Dissolution of the Monastries..for Relgious Reasons?
THE DISOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES WAS DONE FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS
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The term “Dissolution of the Monasteries” is used to describe the series of administrative and legal processes that were initiated by King Henry III from 1536 to 1541. These processes were aimed at disbanding al the friaries, monasteries, priories and convents in England, Wales and Ireland. Not only were these institutions dissolved by the government, their assets were seized and sold of by the crown and the members were forced to look for other functions to serve in the society[1]. There has been a lot of debate to date on the subject, with some people arguing that the entire process was undertaken for religious reasons while others maintain that financial reasons were the main drivers of the process. This paper will examine the dissolution process with the aim of proving that it was indeed undertaken for religious reasons.
The dissolution process did not begin immediately the authorities began disbanding the monasteries and other similar institutions, but can be traced back to the 1527 when King Henry III, then married to Catherine of Aragon, sought a divorce from his wife through the Catholic Church. Given that the Roman Catholic Church at the time believed in marriage for the life, the Pope refused his request for annulment. Going against the Papal decree, King Henry III marries Anne Boleyn and is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church which still considers him married to Catherine of Aragon. King Henry III then declares himself the Supreme Head of the Church in England, and initiates laws to validate this decree and enforce his religious authority over the people of England[2]. One of these laws is the Act in Restraint of Appeals which was enacted in April 1533 and effectively prevented all bodies from appealing to any other office above the king, and in particular the Papal office. This law was the first piece of legislation that gave
Name
Course
Date
The term “Dissolution of the Monasteries” is used to describe the series of administrative and legal processes that were initiated by King Henry III from 1536 to 1541. These processes were aimed at disbanding al the friaries, monasteries, priories and convents in England, Wales and Ireland. Not only were these institutions dissolved by the government, their assets were seized and sold of by the crown and the members were forced to look for other functions to serve in the society[1]. There has been a lot of debate to date on the subject, with some people arguing that the entire process was undertaken for religious reasons while others maintain that financial reasons were the main drivers of the process. This paper will examine the dissolution process with the aim of proving that it was indeed undertaken for religious reasons.
The dissolution process did not begin immediately the authorities began disbanding the monasteries and other similar institutions, but can be traced back to the 1527 when King Henry III, then married to Catherine of Aragon, sought a divorce from his wife through the Catholic Church. Given that the Roman Catholic Church at the time believed in marriage for the life, the Pope refused his request for annulment. Going against the Papal decree, King Henry III marries Anne Boleyn and is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church which still considers him married to Catherine of Aragon. King Henry III then declares himself the Supreme Head of the Church in England, and initiates laws to validate this decree and enforce his religious authority over the people of England[2]. One of these laws is the Act in Restraint of Appeals which was enacted in April 1533 and effectively prevented all bodies from appealing to any other office above the king, and in particular the Papal office. This law was the first piece of legislation that gave
Bibliography: B. Bradshaw, The Dissolution of the Religious Orders in Ireland under Henry VIII. (London: Cambridge University Press, 2007). 1483-1603 C D. Rosman, From Catholic to Protestant: Religion and People in Tudor England (London, Macmillan, 1996), 48 R S. Brigden, New Worlds, Lost Worlds: the Rule of the Tudors, (London: Leary, 2001), 1483-1603 W [2] R. Rex, Henry VIII and the English Reformation, (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2006), 15 [3] D [4] S. Brigden, New Worlds, Lost Worlds: the Rule of the Tudors, (London: Leary, 2001), 1483-1603 [5] C [6] Ibid, 2012 [7] B