Sarah Mitchell
Queen Elizabeth I's persecution of Catholics in England was a defining feature of her long reign (1558-1603). Elizabeth's religious views were Protestant, and she was determined to secure her position as both the secular and spiritual ruler of England. This put her at odds with Catholics, who did not accept her spiritual authority and remained loyal to the Pope. While Elizabeth did not seem to have been particularly anti-Catholic initially, her persecution of Catholics intensified as her reign progressed and the Catholic threat against her from Europe heightened. This persecution took various forms, including fines, imprisonment, and execution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic masses | Banned |
| Catholic priests | Outlawed, executed |
| Reconciliation with Rome | Treason |
| Attendance at Anglican services | Obligatory |
| Refusal to attend Anglican services | Fined, physically punished |
| Catholic clergy refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy | Loss of office |
| Attendance at Mass | Punishable by a fine of 100 marks |
| Saying Mass | Punishable by death |
| Jesuits | Prohibited by law in 1585 |
| Catholic threat against Elizabeth from Europe | Heightened over time |
| Recusancy penalties | £7,717 paid by Tresham |
| Catholic priests martyred | 123 |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholic masses were banned, and attendance at Church of England services was made compulsory
- Catholic priests were executed, and their presence in England was outlawed
- Catholics were fined for not attending church
- Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth, releasing her Catholic subjects from their allegiance to her
- Catholics were viewed as traitors and a threat to the Queen and realm
Catholic masses were banned, and attendance at Church of England services was made compulsory
Queen Elizabeth I's religious views were Protestant, though "peculiarly conservative". She kept many of her religious views private, making it difficult to determine her exact beliefs. She disliked married clergy, held Lutheran views on Eucharistic presence, and preferred the more ceremonial 1549 prayer book.
Elizabeth's main goal upon becoming queen was to secure her position. One of her first decisions was to make the Church of England Protestant and independent from the Pope, with services in English. In 1559, her government passed new Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, making it compulsory to acknowledge the queen as the head of the Church and to attend Church of England services. All but one of the bishops who had served under Queen Mary refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, and around three hundred priests lost their jobs. While the fine for refusing to attend church was initially set at 12 pence, it later increased to a shilling for each absence.
Elizabeth's decision to ban Catholic masses and make attendance at Church of England services compulsory was influenced by several factors. Firstly, she wanted to secure her position as the spiritual and secular ruler of England, asserting the country's independence from papal authority. Secondly, she believed that Catholics were not just disobedient in religion but also dangerous traitors, especially after the failed 1569 northern rebellion led by Catholic earls. Finally, she wanted to accommodate Catholic beliefs within her religious settlement to a certain extent, allowing them to attend church without feeling guilty or disloyal to their faith.
The Catholic Mass, the central act of Catholic worship, was condemned as idolatry and replaced with a Protestant communion service. The veneration of religious images and relics was suppressed, and iconoclasm was sanctioned by the government. Elizabeth's persecution of Catholics led to the execution of priests like Edmund Campion, who are considered martyrs by the Catholic Church. However, it's important to note that Elizabeth did not ruthlessly seek out Catholics, and there was no desire to put ordinary men and women to death simply for their faith. As long as Catholics behaved, were loyal to her, and attended church occasionally, they were free to believe what they wished.
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Catholic priests were executed, and their presence in England was outlawed
Queen Elizabeth I's persecution of Catholics took several forms, including the execution of priests and the outlawing of their presence in England. Elizabeth's religious views were Protestant, and she was determined to secure her position as the head of the Church of England. To that end, she passed new Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity in 1559, making it compulsory to acknowledge her as the head of the Church and to attend Church of England services.
The Mass, central to Catholic worship, was banned, and Catholics were fined and imprisoned for attending. This ban extended to the saying or arranging of Mass, which was punishable by death. Elizabeth ensured that this penalty was not implemented before 1577, as she disliked extremism. However, the threat of capital punishment loomed for priests and their lay hosts.
In 1585, any priest ordained abroad since 1559 and found on English soil was automatically deemed a traitor, and his host a felon. This led to the creation of priest-holes, secret hiding places in homes, and the need for portable altar-stones and Mass-kits. Elizabeth's persecution of Catholic Jesuit missionaries resulted in many executions at Tyburn, with priests like Edmund Campion considered martyrs by the Catholic Church.
The entrance of Jesuits into England was prohibited by law in 1585, but they continued to enter the country, hoping to convert the population to Catholicism. This clandestine activity, coupled with plots against Elizabeth's life from the 1570s onwards, solidified the notion that Catholics were traitors. Elizabeth's war with England's Catholics was influenced by her predecessor, Mary I, who burned Protestants during her reign, and the excommunication issued by Pope Pius V in 1570, releasing Catholics from their allegiance to Elizabeth.
