“Edmund Campion: Hero of God’s Underground”
by Harold C. Gardiner, S.J.
Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1992, 180 pages, Grades 8-10.
The early Christian theologian, Tertullian, said “the blood of the martyrs is the seedbed of the Faith.” While we frequently think of martyrs as victims of ancient persecutions, there are still many people dying for the faith in recent times.
In England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, (1558-1603) Catholics suffered brutal religious persecution from the British government. It became treason for an Englishman to become a priest and any of the laity found supporting priests could be put to death. But unhappily for the Queen, her heavy-handed methods only inspired many young Englishmen to enter the priesthood. The most famous of these is Edmund Campion. Father Harold Gardiner S.J. has written an excellent account of this brave and holy priest. The name of the book is “Edmund Campion: Hero of God’s Underground. “
A young, handsome Englishman dressed as a jewel merchant lands in southern England in June, 1579. But the young man disguised as a jewel merchant is actually a Catholic priest. Under Elizabeth’s draconian laws, it is treason for an Englishman to become a priest. He is Edmund Campion, the former Oxford scholar. Though offered the highest religious position possible by Elizabeth, Campion declines. In his heart, he wants to leave the Anglican Church and become a Catholic priest.
If the queen’s ever-vigilant secret police catch Campion, he will be jailed and most likely executed. But even clever queens do not always get their way. Campion escapes the secret police’s clutches and soon is celebrating Mass and hearing confessions in London and other parts of England.
Campion knows the government wants to capture him. To prove his loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I, he writes a short essay known in history as Campion’s Brag. It is hardly bragging. In reality it shows great fidelity to the monarchy but Campion states that his faith is the basis of his life. Many people in England read this essay and a later pamphlet known as the Ten Reasons. These writings contradict the queen’s statement that she is the head of the church in England.
In a fury, the secret police bribe people to lie and betray Campion. They finally catch their prey. But a set of curious events happen after the arrest. Why is Campion today a saint and his captors seen as sinful cowards?
How does all this come about? How do we realize the greatness of St. Edmund Campion while seeing the evil of those seeking to arrest and execute him? To find out the answers to these and other questions, order this book from Amazon or any number of religious bookstores.
Gardiner frequently uses the actual documents from Father Campion’s writings during some of his preaching and subsequent interrogations. The brutal tortures inflicted upon Campion are lightly touched upon, much to the benefit of readers. But Gardiner tells an authentic story of a great man and a martyr for the Faith. I hope you get a chance to read this fine book. It is a moving story.
