Keyword: The Church of England

The Church of England

The Church of England is the main Christian organization in England.

In the late 1520s, King Henry VIII wanted a divorce. This was against Catholic law and the Pope in Rome refused to let him divorce Catherine of Aragon, his wife. Upset by the Pope's decision, King Henry VIII split from the Roman Catholic Church. He then made himself head of the new Protestant church, the Church of England.

This political move on the part of Henry VIII gave him the power to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon with the approval of the church.

This period of time was a confusing one for people in England. After Henry VIII died, Edward VI made Catholic mass illegal, and even made people paint over artwork that showed Catholic scenes. The next queen, Mary I, switched England back to Catholicism, and even burned Protestants at the stake. Finally, Elizabeth I restored the Protestant Church of England to power.

During this time, people did not have the freedom to choose their own religion, but had to go along with what the king or queen chose for the country. Some people were made to change their religion several times during their lives, or risk being jailed or executed.

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