September 15, 2024
Martin Luther is often called the “great heresiarch” due to the unprecedented and extremely damaging heresy he began. To put it into context - for the first time in history - there was a worldwide break from the Catholic Church and the setting of a pattern that would be emulated by any who disagreed with the Catholic Church to follow. We need to let that sink in for a moment. The very knowledge that there was no other worldwide church besides the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and they both held the same view of the sacraments, scripture and so on and the split there was due to a different understanding of certain theological concepts. They were both in possession of Apostolic succession, as two branches from the same root, so to speak. On the other hand, Protestantism was something entirely new and radically different than anything else. A complete and total departure from how the Scriptures and Tradition had been understood and handed down. Apostolic succession was also lost when Martin Luther appointed himself the head of this new church. When Martin Luther in his apostasy breaks from the Church and then his excommunication in 1521, a precedent is now set.
At that time, one of the staunch defenders of the Divine origin of the Catholic Church and the sacraments is none other than the king of England, Henry VIII, who had been given the title “Fidei Defensor” – Defender of the Faith - due to his writings in opposition to Martin Luther. Now, by the year 1534, England had officially broken from the Catholic Church and one of the main reasons cited is Henry the VIII’s desire for a divorce and an annulment which the Pope would not grant. To put that into the proper light though: Henry did not have the grounds for a divorce, his marriage was lawful, his wife had been faithful. His main grievance was that he had not had a son by her, so the possibility of his line losing the throne was in play. He valued that more than his immortal soul or his vow to his wife Catherine. He had become infatuated with one of her ladies in waiting, a certain Ann Boleyn. His lust plays a role along with an inordinate desire for earthly power. He is transformed from a “Defender of the Faith” to one who founds his own church and makes himself the head of it. We know this one divorce did not solve his lustful problems though, as he went on to be married 6 times in total, with all 5 of the marriages - after his first legitimate marriage - lasting less than 12 years in total with two of his wives being executed, not before he granted himself some annulments though. One other factor that cannot be overlooked in all of this is the role of Martin Luther. The example had been given, that you can just found your own church if you disagree with the Catholic Church and also the very interesting fact that Thomas Cromwell, who was a close advisor of Henry, was a protestant and a friend of his - Thomas Cranmer a protestant clergyman - helped to push him in that direction that they themselves and gone within the last 10 years. To rebel against the Catholic Church. And both of those men abandoned their newfound protestant faith in order to join now, apparently, the “right” church, the one founded by their king, their third church in the matter of 15 years. Cranmer goes on to be appointed the archbishop of Canterbury by Henry.
Now that we see reasons used for the founding of a completely new church, the Church of England - commonly referred to as the Anglican Church. The head of this church is the Ruler of England, at that time Henry himself and as such it is literally a government church.
Next time we will take a look at some of the immediate consequences of Henrys apostasy and heresy and what the fruits of that were.
God love you, Fr. Anthony
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