Religious change under Henry Flashcards
1
Q
Why did Henry want divorce?
A
- Henry’s desire for male heir:
After 15 years of his marriage to Catherine, only surviving child was Mary, who was now beyond childbearing age - Henry had a series of mistresses, at least one of whom (Elizabeth Blount) had an illegitimate son by the king
- Henry promised to marry Anne because by Jan 1533, she was found to be preg.
2
Q
What was Henry’s argument for divorce?
A
- Found a passage in the Old Testament book Leviticus which made him believe his marriage had never been valid, as Catherine had previously been married to his bro, Arthur.
- He argued that the pope was wrong for granting him the marriage in the first place
3
Q
How did Henry go about getting the divorce?
A
- Appointed Wolsey with the task in 1527,
4
Q
What did Wolsey initially do?
A
- He sent English Bishops Gardiner and Foxe as royal ambassadors to pope Clement VII in Rome in 1528
- Through this, Wolsey aimed to get his permission for the hearing to be held in England and be presided over by Wolsey
5
Q
Why did Wolsey’s proposition not go through?
A
- The Pope had been imprisoned by Charles V, after he invaded Rome in May 1527
- Charles V (Catherine’s nephew) was against the divorce as it was dishonourable to the family
possibly beneficial to his enemies, as Henry was considering a marriage alliance with the French royal fam - The pope too was opposed to the annulment because of Henry’s view that the Pope did not have the power to grant a dispensation.
6
Q
What did the pope decide instead?
A
- Allowed papal Legate, Cardinal Campeggio, to go to England and try the case alongside Wolsey
- Catherine howeversent an appeal to the Pope in Rome saying there would be no fair trial in England.
- Her success in doing this meant the hearings and the career of Wolsey came to an end.
7
Q
What did Henry do after Wolsey’s failure?
A
- Henry became desperate. From the late 1530s, the King’s supporters began to question the authority of the pope over the king and his territory.
- The argument grew and in September 1530, he refused to be summoned by the Pope to Rome for a hearing about his marriage
- From October 1530, he created a committee of lawyers and clergymen to see if he could get the dispensation from English parliament to divorce Catherine, going around the pope entirely.