Index IntroductionThe Henrician ReformationMain feature of the Henrician ReformationReasons for the decisive featureConclusionIntroductionThe Henrician Reformation is a phenomenon that followed the European Reformation and the Protestant Reformation. This led to the breakdown of relations between England and Rome. The purpose of this article is to highlight the most decisive feature of the Henrician reform. Furthermore, the article explains the reasons why this feature is considered as the cornerstone of the religious revolution. First, the article highlights the events that led to the reformation under the leadership of King Henry VIII. Secondly, this article explains the main characteristics of the reform and why it is considered as such. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Henrician Reformation In 1515, Henry VIII managed to convince Rome to elevate Thomas Wolsey to cardinal. In 1518 he was granted the office of papal legate giving him greater authority to exercise papal authority over the English church. This included the Archbishops of York and Canterbury. However, Wolsey was driven by wild ambition and a hunger for power. Furthermore, he made sure that his successes pleased the king so that he could maintain power. In this context, the laity, clergy, common people and nobles disliked Wolsey because he made many decisions on behalf of the king (Wooding, 2009, pp. 25-78). Henry VIII had developed a staunch support for Catholicism. In 1520 Luther published his The Babylonian Captivity of the Church which pointed the finger at the papacy. Henry VIII was enraged by this publication and showed extreme antipathy towards Luther. He even went further, personally publishing a response in Defense of the Seven Sacraments against Martin Luther. In his writings, Luther had adhered to three sacraments, namely baptism and the Mass. In contrast, Henry VIII upheld all seven sacraments and dedicated his publication to Pope Leo X. In return; the pope rewarded Henry VIII with the title of “Defender of the faith” (Wooding, 2009, pp. 101-159). After petitioning and negotiating for several months, a Legatine Court was established at Blackfriars. Catherine continued to appeal against the expulsion from the marriage. The case was transferred to Rome where the legal deadline expired and the court never convened again on time. Henry VIII spent three years pressuring Rome to return the case to England. This had cost Wolsey his job and his powers. The king appointed Thomas More without knowing that he was against divorce. The king threatened the pope not to work under him and went further by invoking the three-century-old privilegium Angliae. He was enraged that, as a prince and king, the divorce case was being taken out of his control (Lake and Dowling, 1987, pp.36-77). In 1531 he amended a clerical grant by adding clauses that he was the protector and sole supreme head of the English church. He assumed responsibility for appointing bishops and abbots, administering clerical assets, supervising ecclesiastical courts, and punishing adulterous and insolent clergy. He attacked the independence of the ecclesiastical tribunals by consenting to the "Supplication of the Commons against the Ordinaries". The Convocation had initiated a program of reforms and counted on the support of the king. He encouraged them to continue their offensive. The Convocation subjugated the clergy by recognizing them as the supreme legislator of the church as opposed to the pope. This is how England declared its independence from Rome and the Pope (Haigh, 1993, pp.71-131). Henry VIII eventually divorced Catherine but his ties to Rome had been damaged. Pope Clement was enraged by the divorce decree and invited HenryVIII to revoke the decision. However, the king ended ties with Rome by denouncing the pope and asking the people to ignore Rome. England enacted laws that reduced tax returns to Rome and blocked ecclesiastical dispensations to the city. The Act of Supremacy declared Henry VIII the earthly head of the English Church. The king dissolved monasteries, abbeys and convents within the country (MacCulloh, 1995, pp.159-180). Main Feature of the Henrician Reformation The English Reformation under the mind of Henry VIII led to separation from Rome. Subsequent political and ecclesiastical measures followed. This shows that this movement was of a completely different nature. The English Reformation was imposed on the masses from above. This is different from other reforms in the world, such as the European reform, initiated by the people. This meant that the reform took longer to take hold among the people. In this regard, it can be said that this occurred as a result of the king's personal and political grievances as opposed to the theological conviction of the masses. The resulting Church of England was and continues to be a Protestant church; it is neither Reformed nor Lutheran (Rex, 1993, pp.8-24). The meaning and importance of the dissolution of the monasteries raises many questions. It is observed that it was a capital event that influenced daily life in broad and profound terms. It was more than just a rift with Rome, and its repair proved difficult. England had rejected its past full of beautifully crafted abbeys and pious monks. On the other hand, the dissolution is considered significant. It was the minor part of the revolution and does not deserve to be the center of attraction. Attacks on monasteries are not considered a reformist novelty. They were self-governing and not as pervasive as regular churches (Rosman, 2003, pp.687-707). These monasteries expressed strong papal loyalty. Therefore, the most zealous resistance to kingship would arise from orders. Similarly, monasticism was facing a decline in England due to rampant cases of corruption. This had robbed them of their meaning. They had been left subject to the derision of the laity. Most monks sought because of this damaged reputation. They had lost prestige and respect among the people. The Dissolution of the Monasteries was clearly a seminal event in the reform of the English church. The establishment of royal supremacy over the church necessitated the fall of the monasteries (Scarisbrick, 1968, 49-81). Reasons for a Decisive Element King Henry VIII was not the chosen heir to the throne because he was the second son of his father, Henry VII. In this regard, he was offered a first-rate education in Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, mathematics, astronomy and theology. He had vast talent in sports and music for the enjoyment of his tutors and performers. Arthur married Catherine, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. This was intended to cement strong political ties between the two monarchs. However, Arthur died five months after marrying Catherine. This led to the idea of ​​Henry VIII marrying Catherine so as to avoid large and expensive dowry repayments to Spain (Shagan, 2003, pp.82-113). The papal dispensation to allow the marriage arrived on 11 June 1509, after Henry VII had died. Henry's family was fervently Roman Catholic during this period. He had married a Roman Catholic and his faithful advisors were an ardent defender of the Pope. However, Henry VIII had developed an innate desire to see the reform of the church in England. It is important to note that his motivations were not similar to those of Martin Luther. In many cases, he had argued with Luther and William Tyndale about their actions and observations regarding the Roman Catholic Church.