Reform of the Church

• Pluralism, where one cleric held more than one church office; Wolsey himself was a pluralist
• Absenteeism, where clerics were absent from their church office; this was often caused by pluralism or royal service.
• Simony, the sin where church offices were bought or sold.
• Nepotism, where church office was not given to well qualified candidates but to relatives of powerful men
• Uneducated clergy - since church livings at the lower end of the scale were often poorly endowed, well-educated men could not be found to fill them.
• Wealthy clergy - there were complaints that the higher clergy enjoyed too much worldly wealth and were engaged too often in government and politics, rather than church affairs.