How did Henry VIII come into conflict with the pope? Henry wanted the pope to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, as she had yet to give birth to a surviving male heir. Henry was furious at having his power limited by the pope.

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were Roman Catholic, and the Church forbade divorce. Pope Clement denied an annulment for several reasons, one being that Catherine’s nephew, Emperor Charles V of Spain, had laid siege to Rome and essentially was holding the Pope as prisoner.

In March 1534 the Pope eventually made his decision. He announced that Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was invalid. Henry reacted by declaring that the Pope no longer had authority in England. In November 1534, Parliament passed an act that stated that Henry VIII was now the Head of the Church of England.

Pope Clement VII

Why did he break away from the Catholic church? He wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, because she bore him no male heir and the pope wouldn’t let him. Henry VIII divorced her b/c she didn’t have sons.

As the author of a best-selling book (it went through some 20 editions in England and Europe) attacking Martin Luther and supporting the Roman Catholic church, in 1521 Henry was given the title ‘Defender of the Faith’ by the Pope.

King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church because under their policies, he was not allowed to divorce his current wife. She was no longer able to give him a male heir and he needed one. He formed the Church of England and divorced his wife.

He did so because the church did not allow him to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. He also wanted ownership of church property in England.