#1126 The Sanctity of Henry

One of my favorite windows for viewing us humans is religious history. Because, you know, times change. Sometimes it just takes a long time...
Take the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has, ever since it gelled in the first 1000 years, held more or less solidly to a certain set of principles. One of those principles is that women cannot hold higher positions in the church.
It’s odd how many people condemn Muslims who subjugate their women, what with forcing them to wear burqas and generally not affording them full status and rights, and yet those same people ignore how the Catholic Church does some of the same things.
Must be genetic. Somehow tied to their proclivity for black robes.
Anyhow, way back in 1534, that would be 475 years, a guy named Henry the 8th was having problems with the Catholic Church. (This wasn’t the Henry the 8th from the Herman’s Hermits song by the way.) Seems Hank was having problems with his wife and wanted to respectfully divorce her instead of chopping off her head. Or better yet, have the marriage annulled.
Since Henry was a Catholic, he couldn’t get a divorce. The Catholics believed in the sanctity of marriage, one man and one woman and no divorces.
The pope refused poor Hank, who had a powerful hankering for Anne Boleyn, so that really fired up his ire. With the Pope’s refusal, Henry 8, who I may have failed to mention was king of England at the time, broke off from the Catholic Church and started the Anglican Church.
He was also excommunicated, which was the 16th century Catholic version of unfriending him.
Much war and bloodshed ensued.
Well, lo and behold, a mere four and three-quarters centuries later, the Catholic Church has changed its mind. It’s now creating a special section for Anglicans, and inviting back in those who are angered that the Anglican church now accepts women and gays as bishops in the Anglican Hierarchy.
Imagine that, women as bishops. The chessboard will never be the same.
But never fear women. Just be patient. In 475 years, it’s your turn.
Sing along with me, "...In the year 2484, if man is still a bore..."
America, ya gotta love it.