Why did Henry VIII break with Rome?

Why did Henry VIII break with the church of Rome?

• Answer:

  The Catholic Church did not allow him to divorce his wife so he decided to create his own church the Anglican Church of England. He also needed money from a war with France and by being head of the church he could use the Catholic's money and land to pay for his wars and banquets. He wanted to marry Anne Boleyn (which he did BEFORE he divorced Catherine, in secret) and therefore needed to get rid of Catherine, who he still had a fondness for and so instead of executing her for made-up crimes, he wanted to divorce her on the basis that their marriage was illegal as she had previously married Arthur (Henry's older brother who died 6 months after their wedding) and even though she had denied consummating the marriage, it probably had been consummated The Pope wouldn't allow this because he had allowed a dispensation so that the marriage was legal "in the eyes of God" and, he was scared of Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor) who was the most powerful man in Europe and was Catherine of Aragon's nephew. Charles V had recently ransacked Rome with his troops, they smashed buildings, raped nuns, and even killed some priests. Also Henry needed a male heir because he knew only had 1 daughter and he knew that a weak succession meant a weak reign. Henry needed a son because when his daughter Mary got married her dowry would be England! Anne had promised Henry a son (a silly thing to do) because she could not guarantee to give him a son. Unfortunately she did not give him a son and was beheaded in 1536.