What_Happened_to_Catholic_England_

Throughout the 1530’s Henry VII enacted a series of reforms that served to separate England from the rest of the Roman Catholic Church, many attribute this time period to be the point at which Catholicism in England practically disappeared. In fact the point of no return occurred around 30 years later when the ascension of Queen Elizabeth I to the throne triggered a wave of English nationalism that carried a previously unrelated religious movement with it. English nationalism dates back to the Norman conquest of England which lead to a complete destruction of the former ruling class. Since 1066 no foreign power has successfully launched a major invasion. This created a sense of national cohesion that was often utilized by Kings, most notably the invasion of France during the Hundred Years War. In 1453, the War of the Roses caused the tide of English nationalism to ebb as Englishman slaughtered Englishman and faith in the reliability of the monarchy declined. This ended in the reign of Henry VII who revitalized England and the monarchy, most notably amassing a fortune of over 1.25 million pounds. In 1527 Henry VIII decided that God was showing his displeasure by not granting him a son and appealed to the Pope for an annulment. Unfortunately for Henry, the Pope was currently under the control of Charles V the Holy Roman Emperor. Charles was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon- Henry’s Wife- and therefore opposed the annulment and the resulting disgrace that it would bring to his family. Henry’s lover, Anne Boleyn lusted for the power that being Queen of England would empower her with and showed Henry ”The Obedience of a Christian Man” by William Tyndale. Tyndale was of the opinion that Kings derived their right to rule directly from God; Henry was only too happy to believe this and effectively removed England from the Catholic Church. Although advisors such as Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cramer spread protestant ideas throughout England forcefully and even violently, Henry remained conservative throughout his life and when he died in 1547 even included 200 pounds in his will that were supposed to pay for two priests to pray for his soul for eternity. Unfortunately for Henry’s soul, his heir Edward VI was a fanatical protestant, mostly due to the influence of Thomas Cromwell, and he changed the English church from its nearly Catholic, conservative model to a strictly protestant system. Six years later, after the death of Edward, Mary Tudor was crowned queen of England. Mary’s rule was unpopular with the English due to her marriage to Philip II, the King of Spain and this issue of nationalistic resentment became intermingled with the growing unpopularity of Catholicism due to the constant policy reversals by the Monarchy. When Elizabeth I was crowned Queen in 1603 her reign grew incredibly popular as she was seen to be truly English in contrast to Mary and her Spanish consort. This nationalistic sentiment was enhanced due to a botched invasion by the Spanish in 1588 and the announcement by the Pope that anyone who managed to assassinate Elizabeth would receive a blessing. These acts of aggression by Catholic leaders made the idea of an English England and a Protestant England combine into a sort of hybrid. The common people were sick of the erratic changes in policy and quick succession of rulers before Elizabeth and the stability as well as the length of her rule largely contributed to her popularity. In conclusion, Catholic England decayed due to the growth of English nationalism and the previously unrelated religious reform movement. After 1553 Catholicism was associated with foreign powers and was therefore unpopular within England.