[vladimir998]

No, Henry wanted a schism after he couldn’t get what he wanted from the pope. The Church already was English. It had its own traditions and liturgy. It was an English Catholic Church in full communion with Rome. What Henry wanted was not an English Catholic Church, but a church HE controlled.

[fortunate sun]

That's was my meaning with the use of parallel. You had the Eastern Orthodox Church in existence at the time of Roman Church using ritual and tradition with a different spiritual head, again a schism but still Catholic.

Henry had a point, at the time. If he ruled by Divine Right, he had just as much a claim to be a representative of God on Earth as the Pope. He had personal motivations for his break as opposed to the theological reasons of Luther but any port in a storm.

Thanks for your response!

[mosesdapoet]

Background on this is
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2362970/posts
By the way check the commentary

[elcid1970]

Henry VIII - the original host of “Queen For A Day”.

Anyway, check out “The Six Wives of Henry VIII”, the original 1971 production by Masterpiece Theater.

One of only a few good reasons to watch PBS.

[RonF]

What Henry wanted was not an English Catholic Church, but a church HE controlled.

What Henry wanted was to avoid a revival of the War of the Roses should he die without a male heir. At the time it was fairly usual that when a King wanted a divorce so that he could remarry and beget a male heir, the Pope cooperated. But in Henry VIII's time the Pope was influenced by French interests to not do so, as it was in France's interest for the English throne to be weak.

That's not to deny that Henry took advantage of the situation once he decided to move. But England had been greatly weakened by 30+ years of civil war and Henry wanted to keep that from recurring.