Although Catholic by faith, when faced with the pope not allowing Henry a divorce from his wife who was not producing a male heir (hence, Henry could not continue the Tudor dynasty), Henry VIII, the so-called "defender of the faith" severed ties with Rome. In the Act of Supremacy, he claimed authority over church land and doctrine in England. This allowed him to make money off of previously papacy-owned land as well as the ability to produce an heir and preserve his political lineage.