Who caused the break from rome?

Question 1

henry

Answer 1

Desire to Annul Marriage (Catherine of Aragon)
Driven by love for Anne Boleyn and desire for a male heir.
Sought opinions from universities on the ‘Great Matter’ to justify annulment.
Challenge to the Church’s Authority
1531: Charges whole clergy with praemunire (offense of obeying the Pope over the King).
Clergy pardoned in 1531, but Henry VIII insists on being called “Supreme Head of the English Church”.
Henry increasingly confident in his authority over the Church.
Key Acts Undermining Papal Authority
15th May 1532: Submission of the Clergy – Church surrenders legislative independence to the Crown.
Bill of Annates:
Overrules papal authority in appointing bishops.
Initially made conditional, showing Henry still hoped for annulment from the Pope.
Marriage to Anne Boleyn & Legal Supremacy
January 1533: Anne pregnant, urgent need for marriage.
Henry installs a sympathetic cleric (Cranmer) to facilitate the annulment.
Exploiting the Church’s Wealth & Ensuring Obedience
With legal supremacy established, Henry seeks to exploit Church wealth (e.g., new payments to the Crown).
Enforces oaths of obedience to the Crown:
Clergy and adult males required to swear allegiance.

Question 2

cranmer

Answer 2

Helped compile Collectanea Satis Copiosa – collection of ancient writings supporting the King as head of state.
1533: Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry VIII to authorize the new marriage and grant the annulment.
Lutheran & reformist views, close to the Boleyn family.
Rapid rise over Stephen Gardiner – shows Henry’s urgency to appoint a sympathetic cleric.
Papal Bill from Rome allowed Cranmer’s consecration, despite opposition.
Married Henry & Anne Boleyn in 1533.
Cranmer’s Legal & Religious Authority
Head of new Court of Appeals in Dunstable – removed Rome’s influence over English legal matters.
Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533):
Prevented appeals to the Pope.
May 1533: Cranmer declared Henry & Catherine’s marriage void.
Act of Dispensations (1534):
Stopped all payments to Rome.
Future church law exemptions must be granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, or risk praemunire charges.

Question 3

cromwell

Answer 3

Wolsey’s successor – key figure in Henry VIII’s break with Rome.
Attack on Church Authority
1532: Introduced Commons Supplication Against Ordinaries – petition against Church Courts & clerical jurisdiction.
Convinced Commons it was their idea, but it actually supported Henry’s attack on Church independence.
Cromwell as the ‘True Initiator’ of Reformation
Led most of the legislation enforcing Royal Supremacy.
New Treason Act (1534):
Made it treason to slander Royal Supremacy or deny the King’s new title.
Treason now applies to both words & deeds.
Gave Cromwell the “instrument of terror” to silence opposition.
Church Reform & Wealth Extraction
Commissioned to survey Church wealth, giving him power to reform and exploit Church resources.