Why did Henry VIII break with Rome

Divorce from Catherine of Aragon

Condition of the church of England

1529 - claim's that there were abuses in the church - allowed Henry to claim for reform

1530 - Church charged with Praemunire , withdrawn in 1531 with fine repayment

1532 - The Act of Restraint of Annates banned payment of most clerical taxes to Rome

1532 - Church had to surrender the right to enact new clerical laws

Needed a male heir to keep the Tudor dynasty from falling

Catherine was 42 years old so not of child bearing age

Henry believed he was being punished for taking his brothers wise - Leviticus

Charles V had influence over the pope due to military success in Italy - so Henry couldn't do much about his divorce

Economic

Henry was a lavish king and Tudor finances were in a poor state

Nothing to defend the country with, if an invasion was to occur

Large sum of money belonged to the church - new source of income

Personal

1526 - Henry had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn

1532- Anne was pregnant - possible male heir and he needed to claim it as legitimate

Anne - had influence over the king and was a Lutheran

Religious

Henry was influenced by strong protestants - Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Cranmer , Anne Boleyn

Henry was a Catholic - didn't want to break with Rome

European Reformation

Large influence, set blue print for Henry

Highly unlikely Henry would have ended Papal Supremacy without the climate of change created by Europe

Power

Motivation behind the Break and the Divorce was the occasion, not the cause

Refusal by the pope provided opportunity to seize power - LESS CONVINCING GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME HENRY SPENT TRYING TO PERSUADE THE POPE

First Act of Annates was conditional, giving the pope the opportunity to grant the divorce in return for abandonment of the break

Charge of Praemunire showed Henry how he could easily obtain money from the Church.

Cromwell promised Henry he would make him 'the richest man in the Christendom' HOWEVER DID NOT FIT THE CHRONOLOGICALLY OF EVENTS , SUGGESTS THAT ACQUISITION OF WEALTH WAS A BONUS