People forget the power the Pope had back then.

Kings derived their claims of power due to being 'appointed by God'. So if you defied the Pope, he could excommunicate you - removing your claim to the throne, and expressly encouraging revolution and invasion.

These tussles between crown and Rome were never about religion, but power. Becket didn't deserve to be murdered, but at the same time he was defending the principle of Roman supremacy over British laws.

He wasn't an icon of freedom. Just because he was a victim of tyranny doesn't mean he wasn't a proponent of a competing form of tyranny.

The process of limiting the political power of the church is as noble as that of limiting the power of kings. Look at Iran for what can happen otherwise.

Would anyone here really want the current Pope to effectively have power over Trump? The ability to order the US military to oust him, and handpick his own successor?

Because that's what Becket stood for.

People forget the power the Pope had back then.

Kings derived their claims of power due to being 'appointed by God'. So if you defied the Pope, he could excommunicate you - removing your claim to the throne, and expressly encouraging revolution and invasion.

These tussles between crown and Rome were never about religion, but power. Becket didn't deserve to be murdered, but at the same time he was defending the principle of Roman supremacy over British laws.

He wasn't an icon of freedom. Just because he was a victim of tyranny doesn't mean he wasn't a proponent of a competing form of tyranny.

The process of limiting the political power of the church is as noble as that of limiting the power of kings. Look at Iran for what can happen otherwise.

Would anyone here really want the current Pope to effectively have power over Trump? The ability to greenlight the US military to oust him, and handpick his own successor?

Because that's what Becket stood for.

People forget the power the Pope had back then.

Kings derived their claims of power due to being 'appointed by God'. So if you defied the Pope, he could excommunicate you - removing your claim to the throne, and expressly encouraging revolution and invasion.

These tussles between crown and Rome were never about religion, but power. Becket didn't deserve to be murdered, but at the same time he was defending the principle of Roman supremacy over British laws.

He wasn't an icon of freedom. Just because he was a victim of tyranny doesn't mean he wasn't a proponent of a competing form of tyranny.

The process of limiting the political power of the church is as noble as that of limiting the power of kings. Look at Iran for what can happen otherwise.