"Thomas Cranmer:" Jasper Ridley (#21): Ch.5--The Royal Supremacy

1533: BUCKLE-UP. Elizabeth 1 is born in Sept 1533 and baptized within 3 days with Tom as the godfather. In July, 1533, Cranmer is deeply involved in the burning of John Frith, a Cambridge man, who denied Ubiquitarianism and Purgatory. Unconscionable. Political exegesis for preferment by Tom? Yep, Tom's equivalent of Calvin's Servetus. Also, Cranmer is dealing with the conspiratorial Elizabeth Barton of Kent, herself led by her Ringmistress, the Prioress of St. Sepulchre's Nunnery, Canterbury. Elizabeth is central to the English Romanist inner circles. A year passes before that crew is put to death in April 1534. But, perhaps the grandest moment and under-evaluated development of 1533? The Pope in July 1533 "excommunicates" Henry, Anne and Dr. Cranmer. Well, that won't go too well with the players. The plot thickens. What's the response by the main players? What stories are echoing in Rome's beltway of power politics and theology? Or, in the courts and beltway of Charles V? (We have a flurry of correspondence from the beltway gossiper in Ambassador Chapuy to Charles V, a loyal reporter, court observer and strategic thinker.) Canterbury's beltway? London's beltway? OXBRIDGE's beltway? The court of Henry's beltway? To be continued, God willing.