Did King Henry Viii Contribute To The Separation Of The Catholic Church

King Henry VIII was the second ruler in the Tudor line. He officially came to power in 1509. In order to marry his late brother’s wife, he had to acquire permission from the Pope for the marriage because of a Biblical prohibition against marrying a brother's wife. Henry used his European power to eventually separate from the Catholic Church which caused major controversy and power exchange. Although King Henry VIII was a devout Catholic, his thirst for power, selfish motives, and desire for independency all contributed to the separation from the Catholic Church and forming of the Church of England. King Henry VIII defended the Catholic Church during the beginning of his reign. He was very religious and attended mass as much as five times a
In 1531, the English clergy, also known as the Reformation Parliament, was forced to accept the Act of Supremacy which confirmed Henry the supreme head of the Church of England. The Act also stated that if one supported the Pope over the king, he/she would be convicted of treason. Thus, assisting Catholicism was a crime against King Henry, which resulted in death.
In court, under the rule of Cranmer, Henry and Catherine’s marriage was deemed invalid. Catherine was cut off from her entire family and was considered useless. Therefore, Catherine symbolized the Catholic Church because both presences were no longer seen as a threat and they both were regarded as fruitless to the new, dominant England. Anne and Henry were finally free to marry after the long struggle for acceptance of their marriage. Their marriage was considered unlawful by the now ineffective Roman Catholic Church. Thus, their union was an impactful and constant reminder of England’s defiance towards the
His third wife, Jane Seymour gave him only one male heir named Edward VI. Edward declared himself protestant and published the Church of England's official prayer book called the Book of Common Prayer. Protestantism under his rule expanded all over England because it became more favorable to the people since their king supported the religion. Henry’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth, made the most noticeable Protestant reforms to the Church of England. Because of Henry VIII, future English monarchs defied the Catholic Church more than any other ruler had done