The Catholic challenge

The Catholic church  The Catholic church is a hierarchy with the Pope at the Head of the Church, based in Rome.  It emphasizes the doctrines of free will and transubstantiation, and its central religious worship is the Mass.  All Catholics are expected to attend Sunday mass. St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, part of the Vatican, the seat of Papal power and authority.

English Catholicism in the 1560s  At the start of Elizabeth’s reign, most English people were Catholic.  England also faced difficulties in foreign affairs, as France and Spain were Catholic.  Elizabeth’s most serious threat came from Mary Queen of Scots, who would possess a strong claim to the English throne should Elizabeth die.  As such, Mary acted as a potential leader for English Catholics and was seen as a constant threat by Elizabethan Protestants.

Increasing levels of threat  In the early 1560s, the Catholic Church accepted that Protestantism could become permanent.  It established the Council of Trent to discuss the Reformation.  This Council defined Catholic doctrines and gave orders for the Counter-Reformation – an attempt by the Catholic Church to win back those under the influence of Protestantism. Titian’s painting of a session of the Council of Trent

The Northern Earls’ rebellion 1569  Mary Stuart fled from Scotland to England in 1568, where she became the focus of Catholic plots and rebellions against Elizabeth.  One of these rebellions was the Northern Earls’ Rebellion, led by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland and the Duke of Norfolk.  The rebels initially seized Durham and moved towards York.  Elizabeth moved Mary south to Coventry, and sent an army north to confront the rebels. Eventually the rebellion collapsed.  Several hundred rebels were executed, including the Earl of Northumberland.

Regnans in Excelsis  Although it was too late in arriving, the Pope issued a Papal Bull in support of the Northern Rebellion.  In this Bull, he excommunicated Elizabeth and instructed English Catholics not to obey her.  This placed English Catholics in the position of choosing between their faith and their monarch. From now on, Catholics could be viewed as potential traitors.  The Ridolphi plot in 1571 reinforced this view. The Duke of Norfolk was executed and the Spanish ambassador expelled.

Elizabeth’s response  As a result of these increased threats from Catholics, Elizabeth was forced to take stronger action.  The 1571 Parliament declared it to be treason for anyone to write that Elizabeth was not England’s lawful queen.  Bringing papal bulls into England was made illegal.  It was illegal for people to leave England without permission for more than six months. Those who did so would lose their lands.

The missionary threat  From 1574, English Catholic priests, trained in Europe, were sent to England to sustain and restore the faith of English Catholics.  Parliament passed two Acts making such missionary activity illegal Above: Douai Seminary in France, the place where English missionaries were trained. Left: Cardinal William Allen.

The Jesuits  The Society of Jesus was formed by Ignatius Loyola, as an elite group of missionaries under the direct control of the Pope.  Jesuits are highly educated and motivated priests who often tackle the most difficult missionary assignments.  English Jesuits were sent to England from 1580 as part of the Counter Reformation. They were particularly feared by the English, who believed that some were involved in plotting to overthrow Elizabeth. Edmund Campion, an English Jesuit, who was captured, tortured and executed for missionary activity in England in He is now revered as a martyr by English Catholics.

Catholic plots against Elizabeth  The Throckmorton plot planned invasions of England from Scotland and the Netherlands.  In 1585 a Catholic MP, Dr Thomas Parry was convicted of planning Elizabeth’s murder.  The Babington Plot 1586 planned Elizabeth’s murder and aimed to replace her with Mary Queen of Scots.  In 1588 the Spanish aimed to invade England. Its armada was defeated and dispersed by English naval action and a major storm. The defeat of the Spanish armada

Execution of Mary Queen of Scots  Evidence was produced to show that Mary was implicated in the Babington Plot.  Elizabeth had been reluctant to move against Mary but was now forced to sign her death warrant.  Mary was executed at Fotheringay Castle on 8 February A French woodcut of Mary’s execution. Watch this video extract about Mary’s execution.

Measures against Catholics  In response to the Catholic threat, the Elizabethan government stepped up action against Catholics.  In 1585 a specific Act was passed by Parliament providing for the hunting down and execution of missionary priests.  Recusancy fines were increased and enforced more strictly.  Catholics recusants were forced to remain within five miles of their local church to avoid them moving to a different area to avoid recusancy fines.

The survival of Catholicism.  Despite this persecution, English Catholicism survived.  180 Catholics (including 120 priests) were executed between 1581 and  Catholicism survived, especially in remoter counties such as Lancashire. Many JPs in such areas were Catholics and may not have enforced recusancy.  In the 1590s, a split developed between moderate and hard-line Catholics over issues of accommodation with the Protestant government.  This accommodation was ruined by the Gunpowder Plot in 1605.

The Gunpowder Plot 1605  This plot involved a group of Catholic conspirators who were alleged to have planned to blow up Parliament when James I was present.  The plot was discovered before it could be carried out and the conspirators killed or executed.  This plot reinforced the popular perception that Catholics were traitors, and led to further anti- Catholic persecution. Above: The conspirators. Below: Guy Fawkes’ execution scene.

Further information  Read Murphy et al Pg  Some useful web sites  en_of_scots.htm en_of_scots.htm    html html  ing.shtml ing.shtml