Editing Thomas Cranmer (section)

==Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury (1532–1534)==

While Cranmer was following Charles through Italy, he received a royal letter dated 1 October 1532 informing him that he had been appointed the new Archbishop of Canterbury, following the death of Archbishop [[William Warham]]. Cranmer was ordered to return to England. The appointment had been secured by the family of [[Anne Boleyn]], who was being courted by Henry. When Cranmer's promotion became known in London, it caused great surprise as Cranmer had previously held only minor positions in the Church.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ayris|1993a|pp=116–117}}</ref>  Anne Boleyn and her family had supported Cranmer who became archbishop of Canterbury.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lindberg |first=Carter |title=The European Reformations 3rd edition |date=2021 |publisher=Wiley Blackwell |isbn=98781119640745 |edition=3rd |location=Chichester, West Sussex, UK |publication-date=2021 |pages=258 |language=English}}</ref> Cranmer left [[Mantua]] on 19 November and arrived in England at the beginning of January.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ridley|1962|pp=49–53}}; {{Harvnb|MacCulloch|1996|pp=75–77}}</ref> Henry personally financed the [[papal bulls]] necessary for Cranmer's promotion to Canterbury. The bulls were easily acquired because the [[papal nuncio]] was under orders from Rome to please the English in an effort to prevent a final breach. The bulls arrived around 26 March 1533 and Cranmer was consecrated as a bishop on 30 March in [[St Stephen's Chapel]], by [[John Longland]], [[Bishop of Lincoln]]; [[John Vesey]], [[Bishop of Exeter]]; and [[Henry Standish]], [[Bishop of St Asaph]].{{sfn|Perceval|1841|p=[https://archive.org/details/anapologyfordoc00socigoog/page/n204 188]}} Even while they were waiting for the bulls, Cranmer continued to work on the annulment proceedings, which required greater urgency after Anne announced her pregnancy. Henry and Anne were secretly married on 24 or 25 January 1533 in the presence of a handful of witnesses.<ref>{{Harvnb|MacCulloch|1996|pp=637–638}}</ref> Cranmer did not learn of the marriage until 14 days later.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ridley|1962|pp=53–58}}; {{Harvnb|MacCulloch|1996|pp=83–89}}</ref>

[[File:Anne boleyn.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The family of [[Anne Boleyn]] secured the appointment of Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury. Later portrait by an unknown artist.]]

For the next few months, Cranmer and the King worked on establishing legal procedures on how the monarch's marriage would be judged by his most senior clergy. Several drafts of the procedures have been preserved in letters written between the two. Once procedures were agreed upon, Cranmer opened court sessions on 10 May, inviting Henry and Catherine of Aragon to appear. Gardiner represented the King; Catherine did not appear or send a proxy. On 23 May Cranmer pronounced the judgement that Henry's marriage with Catherine was against the law of God. He even issued a threat of [[excommunication]] if Henry did not stay away from Catherine.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ridley|1962|pp=59–63}}</ref> Henry was now free to marry and, on 28 May, Cranmer validated Henry and Anne's marriage. On 1 June, Cranmer personally crowned and anointed Anne queen and delivered to her the [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|sceptre and rod]].<ref>{{Harvnb|MacCulloch|1996|pp=90–94}}</ref> [[Pope Clement VII]] was furious at this defiance, but he could not take decisive action as he was pressured by other monarchs to avoid an irreparable breach with England. On 9 July he provisionally excommunicated Henry and his advisers (who included Cranmer) unless he repudiated Anne by the end of September. Henry kept Anne as his wife and, on 7 September, Anne gave birth to [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth]]. Cranmer [[Baptism|baptised]] her immediately afterwards and acted as one of her godparents.<ref>{{Harvnb|MacCulloch|1996|pp=97–98}}</ref> 

It is difficult to assess how Cranmer's theological views had evolved since his Cambridge days. There is evidence that he continued to support humanism; he renewed Erasmus' pension that had previously been granted by Archbishop Warham.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dowling|1993|p=102}}</ref> In June 1533, he was confronted with the difficult tasks not only of disciplining a reformer, but also of seeing him burned at the stake. [[John Frith (martyr)|John Frith]] was condemned to death for his views on the eucharist: he denied the [[real presence]]. Cranmer personally tried to persuade him to change his views without success.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ridley|1962|pp=67–68}}</ref> Although he rejected Frith's radicalism, by 1534 he clearly signalled that he had broken with Rome and that he had set a new theological course. He supported the cause of reform by gradually replacing the old guard in his [[ecclesiastical province]] with men such as [[Hugh Latimer]] who followed the new thinking.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bernard|2005|p=507}}; {{Harvnb|Ridley|1962|pp=87–88}}</ref> He intervened in religious disputes, supporting reformers, to the disappointment of religious conservatives who desired to maintain the link with Rome.<ref>{{Harvnb|MacCulloch|1996|pp=98–102, 109–115}}</ref>