King Henry VIII And The Reformation

King Henry VIII was one of the most impactful and controversial leaders of his time. He was the second ruler of England from the Tudor line, and he officially came to power in 1509. Henry VIII used his European power to eventually separate from the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England which caused major controversy and a power exchange. The monarch of England ruled for over four decades and was the primary instigator of the Reformation. Although King Henry VIII was a devout Catholic, his thirst for power, selfish motives, and desire for independence all contributed to the separation from the Catholic Church and forming the Church of England. King Henry VIII defended the Catholic Church during the beginning of his reign. He was very religious and attended mass as often as five times a day. He was openly against heretics, so when he publicly denounced Martin Luther, an influential Protestant, he gained the Church as an ally. Henry even went to such extreme lengths such as burning non-Latin bibles and torturing non-Catholics in order to gain affluence from the Church. The English King always carried his selfish motives along with him during all his alliances. In addition, when he published The Defense of the Seven Sacraments, Pope Clement VII honored him with the title, Defender of the Faith. He worked alongside the Pope, but he realized the power he dangled over him, and it fueled Henry’s anger. When King Henry’s wife, Catherine of Aragon, only gave birth to a