Henry's Approach to the Church

Henry was incandescent with rage. His first approach was to try to get round Thomas again by peeling to the Pope. But he had no intention at this point of throwing his archbishop to the walls, and Henry got absolutely no change out of him. As far as the Constitutions themselves are concerned, it's pretty clear that Henry wasn't trying to take powers away from the Church. Neither he nor Thomas ever gave diplomacy a chance. It's scarcely possible to exaggerate what a massive change all of this was. The medieval polity was all about collaboration between Church and State. Next week we'll hear more about Henry and Thomas' Tith and how bothered with the bishops