Katherine Parr

Would you marry a man who had put to death two of his five former wives, set two others aside and remarried quickly after one died in childbirth? If this man had the power to send you to the chopping block on just his word, would you be comfortable as his new wife? This is the situation that Queen Katherine Parr faced.
Katherine Parr was in love with someone else when she became the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. She really did not wish to marry Henry, but had to obey him as her sovereign lord. By the time he married her, Henry had settled down somewhat to a comparatively peaceful life. This was due in part to his painful, ulcerous leg. Katherine spent much time reading and conversing with her husband to help keep his mind off of the pain. He enjoyed her company and appreciated her fine mind. His other wives had mostly been chosen for their good looks and vivacity. For his last wife, Henry chose a woman who would be more of a comfort to him.
Katherine was a godly, and kind woman who was partially responsible for reconciling Henry with his daughters from his first two marriages, both of whom would later become Queens. His eldest daughter would become Mary I (also known in history as “Bloody Mary” due to her persecution of the Protestants). Anne Boleyn’s daughter would become Elizabeth I.  Katherine also developed a good relationship with Henry’s son Edward, his child with Jane Seymour. When Henry died, this son would become king and known as Edward VI.
Katherine married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. Although she must have been brought up as a Catholic, she later became sympathetic to and interested in the “New Faith.” She was probably of the Reformed religion by the mid-1540s. And we can be sure that she held some strong Reformed ideas because after Henry’s death, her book, Lamentacions of a synner (“Lamentations of a Sinner”) was published in late 1547. The book promoted the reformed concept of justification by faith alone, a doctrine which the Catholic Church deemed to be heresy. Catholic Bishop Stephen Gardiner and Chancellor Thomas Wriothesley, 1st earl of Southampton, knew of her Reformed persuasion and probably of the Bible studies that she and her ladies were conducting secretly, and these two influential men tried to turn Henry VIII against her in 1546. (One of the ladies at her Bible study was Anne Askew, a martyr for her faith, whom we have met elsewhere in this Blog.)  Remember, Henry was really a staunch Catholic, and had started burning heretics again after Anne Boleyn’s death. Henry’s health was bad and the Catholics at this time were worried about what would happen after Henry’s death. Who would run the country – The Catholic party or the Reformers? In those days the political parties lined up according to religion. Often, political leaders were not that religious themselves, but used the faith of the devout followers to create factions.
An arrest warrant was drawn up for Katherine by the Catholic faction. She became aware of this and knew she needed to act quickly to save herself and her other Reformed friends. She managed to reconcile with the King by going into his chamber and bowing submissively.
She pleaded with him,
Your Majesty doth right well know, neither I myself am ignorant, what great imperfection and weakness by our first creation, is allotted unto us women, to be ordained and appointed as inferior and subject unto men as our head, from which head all our direction ought to proceed, … Where womanly weakness and natural imperfection, ought to be tolerated, aided, and borne without, so that by his wisdom such things as are lacking in her, ought to be supplied.
The idea here is that Katherine submitted herself to Henry in order to prevent her arrest. It was very courageous for this woman to face the man who had already beheaded two wives, set aside two others, and callously remarried within months after the death of the fifth one. On his whim, she could have gone to the scaffold. Henry did not accept any opinions by anyone else on religion. He considered himself to be a theologian in his own right. After all, he was a published author, having written many protests against Martin Luther. How dare a woman, even his wife, question his authority over all things religious in England?
Fortunately, Henry accepted Katherine’s obeisance and the two were on congenial terms again. The plot of Wriothesley’s faction failed. By her outstanding courage, Katherine prevented what could have been a very grave situation for England after Henry’s death.
Katherine’s brave actions may have also helped to save the Reformation in England. Henry could have been so irritated with her that he named Catholic advisors for his son after his death. Instead, Henry would name Edward’s uncles, devout Reformers, to be his councilors until Edward reached maturity. Edward VI would begin the reformation of the faith in England.
While women today would see Katherine’s behavior as humiliating, Katherine would have considered it a small price to pay for the cause of Christ. She was able to see beyond herself to the big picture. She knew what was at stake and was willing to submit herself as much as she needed in order to follow God.
We may not all be called on to face certain death, but we can learn a lesson in humility from Katherine. It is wise to submit to those in authority and trust God to take care of us.
“For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:26)