Who is The Hermit from The Prince and the Pauper and what is their importance?

The Hermit is a crazy man that Edward stumbles upon deep in the woods after he escapes from John Canty. The hermit, who thinks himself to be an archangel, is one of the only people Edward meets who actually believes him when he says he is Prince of Wales. The hermit also believes, however, that he was meant to be pope and was stopped only by Henry VIII, the prince's father. He therefore attempts to kill Edward in his sleep, but Edward is rescued at the last moment by the arrival of Miles Hendon.