• Why did England break away from the Catholic Church?
I. England and the Catholic Church A. Thesis- King Henry severed ties from the Catholic Church because he wanted to basically continue ruling in primogeniture.
B. The Pope’s refusal, interference, and power further sparked Henry VIII to separate.
C. Just to get a male heir, and marry another woman, King Henry VIII felt it would be politically good to become the only head of the Church of England.
II. Desires for Divorce A. Henry wants a male heir, therefore he wishes to remarry to increase his chance of having a surviving son
• Henry the VIII was upset after the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
• Henry VIII wishes to marry Anne Boleyn.
• His only child to have survived from his first marriage is Mary.
• The Pope refused because he didn’t want to offend the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Catherine’s nephew.
B. Document 1
• Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn however the Pope refused. Henry became furious, so he took over as the only head of the Church of England. C. Henry felt he wasn’t getting a son because he had disobeyed the will of God by marrying his sister-in-law.
III. Pope’s Interference A. The Pope felt that annulling Henry’s first marriage would in a way disrespect the Holy Roman Emperor.
B. Document 2
• The Pope had too much power and tried to impose on the King’s authority
• The English were very nationalistic; therefore they disliked the idea of interference by foreign power/rulers.
C. If Catherine was annulled as a wife, then her daughter Mary would be considered illegitimate, therefore she could possibly lose her places as a female heir to the throne.
IV. Church’s Economic Power A. The Catholic Church held a lot of land and imposed taxes on all followers on their land.
B. Document 3
• England breaking away from the