As a result of the Pope’s decision, Henry chose to assume the role of Head of the Church of England in order to fulfill his desire to wed Anne.Henry sought to split with the Pope for a number of reasons, one of which was that the Catholic Church had a lot of money.Henry would obtain large quantities of cash that would assist him in funding his battles with France, Scotland, and Ireland if he were to take control of the assets owned by the church.

On the other hand, Henry severed his official ties with the Pope and the Roman Church after Pope Clement VII denied his request for an annulment of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon so that he might marry Anne. His request for the marriage to be dissolved was based on the argument that their union was in violation of the scriptures, namely Leviticus 20.