Editing Cathedral (section)

===Reformation===

[[File:Nidarosdomen east 2006.jpg|thumb|[[Nidaros Cathedral]], Norway, became Lutheran at the Reformation]]
Prior to the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] all cathedrals of Western Europe were of the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. In England, much of the structure of the monastic and cathedral system was reconstituted during the [[English Reformation]]. Although the cathedrals were retained by the now independent and established [[Church of England]], the monastic cathedral chapters [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|were dissolved by King Henry VIII]] and, with the exceptions of Bath and Coventry,<ref>David Knowles; ''The Religious Orders in England Vol III; p 389''</ref> were refounded by him as chapters of canons with a dean as the head and other clergy as minor canons.

In Germany and other parts of Europe, with the spread of the [[Lutheran Church]], some ancient churches, like [[Nidaros Cathedral]], Norway, and [[Lübeck Cathedral]], Germany, became the seats of Protestant bishops, as in England. Many new churches were built which serve the regional administrative function of a cathedral. However, not all churches that function as the seat of a bishop are known as "cathedral", the custom varying from place to place, according to local tradition. Some are simply designated "church", as occurs at [[Budolfi Church]], the Lutheran cathedral of [[Aalborg]] in [[Denmark]].