Henry VIII Religion Flashcards
1517 - Martin Luther Published a Series of Criticisms of the Catholic Church
This was the beginning of a new branch of Christianity, which became known as Protestantism.
Henry was shocked and angered by these events. He wrote a book called the Defence of the Seven Sacraments, which was a passionate defence of the key aspects of Catholicism.
Henry was given a special title of Fidei Defensor, or Defender of the Faith, by the Pope, who was the head of the Catholic Church.
1530 - William Tyndale’s Bible Burnt
His translation of the Bible into English was believed to be heresy against Catholicism. Shows how Henry VIII was still firmly Catholic by this stage of his reign.
Dec. 1530 - Clergy accused of praemunire
Praemunire - to support papal jurisdiction before that of the King’s.
Further attacking the ecclesiastical courts in England, as Henry VII did.
In Feb. 1531, the clergy were pardoned of this charge, and Henry was paid a fine of £119,000 in return for the pardon.
Henry’s “Great Matter”
The ‘Great Matter’ was the euphemism Henry and his advisors used to refer to his quest for an annulment to his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The reason for this was his desire to marry Anne Boleyn, who was much younger, in an attempt to secure a legitimate male heir.
This issue first presented itself after the son with which Catherine became pregnant after the marriage was stillborn, followed by 5 more miscarriages up to November 1518 (The only living child produced was Mary, and Henry did not consider her a suitable heir because of her sex). After breaking from Rome and marrying Anne Boleyn in May 1533, she provided another daughter, Elizabeth, and after multiple miscarriages, the last of which was a male child she had been pregnant with for about 3 months, Henry had her executed and married Jane Seymour on the same day.
Jane Seymour gave Henry the son he so craved, and for this reason she is widely considered to have been his favourite wife, although she died, less than 2 weeks after giving birth to the future Edward VI, on 24th October 1537.
What year did Henry first consider annulling his marriage with Catherine of Aragon?
1527
1529 - Wolsey’s attempt to solve Henry’s “Great Matter”
There was a failure to reach an agreement over the annulment of the marriage between Cardinal Wolsey and Cardinal Campeggio. The case was moved to Rome. This year Wolsey lost his power, and was arrested near York in November 1530 and accused of treason for his failure to arrange the annulment. The year in which the Reformation Parliament first sat – one of seven sittings. Anti-clericalism was rife in this Parliament.
1527 - Sack of Rome
Victory over the French at Pavia in 1525 left the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, dominant in Italy.
Pope Clement had unwisely formed an alliance, the League of Cognac, to challenge Charles’s supremacy in Italy. Clement surrendered in June, agreeing to pay a huge ransom and cede substantial territory to Charles V
Henry VIII was unlikely to manage an annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon now, as she was Charles V’s aunt.
What was the act of Annates and when was it passed?
1534 - It awarded church taxes that would usually be paid to Rome to the King instead
What was the Act in restraint of appeals and when was it passed?
1533 - the Act of Restraint of Appeals meant that people could not appeal to the Pope to overturn Henry’s rulings on the church.
1531 - Henry VIII became ‘head of the Church in England and Wales as far as the law of Christ allows.’
The Convocations of England grant Henry the title Head of the English Church on this year. The phrasing “as far as the law of Christ allows” can be seen to be a compromise to Catholicism.
1532 - The Act in Restraint of Annates
The Act in Restraint of Annates was introduced which stopped all but 5% of payments by newly appointed senior clergy to the Pope. It came into effect in 1533.
In this year Cranmer was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.
1533: Henry secretly married Anne Boleyn (January 25th).
Marriage between Henry and Catherine of Aragon was annulled in April by Cranmer. Act in Restraint of Appeals was introduced. Anne was crowned queen on May 31st. Elizabeth was born on September 7th.
1534 - Pope Clement VII ruled that Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was valid.
And now the break from Rome occurs.
Following this, The Act of Supremacy was introduced, ruling that Henry VIII was Supreme Head of the Church, replacing the pope. Thomas Cromwell was appointed day-to-day controller of the Church.
1535 - John Fisher and Thomas More executed
They were both killed for refusing to support the King’s annulment/supremacy as Head of Church.
1536 - a further move towards Protestantism
Start of the dissolution of the smaller monasteries.
The Act of the Ten Articles (1536), probably written by Thomas Cranmer, promoted some Protestant ideas and challenged Catholic beliefs. For example, it ignored the Catholic belief in purgatory and attacked the traditional Catholic belief in relics as superstition.
Anne Boleyn executed (May 19th) and marriage to Jane Seymour quickly followed.
In much of the North but starting in Yorkshire, the Pilgrimage of Grace started (October), showing Catholic resistance. This was largely in backlash to the English reformation, Cromwell’s policies including the dissolution of monasteries, and rising food prices. The aims of the rebellion were reversing the Act of Supremacy, the restoration of Mary Tudor to the line of succession, and the removal of Thomas Cromwell. The earlier Lincolnshire rising (also in response of Cromwell’s policies) is further evidence of Cromwell’s growing unpopularity, and the PofG was a large threat, causing a rising of 40,000 men.
