Anastasia Womack
How far do the sources suggest that Cardinal Campeggio had no intention of allowing the divorce to take place? Explain your answer using the evidence of Sources 1, 2 and 3.
Sources 2 and 3 are both from historians that suggest Cardinal Campeggio did everything in his power to deny and delay the divorce proceedings; Source 1 confirms this suspicion from the man himself.
Vergil comments on the “suspicion” of Henry about the intentions of the Cardinal. The indication of his feelings being correct is clearly demonstrated by Scarisbrick’s description in Source 3 of Campeggio’s plans being “abetted by Clément”. The fact that the Pope himself was encouraging and supporting the “loitering” of his representative denotes that actually granting the annulment of Henry and Catherine’s marriage was never on the cards. The sack of Rome contributed greatly to the decisions of the papacy as well as the significance of Catherine’s nephew Charles in Europe at the time.
However, whereas Source 2 infers that the Cardinal “wasted time” to try and bring the business to “nought”, Source 3 doesn’t actually imply that Campeggio had no intention of giving the divorce. Scarisbrick accused Campeggio of “manufacturing delays” to the divorce which is supported by the fact that in two years very little had been achieved in terms of liberating Henry from his late brother’s bride. His refusal to take “decisive” action may not have been to deny the divorce but simply to postpone it until the relations within Europe were more stable. The influence of Charles over the Pope was great, and, as a representative of the Clement, Campeggio’s aims were the same. He was told by Clément to not annul the marriage and the fact that Charles was so dominating of Europe, and increasingly Italy, made the painstaking “delays” such as “sending full reports to Rome” necessary. Supporting Henry’s quest for divorce was opposing Catherine and her interests, and therefore also went against Charles. As Source 2 states, his actions were “on purpose” to keep peace with England but not disrupt the relationship between the papacy and the Emperor. Catherine had been Charles’ most effective supporter at Court and he didn’t want to lose her influence. Vergil portrays the Cardinal as scared to make any decisions; he was stuck in the middle of his papal superior and imperial threats, as well as pressure from England. Vergil is a harsh critic of the majority of the key figures at the time and Campeggio was put in an impossible situation where he could not win. Source 2 lacks elements of reliability because the negative tenor of the opinions expressed; Campeggio is portrayed as a manipulator to support whatever the pope wanted at any given time when really he was trying to be more of a peacekeeper than any other involved.
The fact that in Source 1 Campeggio didn’t doubt that Catherine would show her “repugnance” demonstrates that the papacy had a clear idea that peace between her and Henry would not be accepted but also that any favouritism to a single party would put them in danger of serious opposition and consequences. Catherine showed “repugnance” because she wouldn’t just let Henry ruin her in favour of another, and his resistance and actions during the proceedings demonstrated that. At the same time, Henry was never one to give in, especially with the demands Anne and the pressure the Boleyn faction exerted on him.
In contrast to Source 3, Source 1 and 2 clearly imply that the incentive of Campeggio when coming to England was to not give the divorce. He may have been trying to keep up relations with England and conceal the fact that his main aim and purpose was to do everything in his power to not annul the marriage. Source 1 details that Campeggio will do his “upmost to persuade” Henry to “abandon” his divorce plans. This reinforces the idea that the Cardinal had no intention of allowing the divorce to take place, which is why he wasted time to drive his hosts to “dementia” in the hope Henry would relinquish the desire to divorce Catherine. However, the fact that Campeggio’s power was limited meant he couldn’t really give the divorce even if he wanted to– he was the ultimate stall and deceived the English to halt proceedings. Campeggio’s letter was to the Pope. If the Cardinal had not told Clément what he wanted to hear he would have been dismissed. The Pope told his representative to delay the divorce and “abetted” his attempts to do so and although the Cardinal’s actions are evidenced in sources 2 and 3, Campeggio’s tone in the letter seems negative. He makes promises to deliver what the Pope has asked of him, yet paints them as unrealistic; he hints at his actions simply delaying not ceasing Henry’s desire for a divorce. In Source 3, Scarisbrick paints the picture of Campeggio’s “manufactured delays” being the result of the Pope’s encouragement. Despite Scarisbrick being a reliable historian with Tudor expertise, Campeggio’s incentives to try and find a solution or reconcile Henry and Catherine may also have been to find a peaceful conclusion that would make Campeggio himself look victorious in an impossible task and thereby increase his own position and prestige.
Alternatively, this may have been to try and sway Clément to establish a legatine court to conclude Henry’s “great matter”. Despite the fact that the content of Source 1 is questionable in its reliability, the evidence in Sources 2 and 3 of Campeggio’s lack of “decisive action” and that he “wasted time” suggest that he was fully loyal to whatever the Pope wanted, and he only cared for what the Pope desired, which wasn’t for him to take more power and commence the annulment. Campeggio’s own actions clearly demonstrate that he made every effort to make the two parties “reconcile” as inferred in Source 3; he even tried to persuade Catherine to join a nunnery to relinquish Charles opportunity to punish the papacy for giving the divorce and please Henry simultaneously. His initiative to try and place Catherine in an abbey may have been in order to glorify his own actions and increase his own position.
Overall, I think that Cardinal Campeggio did not intend to annul the marriage of Catherine and Henry, but not on his own judgement. All three sources in some way imply that the Cardinal’s purpose at Blackfriars was simply to serve the Pope in delaying all proceedings, not to annul the marriage. However, there is also substantial evidence within the sources that Campeggio was simply trying to please everyone or in other words, not offend or specifically attack the aims of any one party. Source 1 shows loyalty to the pope, but also a negative outlook on the task he has been set, suggesting that his incentive may have been to pursue his own ideas, such as Catherine becoming a nun. Sources 2 and 3 both suggest that Campeggio delayed proceedings; I agree with this statement but ti don’t feel like Campeggio had no intention whatsoever of even considering to carry out annulment.