Throughout the 1530s, King Henry VIII began to challenge the Church's power within England and to restrict the power of the Pope in Rome. As he began to worry about the need for a male heir to promote the continuation of his dynasty, he took steps to procure a divorce from his wife, which was not granted by the Pope at the time. Unable to acquire his divorce by traditional means, he began the process of shifting religious authority in England. He passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, officially severing ties between the Church of England and the leadership of the Pope, and requiring the English population to recognize the King as the Supreme Head of the Church. This separation laid the foundation for the modern Church of England, which maintains the traditional Catholic hierarchy of offices while incorporating Protestant reformist beliefs, including the use of English prayer.