RE: Saint Thomas à Becket

"History provides us with the story of Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who...
gave his life to protect the prerogatives of the Church vis à vis the state when dealing with errant clergy.  In 1164, King Henry II promulgated the Constitutions of Clarendon, which required that if the accused was brought to the King’s Court and found to be a cleric, the case was to be tried in an ecclesiastical court, and if found guilty there and punished by degradation (laicization), he was to be returned to the King’s Court for further punishment.  Becket fought this article of the Constitutions not only for the principle of clerical privilege, i.e., of being disciplined by the Church, but also because he believed that this put a man in double jeopardy – punishing him twice for the same offense.  Because of his refusal to accept the Constitutions, Becket was forced into exile for six years bereft of revenues, and upon his return, was eventually martyred.  Every other bishop in England cooperated with the king" ( Rev Michael Orsi, undated)