by Luca Fumagalli

Had several worthy publishers not republished the works of Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) in recent years, the French-born British author would have continued to be mentioned almost exclusively in connection with the much better-known G. K. Chesterton, his great friend and comrade in many struggles. Yet many considered Belloc superior to the latter, at least stylistically, so much so that his poetry and prose seemed destined to remain immortal, hailed as the product of a consummate artist.

A fiery and passionate spirit, Belloc authored more than one hundred and fifty publications in nearly half a century of activity. In addition to his fiction and poetry, he was a journalist, essayist, apologist, and politician, twice elected to Parliament. He was also among the creators of Distributism, an economic doctrine that, along the lines of the social doctrine of the Church, presented itself as an alternative to capitalism and communism. Above all, he was among the leading intellectuals of early twentieth-century European Catholic culture, making Pius IX’s Pro Ecclesia contra mundum his raison d’être.

Among Belloc’s finest works are his historical essays. Although he has sometimes been accused of being inaccurate and overly militant, his books actually demonstrate a profound psychological understanding of their subjects, also providing a more than convincing portrait of the era in question. Therefore, while perhaps lacking the academic finesse of Christopher Dawson, they are nonetheless interesting works, especially when Belloc addresses 16th-century English history and the various reasons that led the kingdom to separate from communion with the Church of Rome.

A prime example of this is Wolsey, first published in 1930 and republished in 2024 by Mysterium Press. This essay, written in imitation of a theatrical tragedy, is divided into five acts and analyses the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII’s chancellor and a key figure in understanding the political and religious transformation of England at the time. Wolsey, born between 1472 and 1473 and dying in 1530, was unable to witness the Anglican schism for purely chronological reasons, but his short-sighted political action laid the foundations. And if, as Belloc writes, it is individuals who make and change history, examining the rise and fall of a prelate and statesman who amassed astonishing power and wealth is extremely important, especially if he actually had the opportunity to change the course of events.

Born in Ipswich to a lower-middle-class family, Wolsey studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, and was later ordained a priest. He subsequently served as master of the boys’ school attached to the college. Among his pupils was the son of Dorset, a nobleman with connections at court, and thanks to him, at thirty-five, he became one of Henry VII’s chaplains. The king would die shortly after and with Henry VIII’s succession, his career accelerated sharply but not precipitously. Indeed, the new king was influenced in his early years by his grandmother, the Countess of Richmond, and later by his wife, Catherine. Wolsey dominated Henry more and more until he joined the King’s Council, handling foreign affairs. He was given several bishoprics, including the metropolitan see of York, and began to accumulate growing wealth. Appointed chancellor and cardinal, he exploited the complicated political situation in Italy, with the French threatening Leo X, to also be appointed Legate, or Vice-Gerent of the Papacy in England, amassing enormous power both civilly and ecclesiastically.

From 1518 to 1525, Wolsey held the country in his hands. He built sumptuous residences, the most famous of which was Hampton Court, which he decorated with gold, silver, and tapestries, and even entertained the dream of becoming Pope. He possessed all the virtues of a commander, but also two serious flaws for a political leader: he lacked the ability to deeply understand other men, and he failed to recognize the spiritual turmoil that was stirring in Christendom, which would spark the Protestant revolution. Moreover, he himself would have been less than credible as a reformer of the corrupt clergy, being an integral part of that system. Nor should we forget that certain of his wicked decisions, such as the suppression of the minor monasteries, inspired Thomas Cromwell and thus, in a certain sense, indirectly favoured the Protestant turn in England in the following years.

His gravest mistake, however, was failing to recognize the growing influence that Anne Boleyn was exerting over Henry. He supported the latter’s request for divorce, hoping to arrange a marriage with the French royal family to guarantee the country an important ally in a Europe then dominated by Charles V. When it became clear that his plans failed to meet the approval of the sovereign, who wanted to marry Anne, nor of Clement VII, Wolsey fell into ruin, first being banished from court and then arrested. Only his sudden death spared him prison.

“Wolsey dead,” as Belloc writes, “became the creator of all the powers Wolsey living had worked to prevent or had ignored.” The union of civil and ecclesiastical power in him ultimately favoured the civil one, laying the foundation for the subsequent tyranny of the Tudor. Likewise, England, which he had done everything to transform into the deciding player of international politics, sank out of Europe. His life bore no fruit because nothing Wolsey did was for an ideal but only for himself; his sole purpose was to satisfy personal ambition without a general aim. Consequently, the results of his immense maneuvers were completely different from what he had hoped. Had he acted otherwise, the history of England would have followed a completely different course and, probably, Christianity too would have survived the changes of that tormented century united or at least not so divided.

The Book: Hilaire Belloc, Wolsey, Mysterium Ppress 2024, 300 pages, £18.99

Purchase link: https://www.mysteriumpress.com/shop/p/wolsey

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