Henry v111

Edward was the only Tudor monarch not to change the religion from the ruler before them. He kept England protestant throughout his entire life with the help of many advisers. Henry made sure his son was educated a protestant and so Edward knew nothing else. During his reign Edward made many significant changes including the addition of some of Martin Luther’s idea’s being put into place e.g. priests being allowed to marry. The year 1552 was very important to religion in England mass was abolished, no communion service, no transubstantiation, no elaborate vestments and predestination.

Mary’s reign was the only Tudor that was completely catholic. She believed that unless Catholicism was restored her people wouldn’t be able to go to heaven, and she had a chance of succeeding, as Protestantism had only been the official for six years before then the country had been catholic for centuries. Mary is now known as “Bloody Mary” due to the many Protestants that she executed as well as exiled. The first to die was John Rogers who was executed on 4th February 1555.

Elizabeth had a very had job as the new queen of England her sister Mary had left a colossal mess. There was a war with France and also the country was now unsure of which religion to follow after Mary made England catholic again. To settle the confusion Elizabeth (in 1559) made two very important acts -: The act of supremacy, which made Elizabeth the governor of the Church of England and   the act of Uniformity which made the Book of Common Prayer compulsory and made protestant church attendance compulsory. The act of supremacy helped Elizabeth gain religious power as well as the power that comes with being a queen and the act of uniformity which made the country practice in Protestantism. Most people were happy with this arrangement because even though you must attend a protestant church you are allowed (not publicly) to also go to a catholic ceremony, and Elizabeth could now sort out the other problems of the country. In 1558 king Phillip 2nd of Spain proposed to Elizabeth however Elizabeth knew that she could never marry him for one main reason - that he was a catholic whose country was also catholic this tested Elizabeth and afterwards the people of England had more faith in her. Elizabeth’s reasons for turning England back into a protestant country are that she wanted England to be how it was while she was growing up under her father and brothers reign and to make it known that England was a protestant country and never again to have Catholicism as the main religion.

In conclusion I would say that the reasons for why and how did England change form being a Catholic country to being a protestant one, are many - that comes under the following categories: Power- Henry, Edward and Elizabeth all believed that by making themselves head of the church they had complete control over England. Love – Henry had fallen in love with Anne Bolyn, Mary loved her people so much that she wanted to change the religion back to Catholicism to free them from an eternity in hell. Faith – Edward had been brought up to believe in Protestantism and kept with the same faith throughout his entire life, Mary stuck to her beliefs even though the whole country had changed to Protestantism which her father brought to England, Elizabeth converted the country back to the religion she had grown up with. Money – Henry gained a lot of money from the churches that would have been given to the pope.

All these reasons are the answers of why England changed from being a catholic country with no other religions- to a protestant country with no other religions – to a country branded protestant with mixed faith (Catholicism and Protestantism).

 Theana 8m