Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Elizabeth I Religion - The Catholic Threat - Coggle Diagram
Elizabeth I Religion - The Catholic Threat
Context
Papal Supremacy had been restored under Mary
Majority of the population was Catholic and Conservatives (showing regionalism)
Edwardian Reformation had little impact as approximately 20% of London's population was Protestant
Counter-Reformation was making impact in Europe
Elizabeth did not want to alienate the Catholics at home or abroad.
Elizabeth viewed Catholics as 'traitors not heretics' highlighting that her 'attacks' upon them were due to them going against the Queen not religion. In line with her 'middle road', she did not want to alienate the Catholics
Council of Trent had reclaimed areas of Europe and has 3 session through the years (1545-1563).
They issued the Tridentine Decrees
The problems facing Catholics (1558 - 1589)
From 1558 - 1570, there was relative leniency towards Catholics who were willing to keep their religion to themselves as long as they would follow the religious laws
However, Pope Pius V's Bull 'Regnans in Excelsis' (1570) conflicted English Catholics and thus by 1580, the Catholics reacted differently to Elizabethan religious laws
Conformers - A large proportion of English Catholics chose to become Protestants
Recusants - Several thousands of usually wealthy English Catholics refused to attend Protestant Church service and arranged their own Catholic Mass at home
Church Papists - Most English Catholics attended Protestant Church services but kept to Catholic belief and some loyalty to the Pope
Plotters - A small number of English Catholics refused to attend Protestant Church Services and were fiercely loyal to Catholic Belief and the Pope
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots was a threat as she had a strong claim to the English throne. Following on from this, she was a figure head for Catholics across England
Immediate Threat - Elizabeth's refusal to marry and bear children meant that MQS was next in line and had a son, to continue the royal lineage
Catholic Queen - The Counter-reformation to Protestantism aimed to restore notions of Catholicism. This resulted in numerous assassination plots against Elizabeth
Foreign aid / allies - MQS had support of powerful Catholic nations like France and Spain as well as the Catholic Church in Rome
Centre of Plots - MQS was the centre of several plots to overthrow Elizabeth
Northern Rebellion
Ridolfi Plot
Throckmorton
Babington
How did Elizabeth react to the growing Catholic Threat
Royal Injunctions (1559)
pushed more 'Protestant' ideas as clerical marriage was allowed and it accepted the vernacular Bible. These injunctions are more reformist in nature and they are significant as they have the Queen's assent, highlighting her stance on religion
Religion Act (1581)
- This was passed to discourage the English Catholics from obeying the papal bull
The Act made it high treason to reconcile anyone or to be reconciled to Catholicism as well procuring or publishing any papal bull or writing whatsoever
The punishment for non-compliance with the Settlement became harsher and celebration for Catholic Mass even privately was strictly prohibited. Here we see Elizabeth being more draconian in the face of instability
Act 'against Jesuits, seminary priests and such other disobedient persons' (1585).
Though this was less focused on their Catholicism and more on obedience. This still was deemed a direct attack on Catholic belief
Executions of English Catholics such as
Edmund Campion who was conducting an underground ministry
Robert Southwell held links to the Holy See
Margaret Clitherow refused to plea to a charge of harbouring Catholic Priests
Act 'to retain the Queen's Majesty's subjects in their due obedience' (1581)
- This was significant as it made it treason to withdraw loyalty to the Queen and the Church in England. E1 punished them for breaking the law NOT directly due to their religion
How threatening was the Catholic Threat
It can be said that the Catholic Threat was a huge threat to Elizabeth during the height of her reign. This is because it had domestic and foreign ramifications.
Philip was incredibly strong and the Pope's excommunication strengthened Catholic animosity towards Elizabeth. Moreover the influence of the Council of Trent to 'shun the Church of England' was dangerous as such powerful people were directly attacking her influence and power as Queen
Furthermore, the support for Mary Queen of Scots emphasised how threatening the Catholic Threat was. This was evidenced by the fact that she had foreign support and had domestic support (evidenced by the numerous plots).
The domestic threat was heightened by the fact that numerous Jesuit priests landed in England in 1580. Their presence threatened political stability
However, it can be said that the Catholic Threat was not as a big of a threat. This is because those who went against Elizabeth were dealt with harshly. Moreover, the Catholic Threat decreased after MQS' execution and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Moreover, the Archpriest controversy of 1598 (should the Archpriest be a Jesuit or not) showed internal divisions and a disconnected Catholic threat. They were dealt with quickly and substantially showing that by the end of E1's reign, the Catholic Threat had been diminished