How Did Henry Viii Contribute To The English Reformation

In 1517 in Wittenberg, Saxony, in the Holy Roman, Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses condemning the Catholic Church for their “unholy” practices. This public affair acted as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. In England, a state overseen by the Catholic Church, Henry VII took note of the increasing popular uprising throughout Europe caused by the Reformation. Seeking annulment of his marriage so he could remarry Henry VIII was refused such an annulment by the church. Unforgivingly upset with the church’s ruling, Henry, with the help of the English Parliament, enacted the 1534 Act of Supremacy, which declared that Henry was the “Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England”, which led to the splitting of all ties between the Catholic Church and England.
In reality the English Reformation was more of a political struggle than theological, in regards to Henry’s decisions.
Tired of having to abide by the church’s long held doctrines which unfortunately enabled Henry to follow. Unable to annul his incompetent marriages (as he saw them) Henry sought only to break ties with the church passing with the of the Act of Supremacy, but the English bishops, Thomas Cranmer, in particular, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, pushed the newly freed church into the Protestant reformation. Now that Henry, and Thomas Cranmer, had unadulterated power and control of England they began passing as many controversial acts and injunctions they could to separate their state from Rome (e.g., dissolution of monasteries throughout the English state). While monasteries were being dissolved by the Church of England the abolition of a number of feast days, "the occasion of vice and idleness" which, particularly during harvest time, had a direct effect on village life. Pilgrimages were now too discouraged. The Reformation began to negatively affect the towns and villages of England and, in many places, people who were in favor of it before no longer had the same
sentiment. Under Henry's son, Edward VI, the Church of England became more influenced by the Protestant movement. The theology and liturgy of the Church of England became markedly Protestant under Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. Under the reign Mary Tudor, the title of “Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England” was renounced and papal jurisdiction was restored to England. Mary’s reign was short though and her death brought the succession of the crown to Elizabeth I. Elizabeth reasserted royal supremacy to the crown in 1559. Unlike Henry’s title “Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England” Elizabeth’s title was as “Supreme Governor”. Under her rule the struggle for papal authority would continue in England. The Parliament of England made the fact of being a Jesuit treasonable. Priests found celebrating Mass were hanged, drawn and quartered, rather than being burned at the stake. In 1766, the Pope recognized the English Monarchy as lawful, and this led eventually to the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829, which would lead to the process of Catholic Emancipation throughout Britain. England would never again become a Catholic state.