 Not knowing that Henry VIII had already secretly married the pregnant Anne Boleyn , Clement VII decided to reach out to the monarch by appointing Thomas Cranmer , an outspoken proponent of Henry VIII 's annulment , as archbishop of Canterbury . A threatened excommunication was handed down when Cranmer pronounced Henry VIII 's marriage null and void ; Henry VIII responded by telling Campeggio 's vicar general for Salisbury to stop all revenues from his bishopric until further notice . Henry VIII then claimed the authority to act on behalf of Campeggio in making various ecclesiastical appointments . The fifth session of the Reformation Parliament deprived Campeggio and Girolamo <unk> of their English sees ( unless they swore loyalty to the king ) . Unaware of this statute , two days later on 23 March 1534 Campeggio entered Consistory for the final ruling against annulment . 
