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Politics, Reformation, and the Birth of the Anglican Communion: A Guide to the Players

Cynthia M. SoRelle, dramaturg

Henry VIII

1515—Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York and close advisor to Henry, is made Lord Chancellor of England and Cardinal. Son of a butcher, Wolsey is attended to by many servants at Hampton Court Palace outside of London. Wolsey develops the Court of Requests, which allows commoners an opportunity, like noblemen, for legal redress of issues. He builds Hampton Court Palace out of an existing manor but later turns it over to Henry VIII when he falls out of favor with the king.

1517—Augustinian monk sets out to reform Catholic Church and changes world. On October 31, German Bible studies teacher Martin Luther criticizes power of the Catholic Church and its practice of selling “indulgences” (for money to build St. Peters in Rome); he nails his “Ninety-Five Theses” (in Latin) to the door of the castle church, a common place for posting messages at University of Wittenberg.
By 1520, Papal Bull is issued by Pope Leo X condemning Luther and ordering burning of Luther’s scholarly works, which occurs in Rome. Luther burns the Papal Bull outside the gates of Wittenberg. Soon other protestors join the “Protestant” movement.*

1521—Pope Leo X excommunicates Luther; Cambridge students in England form a group to read his works; Thomas Cranmer may have been one of them. Meanwhile, Henry VIII publishes Assertio Septem Sacramentorum Martinum Lutherum (Declaration of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther), which attacks Martin Luther and affirms the Pope. Henry is declared “defender of the Faith” by Pope Leo, who dies within months. Sir Thomas More played a role in authoring the book with Henry. William Roper marries More’s daughter Margaret, ten years younger; they have five children.

1525—Henry falls in love with Anne Boleyn. Pope Clement VII refuses to annul Henry's first marriage, despite the fact that it is commonly done for kings, because Rome is currently under siege by Catherine’s nephew, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire (also known as Charles I of Spain). Pope threatens to excommunicate Henry if he marries again; Henry begins his campaign to separate England from the influence of Rome. He is not, however, a supporter of Martin Luther.

1526-27—Lord Chancellor/Cardinal Wolsey presides at a massive burning of Luther’s books; Cambridge theologian Thomas Bilney, a Lutheran sympathizer, is dragged from his pulpit; he is executed in 1531.

Sir Thomas More

1532-33—More resigns his post in protest; Anne Boleyn is pregnant with the future Elizabeth I. Archbishop of Canterbury William Warham dies and Thomas Cranmer, who supports Henry’s campaign to lead the English Church, becomes the most important archibishop in England. Henry secretly marries Anne and is excommunicated by Pope Clement VII; Henry’s marriage to Catherine is annulled by the English court and Anne is crowned queen. (Cranmer later creates The Book of Common Prayer for Anglicans.)

1533—Act in Restraint of Appeals makes it illegal for any foreigner to interfere in English law or to have more authority in England than the King, including the Pope; Richard Rich becomes solicitor (attorney) general and advisor to Henry.

1534—All church funds to stay in England; Act of Succession removes daughter Mary from the line of succession and grants it to any children of Anne Boleyn; it empowers Henry to force everyone to swear an oath recognizing the act or be guilty of treason. Both John Fisher (Bishop of Rochester) and Thomas More refuse to swear. The Pope defiantly makes Fisher a cardinal. Act of Supremacy declares the King “supreme head” of the sovereign state and of the English Church; Henry may appoint churchmen. Treasons Act declares it a treasonable offense to deny any of the King's many titles.

1535—More, prosecuted by Richard Rich, is beheaded at the Tower for failing to take the Oath of Supremacy. Fisher is executed. (Henry may have intended to execute his daughter Mary for refusing, and was dissuaded by Thomas Cranmer.) More is canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1935.

1536—Anne Boleyn is beheaded at the Tower; Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour. Act Against the Pope's Authority removes the last Papal power in England. Thomas Cromwell oversees the dissolution of monasteries in England for Henry and the crown seizes their wealth. Richard Rich, now Speaker of the House of Commons, helps carry out the task.

1537—Jane Seymour dies after the birth of son Edward at Hampton Court.

1540—Henry marries (at urging of Cromwell) Ann of Cleaves, then divorces her six months later to marry Catherine Howard; politically weakened Cromwell is condemned without a hearing by his enemies and executed for treason; his coat of arms is removed from the title page of the Great Bible of 1539.

1542-43—Catherine Howard is executed; Henry marries Catherine Parr and forms an alliance with Charles V against Scotland and France; in 1544 Henry invades France with assistance of his new ally.

1546—Martin Luther dies.

1547—Henry dies; nine-year old Edward VI (son of Jane Seymour) is crowned King; Duke of Somerset is his Protector and Richard Rich is his Chancellor.

1553—King Edward dies at age 15; Protestant Lady Jane Grey, Henry’s great-niece, is proclaimed queen, reigns for nine days and subsequently is executed; Mary I, daughter of Catherine of Aragon, assumes the throne and plans to return England to her Catholic faith. She marries Phillip of Spain (1544); no children.

1555—England converts to Roman Catholicism; Protestants are persecuted by “Bloody Mary.” Thomas Cranmer, author of first Book of Common Prayer and Archbishop for Henry, is burned at the stake. Richard Rich supports Catholic Mary I.

1558—Mary I dies of stomach disease; Elizabeth I, daughter of Anne Boleyn, becomes Queen; Catholic legislation is repealed.

1563—Anglican Church fully re-established and continues to this day.

* Martin Luther argues that religion cultivates moral values in the people and thus benefits the state. However, unlike Italian Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), who urges government to co-opt organized religion to produce moral obedience, Luther believes in the separation of religion and the state. “He who would be a Christian prince certainly must lay aside the intention to rule and to use force. For cursed and condemned is every kind of life lived and sought for selfish profit and good; cursed are all works not done in love.” Luther further states that there is a natural freedom of religion, because “faith is free, and no one can be compelled to believe.” According to Luther, the state can be expected to misrepresent its own laws as those of God, govern in the name of a higher power, and even oppress people in the name of God as it suits the state’s purposes.