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3:59 pm
April 9, 2011
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OK, so I know that Henry's divorce from Katherine of Aragon began England's split from the Roman Catholic Church and led eventually to the cration of the Anglican Church, but I have a few muddled thoughts that have appeared during my reading of fictional novels, watching The Tudors and general viewing of Wikipedia.
Here are my thoughts:
1. Henry was a Catholic the whole time he was married to KOA
2. To marry Anne, he had to split from the Roman Catholic Church and declare himself the head of the Church of England
3. Jane apparently is Catholic but keeps it quiet and goes with the reformed views
Now for the muddy area and questions:
1) Did Henry ever say that holy communion was only a symbolic gesture unlike the teachings of the Catholic Church?
2) Did Henry ever ban the Catholic mass?
3) Was England really just a Catholic country with Henry as the leader instead of the Pope?
The reason I have these questions is based upon his marriages to his last 3 wives, I am utterly confused with his stance on religion.
Cromwell arranges the marriage to Anne Of Cleves to keep Protestant movement going in England, the Howards position Katherine to be Queen to get Catholicism back into England and then Catherine Parr has an arrest warrant issued because of her Protestent leanings.
I understand religious England under the rules of Henry's children, but it seems that Henry's view of his Church change everytime he wakes up. I thought I understood his position until I learnt about Parr's arrest warrant, which totally confuses me on my understanding.
8:53 pm
November 18, 2010
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H8 was never a Protestant. He remained a Catholic all his life, his personal religon never changed and neither did the outward forms of the new state religion. In fact modern day High Anglian worship still shows the influence of the RC rituals.
2) Did Henry ever ban the Catholic mass?
3) Was England really just a Catholic country with Henry as the leader instead of the Pope?
Cromwell arranges the marriage to Anne Of Cleves to keep Protestant movement going in England, the Howards position Katherine to be Queen to get Catholicism back into England and then Catherine Parr has an arrestwarrant issued because of her Protestent leanings.
At the age of 12 (1527), Anne was betrothed to Francis, son and heir of the Duke of Lorraine while he was only 10. Thus the betrothal was considered 'unofficial' and was cancelled in 1535. Her brother William was a Lutheran but the family was unaligned religiously, with her mother, the Duchess Maria described as a “strict Catholic.”
It's always bunnies.
1:10 am
April 9, 2011
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Thank you Anyanka for clearing up a lot of stuff. Now I'll be able to watch and read stuff about Henry's England without being totally confused. As long as I remember that the big church reforms did not happen until AFTER he died, I should be fine. I think it was the whole Katherine Howard stuff that confused my brain, but I do admit not understanding why Anne was also keeping her reformist/protestant views close to her chest and not be so openly open about it. But now with your explanation I do. Also helps explain the behind the scene shuffling occuring with Cranmer and Cromwell that seems to juxtapose with Henry's vision while watching The Tudors (just finished watching Jane die)
8:37 pm
August 12, 2009
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Bill1978 said:
1) Did Henry ever say that holy communion was only a symbolic gesture unlike the teachings of the Catholic Church?
No, Henry (and Anne Boleyn) believed in the 'real presence' of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
"Don't knock at death's door.
Ring the bell and run. He hates that."
11:46 am
January 9, 2010
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What Henry did do was allow the Bible to be printed in English for the first time, thus in theory giving more people access to it. That was a big no-no for the Catholics who held that lay people should only have access to it through their priests.
11:53 am
December 5, 2009
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“Truly so that the Word should be among the people of the realm I took upon myself great labour to urge the king to permit the printing of the Scriptures to go unimpeded among the commons of the realm in their own language. And truly to God I was one of those who did most to procure the matter to place the Word of God among the people because of the love and affection which I bear for the Gospel and the truth of Christ's word.”
A passage in George Boleyn's scaffold speech.
3:58 pm
April 9, 2011
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Good on ya George for putting the word out that it wasn't Henry's idea to print the Bible in English.
After the great help here, I also got an improved understanding of the situation that was puzzling me by watching the episode of The Tudors dealing with Jane's Death. At the end it spelt out the 6 articles (?) that Henry developed for his church, and they were identical pretty much to the Catholic teachings, the only difference being Henry the head of the church and not the Pope. The scene also clearly showed why Cromwell went to look for a Protestant leaning wife for #4, as he was clearly shaken by the lack of reform from Henry, soenthing he was hoping would happen with the divorce from KoA.
