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Thomas Merton | |
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| Born | 31 January 1915 Prades, France |
| Died | 10 December 1968 Mueang Samut Prakan, Thailand |
| Cause of death | Electrocution |
| Field of study | Theology |
Thomas Merton (31 January 1915 – 10 December 1968) was a Catholic monk, social activist, and author. Starting in 1941, he lived in the Our Lady of Gethsemani Monastery in Kentucky. Before 1960, most of his writings were religious texts. In 1962, against the orders of his Abbot Primate, he published the treatise Peace in the Post-Christian Era, his first political text. He opposed the U.S. war on Vietnam and died mysteriously while attending a conference in Thailand, a close US ally.[1]
Death
Merton died at a monastic conference near Bangkok, Thailand on 10 December 1968. There were 32 other monks at the conference. At 4:00 p.m., his body was found lying straight with a fan on top of it. The Thai death certificate has two different English translations, one of which mentions an "electric shock due to accidental falling against the fan on the floor." The death certificate from the next day does not mention electrocution and says that he died from "acute cardiac failure." The U.S. Embassy report on his death also said he died from heart failure.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 David Martin, Hugh Turley (2021-12-13). "Was America’s Outspoken Catholic Priest and Best-Selling Author, Thomas Merton, “Eliminated” Because of His Outspoken Opposition to the Vietnam War?" CovertAction Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-11-27.