imself. While reluctant to take on service to the court, More felt it his duty to serve God through service to the King and so took the jobs given to him. Over the years the King's dissatisfaction with Queen Catherine of Aragon grew. She wasnt bearing any male children. The King soon fell in love with Anne Boleyn. Henry asked Wolsely to get him out of his marriage to Catherine, on the grounds that it was never a proper marriage, she being first married to his brother Arthur. The Pope was the prisoner of the King of Spain, who happened to be Catherine's nephew, and Catherine of course was opposed to being divorced from the King and having their only living child, Mary, proclaimed illegitimate and taken out of the line of succession. Thomas More became the King's choice for Chancellor of England, the second highest position in the realm. He tried his best to stay out of the King's problems, telling the King that it was not his place to comment or judge the positions of the Church. Henry's only alternative seemed to be to take what Rome would not grant him and to take over the Church so he could have what he wanted. Had he been a stronger man, more in control of his feelings, things probably wouldnt have gone as they did. But Henry was in love and surrounded by greedy people. Henry called Parliament together and ordered them to grant him the title of Supreme head of the Church in England. The Clergy were called together and accused of treason for making an oath to Rome in addition to their oath to Henry and were put in the position of choosing between their loyalty to Rome or death.A few, like Bishop John Fisher stood for what they believed to be right and choose death over breaking with Rome, but they didnt make a difference and in the end they sold out to Henry and Cromwell. The day after Henry was proclaimed Supreme Head of the Church, More resigned as Chancellor of England telling the King he was very sick. He retired to ...
