495, he became a priest, doctor of theology in 1501 and Vice-Chancellor, Professor of Theology in 1502 and 1504, finally, Bishop of Rochester. 1504 and in the following ten consecutive years, he was elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge until 1514 he held the office for life - it was actually re- occupied until after his death. At that time highly regarded kept Fisher 1509 the grave speech at King Henry VII preacher, he was also on May 12, 1521 St. Paul's Cross in London during the combustion of Protestant writings, which had come into the little tangierte at the time of the Reformation, England.

Fisher was a scholar, a connoisseur of humanism and the Catholic tradition. He was friends with other humanists (among others with Erasmus of Rotterdam, who visited him in June 1516 and Stephen Gardiner ). After all, he was a reformer in the Catholic Church of England ( clergy reform).

Theology

In the theological controversies of his time Fisher involved a clear position: he turned against the anti-clerical attitude of the British House of Commons and against the Protestant aspirations of his time. His important works come spring, even polemical writings against the then burgeoning Protestantism and in particular against Luther:

• Assertionis Lutheranae, Antwerp 1523
• Contra captivitatem Babylonicam Lutheran. 1525
• Sacri sacerdotii defensio contra Lutherum, Cologne 1525
• De veritate corporis et sanguinis Christi in eucharistia, Cologne 1527

Dispute with Henry VIII

In the dispute Henry VIII respect to the desired divorce from Catherine of Aragon, whose confessor was Fisher, he represented the Catholic position, he has stated in several writings. He was imprisoned in the Tower in 1534, because he did not obey the oath of supremacy, with the King of England should be recognized as head of the English church. During his captivity made ​​him Pope Paul III. on May 21, 1535 cardinal with the title of the church of San Vitale. He was accused of treason, sentenced to death and beheaded on June 22, 1535, a few days before Sir Thomas More.

John Fisher was in 1886 and blessed in 1935 by Pope Pius XI. canonized, he is a martyr in the Catholic Church venerates ( Feast day: June 22). Meanwhile, its also in the Anglican Church of England ( Memorial Day: July 6) is thought.