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| England Breaks with Rome |
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From English
Parliament. "The Act of Supremacy." As reproduced in
Readings in European History, ed. James Harvey
Robinson, vol. 2 (Boston: Ginn and Company, 1906), 141-142.
| In November of
1534 the English Parliament passed the Act of
Supremacy, officially acknowledging King Henry VIII
(r. 1509-1547) as the supreme head of the Church of
England, and repudiating the Papacy as an alien
political entity. Ironically, Henry had earlier been
regarded by Rome as a "defender of the faith" due to
his staunch opposition to Lutheranism. But Henry had
been excommunicated by the Pope in 1533 for
annulling his marriage to his first wife, Catherine
of Aragon, when she failed to produce a male heir.
The Protestant Anglican Church eventually resulted
from this dispute and Henry went on to marry five
more times. |
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| Albeit the king's Majesty
justly and rightfully is and ought to be the supreme head of
the Church of England, and so is recognized by the clergy of
this realm in their convocations, yet nevertheless, for
corroboration and confirmation thereof, and for the increase
of virtue in Christ's religion within this realm of England,
and to repress and extirpate all errors, heresies, and other
enormities and abuses heretofore used in the same, be it
enacted, by authority of this present Parliament, that the
king, our sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, kings of
this realm, shall be taken, accepted, and reputed the only
supreme head on earth of the Church of England, called
Anglicana Ecclesia; and shall have and enjoy, annexed
and united to the imperial crown of this realm, as well the
title and style thereof, as all honors, dignities,
preëminencies, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities,
immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity of
the supreme head of the same Church belonging and
appertaining; and that our said sovereign lord, his heirs
and successors, kings of this realm, shall have full power
and authority from time to time to visit, repress, redress,
record, order, correct, restrain, and amend all such errors,
heresies, abuses, offenses, contempts, and enormities,
whatsoever they may be, which by any manner of spiritual
authority or jurisdiction ought or may lawfully be reformed,
repressed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrained, or
amended, most to the pleasure of Almighty God, the increase
of virtue in this Christ's religion, and for the
conservation of the peace, unity, and tranquillity of this
realm; any usage, foreign law, foreign authority,
prescription, or any other thing or things to the contrary
hereof notwithstanding. |
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