John Forrest (martyr)

John Forest (1471 – 22 May 1538) was an English martyr and friar. [CathEncy|wstitle=Blessed John Forest]

Born in the Oxford area, John Forest became a Franciscan Friar Minor of the Regular Observance in 1491. He went on to study theology at the University of Oxford, later becoming confessor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, first wife to King Henry VIII. From 1531 the Friars Minor had gained the enmity of the King by opposing his divorce and his movements toward Protestantism.

On 8 April 1538, Forest was brought before Henry's Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to renounce his rejection of King Henry's assumed title of head of the Church of England. Refusing to accept the King as head of the church, Forest was condemned to death by burning. Bishop Hugh Latimer read out the "heresies" that Forest was required to recant: "That the Holy Catholic Church was the Church of Rome, that the Pope’s pardon is key to the remission of sins, and that a priest can forgive a penitent sinner, ..."

On 22 May, he was burnt to death at Smithfield, London. Hugh Latimer officiated at the execution. [Duffy, Eamon. (2005) "The Stripping of the Altars." Yale University Press, New Haven, Conneticutt, USA. 2nd. Edition. ISBN 0300108281, page 404] Extra fuel for the pyre is said to have been provided by an enormous statue of "Daerfel Gaetherin" from the pilgrimage site of Llandderfel in north Wales, and of which it was supposed to have been prophesied, would "one day set a forest on fire." [ [http://people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/sourcearchive/ns6/ns6tgh1.htm ] ]

Father Forest, together with fifty-three other English martyrs, was declared Blessed by Pope Leo XIII, on 9 December, 1886.

ee also

Foxe's Book of Martyrs

External links

* [http://www.rhs.ac.uk/bibl/wwwopac.exe?DATABASE=catalo%3ELondon&LANGUAGE=0&OPAC_URL=&SUCCESS=&FLD0=TR&OPR0=narrower&VAL0=Religious+orders&SRT0=D1&SEQ0=descending]

References