Saint Who?
Saints Who Studied Law
Blessed Richard Langhorne
Martyr († 1679) Feast: July 14
Richard was born around 1624 in Hertfordshire, England. He was the son of a barrister and became one himself. Although he was a Catholic, he married a Protestant, and they had two sons.
Richard lived during a tumultuous period in England. One king was executed for treason, followed by a period with no monarch; then the country was governed by a “lord protector”; then came a period of outright anarchy before a new king was recognized. However, regardless of who was leading the government, there was always widespread animosity toward Catholics.
To promote his own career, the Anglican cleric Titus Oates—whose other failings included perjury and sexual misconduct—decided to fabricate a story that three Jesuit priests and a Benedictine had plotted to assassinate King Charles II. During the arrest of those innocent men, documents were discovered that showed Richard Langhorne had served as a legal advisor to the Jesuits. That flimsy evidence was enough to have Richard arrested and put on trial for treason. When Richard tried to defend himself in court, the crowd was so loud and hostile that his witnesses could not be heard over the noise. Richard was condemned to death, but his Christlike courage affected those who witnessed his execution. After his martyrdom, public opinion began to question Oates and his fiction.
Heavenly Father, vindicate your faithful servants
and reveal your truth to the world.
