Trump Calls for End to Religious Persecution on 850th Anniversary of Thomas Becket’s Death
President Donald Trump marked the 850th-anniversary of the death of English archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 while calling for an end to religious persecution worldwide.
“On this day, we celebrate and revere Thomas Becket’s courageous stand for religious liberty and we reaffirm our call to end religious persecution worldwide,” Trump said in a proclamation on Monday.
“To honor Thomas Becket’s memory, the crimes against people of faith must stop, prisoners of conscience must be released, laws restricting freedom of religion and belief must be repealed, and the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed must be protected,” the president continued. “As long as America stands, we will always defend religious liberty.”