This week in Christian history: Henry VIII honored by Catholic Church, Mark Driscoll resigns

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, October 10, 2021

Pope honors Henry VIII as 'defender of the faith' – Oct. 11, 1521

King Henry VIII of England. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope Leo X bestowed English King Henry VIII with the honorable title of Defender of the faith, or Fidei Defensor in Latin.

The Fidei Defensor title was given in response to Henry VIII overseeing the publication of a pamphlet that attacked the Protestant Reformation and the claims of Martin Luther.

Years later, Henry VIII would sever ties with the Roman Catholic Church due to a dispute over his desire to divorce his first wife so he could marry his mistress Anne Boleyn.

“When Henry broke with the papacy, Pope Paul III deprived him of his designation, but the title was restored to the king by Parliament in 1544 and is still used by his successors on the English throne,” explained Britannica.