Exam (elaborations)
Henry might have made himself Supreme Head of the Church but did little else to change the church.
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Henry might have made himself Supreme Head of the Church but did little else to changethe church.
Whilst Henry VIII made himself the Head of the Church, it can be argued that he did little to
evolve the structure, doctrinal matter and practices of the Church. In 1534, Henry’s Act of
Supremacy made him Supreme Head of the Church of England, freeing him of the religious
intervention of the Pope. It could be argued that during the 1529 to 1547, Henry was solely
focused on increasing his monarchical authority through implementing a new religion, allowing
him to undermine the position of the Pope and effectively segway England’s religion. It is clear
that Henry VIII was motivated by the divorce of Catherine of Aragon. In terms of short-term
religious expansion, Henry made changes which temporarily cemented Protestantism in
England, such as the Break with Rome. However, the long-term impacts of religious
transformation had no effect on the future religion of England.
Furthermore, Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries is essential when analysing the impact
that Henry, as the Head of the Church, had upon religion. The Dissolution announced the
changeover from Catholicism to the Protestant faith and was arguably the most significant
change to the church. Monasteries were a significant component of Catholicism, where men and
women devoted their lives praying for the deceased and living. Notably, in 1535, Thomas
Cromwell and Henry’s investigation into the religious establishments spotlighted the corruption
which provided them with an excuse to close these monasteries down. Some historians argue
that the seizure of monastic lands stems from the constant reminder of the Catholic faith.
Whereas others argue that the ‘Valor Ecclesiasticus’ revealed the wealth behind these lands
which would boost the crown’s annual income. The Act for the Dissolution of the Smaller
Monasteries of 1536 ordered the closure of lands valued under £200 per year. Following on from
this, the 1539 Act for the Dissolution of Larger Monasteries, closed all religious houses, apart
from chantries. Therefore, the abolishment of monasteries dramatically changed the church as it
destroyed the livelihoods of monks, whilst escalating poverty in England. It can be correct to
assert that Henry made monumental changes to the infrastructure and exterior structure of the
Church which encouraged economic destitution in Medieval England.
The doctrinal influence failed to impact the position of the Church and proved Henry’s influence
to be lacking. Henry, during the 1530s, seemed to keep most of the religious doctrines Catholic.
This is evident through the position of the Eucharist, the last supper, remained a Catholic service
and believed in transubstantiation, opposed to Protestants’ belief in consubstantiation. This
serves to highlight Henry VIII’s reluctance to fully convert England’s religion. In addition, it was
only the clergy who were allowed to receive the bread and wine, a Catholic ideology. In a way, it
seems that Henry exploited his position as the Supreme Head of the Church to divorce Catherine
of Aragon and assert his power. But it could be argued that he did introduce some Protestant
elements such as the conversion of church services from Latin to English in 1545, but this did not
come into effect until Henry’s last years of reign and in 1535, the Bible was published in English.
Furthermore, the 1539 Act of Six Articles reasserted Catholic doctrine and diminished the
importance of consubstantiation. Whilst Henry made changes, they remained popular as society
was largely Catholic and society possessed a Catholic ethos. Therefore, it can be argued that the
church remained largely the same.
It could be argued that on the surface, the Break with Rome was a success as a result of Henry’s
desire to assert his authority, illustrating the self-serving element of his appointment as Head of
the Church. It seemed that his position was only really motivated by his need for authority. This
can be demonstrated in the 1931 Pardon of the Clergy in which Henry attacked the power of the
church and further instilled sovereignty through the use of ecclesiastical courts. Moreover, the
Act of Restraint in Appeals 1533 intimidated Henry’s supporters as it prevented them or
Catherine from relying on the Pope’s intervention. The First Fruits and Tenths showed the
change in order to further his own personal gain as taxes went to Henry instead of the Pope.
Instead of sculpting the new structure of the church, Henry was only concerned with his position
as King and wanted to alienate the Pope and his influence. Therefore, his failure to adapt the
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