Henry VIII and Religion

Acts of the Reformation Parliament – The Break with Rome 

• 1530 praemunire against the whole clergy – pardoned them if they were able to pay a large fine and accept Henry as the Head of the Church
• 1532 Act in Conditional Restraint of Annates ended the payments to the Pope
• 1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals made the highest religious court in England so Catherine could not appeal to Rome for help
• 1534 Act of Succession made Catherine’s marriage and daughter(Mary) invalid
• 1534 Act of Supremacy made everyone accept Henry as the Head of the Church
• 1534 Treason Act executed anyone who opposed Henry as supreme leader of the Church

Opposition to religious change

Elizabeth Barton – popular nun with visions that Henry would not be King if the annulment went through. Forced to say that visions were fake and Henry had her executed.

John Fisher – publicly defended Catherine of Aragon during the annulment and refused the Succession Act. Was imprisoned.

Thomas More – Lord Chancellor who openly opposed annulment and royal supremacy, was loyal to Henry but more loyal to God. Was executed and replaced by Cromwell

Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536: 10,000 peasants marched across the North of England with Article of Grievances. Soon there were 30,000 rebels against Henry’s mere 8,000 royal army. Pressured Henry into agreeing with demands – summoning of Parliament and pardoning of rebels.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries (1535-40)

Causes: In 1509, there were 850 monasteries and the Church owned a great deal of land making them wealthy and powerful and a potential threat to the crown. There was also a lot of corruption in the Church.

Thomas Cromwell had worked under Wolsey so was experienced in this. Cromwell used corruption as an excuse to dissolve the monasteries because he knew the crown wanted and needed the money.

In 1535, an act was passed which ordered the dissolution of small monasteries and all land and money went to Henry. In 1538, Henry ordered the dissolving of larger monasteries despite not having Parliament’s permission. Many monasteries surrendered as they knew they would be faced with Acts of Attainder if they didn’t. 

Dissolution of over 800 monasteries in under 5 years with very little opposition.

Religious Changes after 1534

• In 1536, the Ten Articles were passed which introduced some Protestant practices in the Church.
• But then in 1539, the Six Articles were passed which un-did this and introduced Catholicism again.

Fall of Cromwell in 1540

• Religion – heretic for wanting a Protestant England
• Failure of Cleve’s marriage in 1539:
  • Cromwell organised this marriage to secure a German alliance but Henry was dissatisfied and her appearance looked nothing like her portrait
• Factional politics – nobility were jealous of his power
• Eventually executed in 1540