It has been an ecclesiastical metropolis of England since St. Augustine of Canterbury founded a monastery there in 602 and later established a cathedral. The cathedral was the scene of the murder of Archbishop St. Thomas Becket in 1170. After his canonization in 1172, it became a pilgrimage shrine; it is the destination of the pilgrims in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Canterbury was heavily bombed in World War II, but the cathedral largely escaped damage. The cathedral and other historic buildings were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. Anselm of Canterbury Saint Augustine of Canterbury Saint Dunstan of Canterbury Saint Theodore of Canterbury Saint
a small city in southeast England which is famous for its 11th century cathedral, the main church of the Church of England. Historic city and administrative district (pop., 2001: 135,287), southeastern England. Located on the River Great Stour, the site has been occupied since pre-Roman times; the Roman town of Durovernum Cantiacorum was established after Claudius invaded Britain in AD
a town in Kent in southeastern England; site of the cathedral where Thomas a Becket was martyred in 1170; seat of the archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church
The top diocese in the Church of England, and by tradition, the entire Anglican Church Although all the branches of the Anglican Church are autonomous, each maintains a traditional connection with England, and therefore looks to the Archbishop of Canterbury as the spiritual leader of the Church It was at Canterbury cathedral (officially titled, the Cathedral Church of Christ) that St Thomas Becket was assassinated by King Henry's friends in 1170 Soon after Thomas' death, pilgrimages to his Canterbury shrine began (The shrine was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1538) It was one of these pilgrimages that served as the setting for Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
It is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury (primate of all England), and contains the shrine of Thomas à Becket, to which pilgrimages were formerly made
born 1033/34, Aosta, Lombardy died April 21, 1109, possibly at Canterbury, Kent, Eng.; feast day April 21 Founder of Scholasticism. Anselm entered the Benedictine monastery at Bec (in Normandy) in 1057 and became abbot in 1078. In 1077 he wrote the Monologium to demonstrate God's existence and attributes by reason alone. He then wrote Proslogium, which established the ontological argument for the existence of God. In 1093, he became archbishop of Canterbury and soon became involved in disputes with William II over the independence of the church and the right to appeal to the pope, arguments that led to Anselm's exile. Although invited back by Henry I, Anselm again argued with the king over lay investiture (see Investiture Controversy). In 1099 he completed Cur Deus homo? ("Why Did God Become Man?"), which provided a new understanding of Jesus' redemption of humankind and revealed the increasing focus on the humanity of Jesus. Anselm was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1720
born , Rome? died May 26, 604/605, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.; feast day May 26 in England and Wales, May 28 elsewhere First archbishop of Canterbury. A Benedictine prior in Rome, he was chosen by Pope Gregory I to lead 40 monks as missionaries to England. They arrived in 597 and were welcomed by King Ethelbert of Kent, at the behest of his queen, and he gave them a church in Canterbury. Augustine converted the king and thousands of his subjects and was made bishop of the English. On the pope's instructions he purified pagan temples and consecrated 12 other bishops. He founded Christ Church, Canterbury, as his cathedral and made Canterbury the primary see in England. He tried unsuccessfully to unify his churches with the Celtic churches of northern Wales
born 909, near Glastonbury, Eng. died May 19, 988, Canterbury; feast day May 19 Archbishop of Canterbury. He served as a chief adviser to the kings of Wessex, beginning with Edmund I, who made him abbot of Glastonbury ( 943). Under King Eadred he served as minister of state, working to conciliate the Danish section of the kingdom and reform the church. Dunstan was outlawed (955) under King Eadwig and went into exile in Flanders, but he was recalled by King Edgar (957) and continued his reforms, restructuring English monasticism on the continental model. He became archbishop of Canterbury in 959
born 602, Tarsus, Cilicia, Asia Minor died Sept. 19, 690, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.; feast day September 19 Seventh archbishop of Canterbury (668-690). He was sent from Rome to Canterbury, where he helped establish a famous school at the monastery later known as St. Augustine's. Theodore organized and centralized the English church, calling its first general synod (672) to end Celtic practices, affirm church doctrine, and divide dioceses. He deposed Wilfrid as bishop of York in 677 but restored him in 686; he also made peace between King Aethelred of Mercia and King Ecgfrith of Northumbia