What led to King Henry's VIII's departure from the Catholic Church?

Answer 1

What it boils down to is that Henry 8th was a spoilt brat...

He wanted to divorce his wife because she hadn't given him a son (he wanted a son to take the throne when he died) but the pope did not grant him a divorce because he didn't have a valid enough reason.

So he basicaly threw a tantrum and separated from the catholic church creating the Protestant church (note the word Protest) with himself as the 'pope' if you will...

Because of his new standing, he could grant his own divorces..

That's why

For more information seek a history book/teacher

Answer 2

He didn't, he was a member of the Catholic Church all his life . His great sin was to tell the Bishop of Rome that he was going against the Canons of the Ecumenical Councils of the First thousand years.

Roman Catholic Answer

England became a part of the reformation more through politics than theological debate. King Henry VIII (1509-47) needed an heir to the throne and with his wife was unable to produce one. The Pope would not grant a divorce and so Henry convinced Parliament to declare him head of the Church in England. Henry's daughter, Mary Tudor was a staunch Catholic and persecuted the Protestants. When Henry's other daughter, Elizabeth, inherited the throne, she tolerated the Protestants just enough so as not to irritate the Pope. When the English fleet defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, the Anglican Church permanently replaced the Catholic one in England.

(Below is an excerpt from the biography of Henry VIII, see link below)

In 1534 Henry VIII was declared head of the English Church. People had to swear an oath that in future they would obey Henry as head of the church. More refused and he was convicted of high treason. Still refusing to recant, he was executed at the Tower of London on 6 July 1535.

The Pope and the Catholic church in Rome were horrified when they heard the news that Henry had destroyed St. Thomas Becket's Shrine. On 17 December 1538, the Pope announced to the Christian world that Henry VIII had been excommunicated from the Catholic church.

Answer 3

Henry left the Roman Catholic Church when the Pope refused to grant him an annulment from one of his marriages.