The bede (prayer roll), which has never been publicly exhibited before, was owned and used by Henry when he was Prince of Wales
Posted on 04/06/2009 7:41:52 AM PDT by NYer
A prayer roll once belonging to Henry and inscribed with his own handwriting, has been brought to light ahead of a major new exhibition on his life.
It will be shown in public for the first time at the British Library's exhibition Henry VIII: Man and Monarch, which opens later this month and marks the 500th anniversary of Henry's accession to the throne.
The roll, which is around 13 feet long and 5 inches wide, is made of narrow strips of parchment stitched together.
It bears Henry's official badge of arms and the Tudor rose, and is decorated with a series of illuminations including the Trinity, the Crucifixion and scenes from Christ's Passion.
Under the central image of Christ's Passion is an inscription written by Henry, which reads: "Willyam Thomas, I pray yow pray for me your lovyng master: Prynce Henry."
The roll is also inscribed with Latin prayers and rubrics, or religious instructions, explaining how the devotions are to be performed and what rewards the faithful might expect, such as remission of time in Purgatory and protection against illness.
It is believed that the teenage Henry gave the roll to William Thomas, one of his personal servants in his Privy Chamber, some time between 1505 and 1509, when Henry was the Prince of Wales.
The prayer roll will go on loan to the British Library from Ushaw College, a seminary for the formation of Catholic priests in Durham, which has owned the roll since the mid-19th century.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Why is this such an “exciting discovery”? Scholars have long known that, his divorces and political motives aside, Henry privately believed himself to be more Catholic than the Pope.
Defender of the Faith
You’ve got me. I don’t think it’s a surprise either, except maybe to the reporter named Royah Nikkah who may not be versed in English history.
Because the people of today are ignorant of history. This is widely known in Catholic history circles. Martin Luther is proported to have died as a Catholic as well.
Interesting find, but not earth-shattering. It was largely his political/personal motives that led to the split by Henry....not religious objections. That was led by others.
Despite Henry’s establishment of the Church of England, his conversion, if you will, was done for political reasons, i.e, the divorces, and not matters of faith or doctrine..
Read “Six Wives” for an excellent read on the life and times of Henry VIII..
Sorry, but no on that one.
I always thought that was the case. What’s the big deal.
He made up his own rules about religion, and if you didn’t adhere, well then, you’d lose your head. What a guy.
Did not the old boy die of syphilis? Gee, I wonder how he got that?
Very true...
You beat me to it. Its pretty well known that Henry’s motives for breaking away from Rome were political, not theological.
He would probably have been horrified if he had realised the long-term religious consequences of his actions in his kingdom after he’d gone....
Maybe or maybe not. It could have been necrosis/gangrene of his legs due to possible diabetes, consistent with his morbid obesity.
Considering the scoundrels who held the Papacy during his lifetime, he had a point.
“Why is this such an “exciting discovery”? Scholars have long known that, his divorces and political motives aside, Henry privately believed himself to be more Catholic than the Pope.”
He was also angry that Rome was taxing his country 10%. He then told Rome to go pound sand. (Like any good crook, he probably pocketed that cash rather than give it to Rome.)
I suppose we Americans will never learn from any of that.
Henry needed a son — for all his trouble (once again, another helpful Hannah) — he had two daughters, ruined the faith in England and wound up pitting his two children against each other. Thanks, Hank. Can we all say, “Dumba$$.” Oh, yeah, he was a devout and firm believer, right up until the rubber met the road and those beliefs crossed paths with his desires.
There was no honor in his acts, therefore, there was no devout in his beliefs.
But, young Edward survived him (but not by much), so Henry died thinking he had been successful in the long run, with an male heir ready to take the throne, all the damage he caused notwithstanding.
ping for watching
When Henry was young, he was quite an athlete- until he was thrown from a horse. The injury limited his movement. It is thought that this injury ultimately lead to his death.
What if Henry outlived his son Edward?
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