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What did Thomas Cranmer say at his execution that reversed his recantations?
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Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer, detail of an oil painting by Gerlach Flicke, 1545; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
At his execution on March 21, 1556, Thomas Cranmer shocked his captors by publicly disavowing the six recantations he had previously signed under pressure.
Instead of confirming his submission to the Marian government, he emphatically reasserted his Protestant convictions, specifically declaring that the power of the pope was usurped and that the doctrine of transubstantiation was untrue. By doing so, he effectively neutralized the government's propaganda efforts and restored resolve to the surviving Reformers. Following this declaration, he demonstrated his sincerity by holding his right handâthe hand that had signed the false recantationsâinto the fire until it was consumed.1