What distinguishes the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church in this period?

• A. It remained under Papal authority.
• B. It was led by bishops with the pope.
• C. It is a national church with the monarch as head, not the pope.
• D. It forbade bishops.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is the shift of church authority from Rome to the English Crown during the Reformation, creating a national church under the monarch. In the 1530s England broke with the Pope, and the Act of Supremacy declared the king the Supreme Head of the Church of England. That gave the Crown final authority over doctrinal matters, church discipline, and appointments, while bishops continued to govern dioceses, they did so under the monarch’s ultimate authority rather than the pope. This arrangement defines the Church of England as a national church with the monarch as head, distinct from the Roman Catholic Church, which remains under papal authority. The other descriptions describe the Catholic setup—Papal authority, papal leadership of bishops, or forbidding bishops—each of which does not fit England in this period.