Church of England Christian Church in England, established by law in the 16th century. During the reign of King Henry VIII, a process of separation from the Roman Catholic Church began. The initial impetus for this was the pope's refusal to grant Henry a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. By the Act of Supremacy (1534), the English monarch became head of the Church. Henry wanted to retain the use of the Roman Catholic liturgy, but outside papal control. As the Reformation extended to England, the Church of England finally emerged independent of papal jurisdiction and adopted the Elizabethan Settlement. This agreement, while espousing Protestantism, aimed at preserving religious unity by shaping a national Church acceptable to all persons of moderate theological views. This middle course found expression in the doctrinal formulae known as the Thirty-nine Articles (1571). The liturgy of the Church of England is contained in the Book of Common Prayer (1662), but since the 1960s alternative forms of worship have come into use. The sovereign bears the title Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and formally nominates the bishops, but this does not confer any spiritual powers on the sovereign. The Church is episcopally governed, but priests and laity share in all major decisions by virtue of their representation in the General Synod. Territorially, the Church divides into two provinces, Canterbury and York. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Primate of All England: the Archbishop of York is the Primate of England. The overseas expansion of the Church of England, in line with the growth of the British Empire, resulted in the development of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Church of England is the only part of the Anglican Communion still established by law as an official state Church. In 1992, the General Synod voted in favour of the ordination of women as priests. The first women priests were ordained in 1994. The issue of gay priests remains divisive.