33. THE QUESTIONS WAS: Who defended the Catholic Church against Luther’s elimination of sacraments, but then broke off the Catholic Church to form his own church because he wanted to leave his wife for his beautiful mistress?

 

Hint: His name starts with “H”

 

 

 

THE ANSWER IS:  Henry VIII. This King of England was already married to Catherine of Aragon when he decided to marry Ann Boleyn in the 1530s. The pope would not allow it. So Henry VIII broke off from Rome and made himself Supreme Head of the new Church of England (Anglican). He gave himself permission to marry Anne, after she was already pregnant. Henry was a wonderful husband to Ann until he beheaded her for adultery three years later. Then he married a bunch of additional wives (none at the same time). Thanks to the trend that Henry started, the King or Queen of England always gets to head the Church of England instead of the direct successor of the apostle Peter.

 

The Anglican Church has not been in union with Rome since Henry VIII, but we continue to pray for unity. In fact, in early 2004, the General Synod of the Anglican Church put on the table a discussion about possibly recognizing the pope as “universal primate” once again. Unfortunately there are many obstacles: one is the Anglican Church’s decision to ordain female and gay clergy; another is the Anglican insistence on having more local jurisdiction than the rest of the Catholic Church. But both sides welcome more unity talks.

 

http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon41.html (Henry VIII)

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/REFORM/ENGLAND.HTM

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07222a.htm (Catholic Encyclopedia on Henry VIII)

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/catherine_of_aragon.htm (Catherine of Aragon)

http://www.worldhistory.com/wiki/C/Catherine-of-Aragon.htm (Catherine of Aragon)

http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/a34.htm (Anglican Succession)

http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/a34.htm (Church of England)

http://www.cin.org/kc29-5.html (How other religions got started)\

http://www.familylifecenter.net/txt/defendingthefaith.html (The Forgotten Chapter in St. Thomas More’s life)

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01498a.htm (What do Anglicans believe? -Catholic Encyclopedia)

 

http://www.cathnews.com/news/401/97.php (Anglican Synod Debated Papal Primacy)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2004%2F02%2F14%2Fnsynod14.xml (Church of England resists pope but welcomes more unity talks with Rome)

 

 

 

 

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