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Catholics were fined for not attending church
Queen Elizabeth I's religious views were Protestant, though "peculiarly conservative". She kept many of her beliefs private, making it difficult to determine her exact views. Her principal secretary, Sir William Cecil, was a moderate Protestant, and her Privy Council was filled with former Edwardian politicians. Only Protestants preached at Court.
Elizabeth's main goal upon becoming queen was to secure her position. One of her first decisions was to make the Church of England Protestant and independent from the Pope, with services in English. In 1559, her government passed new Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, making it compulsory to acknowledge the queen as the head of the Church and to attend Church of England services. All but one of the bishops who had served under Queen Mary refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, and around three hundred priests lost their jobs.
Elizabeth's decision to make the Church of England Protestant led to conflict with Catholics, who were no longer allowed to practice their faith openly. The Mass, the central act of Catholic worship, was condemned as idolatry and replaced with a Protestant communion service. The veneration of religious images and relics were suppressed, and iconoclasm was sanctioned by the government. Catholics were forced to conceal their religious practices, holding secret services in their homes and using portable Mass-kits and altar-stones that could be easily hidden.
In 1559, a fine of 12 pence was established for refusing to attend Church of England services. This fine applied to both Catholics and dissenting Puritans. While Catholics were not fined simply for being Catholic, they were expected to attend Church of England services and were fined if they did not comply.
In addition to fines, Catholics faced other penalties for non-attendance at Church of England services. Attendance at Mass was punishable by a fine of 100 marks, and saying Mass or arranging for it to be said carried the death penalty, although Elizabeth did not implement this until 1577 as she disliked extremism. Catholics who refused to take the Oath of Supremacy lost their offices, and priests who were ordained abroad and entered England were deemed traitors, punishable by death.
The conflict between Elizabeth and Catholics intensified in 1570 when Pope Pius V issued a bull of excommunication against Elizabeth, declaring her illegitimate and releasing her Catholic subjects from their allegiance to her. This heightened the perception of Catholics as a threat to the Queen and the realm, and plots against Elizabeth's life further solidified the idea that Catholics were traitors. As a result, the Elizabethan government adopted a harsher stance towards Catholics, leading to increased persecution.
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Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth, releasing her Catholic subjects from their allegiance to her
Queen Elizabeth I's religious views were Protestant, though "peculiarly conservative". She kept many of her beliefs private, making it difficult to determine her exact beliefs. However, she disliked married clergy, held Lutheran views on Eucharistic presence, and preferred the more ceremonial 1549 prayer book. Elizabeth's coronation took place on 15 January 1559, with no elevation during the coronation Mass, signalling her disapproval of Catholic superstition.
Elizabeth's main goal upon becoming queen was to secure her position. One of her first decisions was to make the Church of England Protestant and independent from the Pope, with services in English. In 1559, her government passed new Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, making it compulsory to acknowledge the queen as the head of the Church and to attend Church of England services. This caused tension with Catholics, who were still a powerful force in England. Elizabeth's religious settlement was a modified form of Catholic worship, which created complications for English Catholics, who faced legal repercussions, including fines and imprisonment for noncompliance.
On 25 February 1570, Pope Pius V issued a bull of excommunication against Elizabeth I, declaring her illegitimate and releasing her Catholic subjects from their allegiance to her. The bull, called *Regnans in Excelsis* ("Reigning on High"), was issued in support of the failed Rising of the North of 1569, in which Catholic nobles attempted to depose Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots. The bull declared Elizabeth a heretic and ordered her subjects not to obey her: "We charge and command all and singular the nobles, subjects, peoples and others afore said that they do not dare obey her orders, mandates and laws. Those who shall act to the contrary we include in the like sentence of excommunication."
The excommunication of Elizabeth intensified anti-Catholic sentiment in England and solidified her status as a Protestant symbol. It also placed English Catholics in a difficult position, as they now had to repudiate their loyalty to the queen or risk charges of treason. However, the bull had little effect in England, and most Catholics reaffirmed their loyalty to Elizabeth, fearing treason charges. The excommunication marked a significant moment in English and European history, arising from tensions between Elizabeth's Protestant reforms and Catholic doctrine.
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Catholics were viewed as traitors and a threat to the Queen and realm
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I was marked by religious upheaval and persecution of Catholics. While Elizabeth herself did not appear to be particularly anti-Catholic, she was a Protestant and her religious policies, aimed at securing her position, alienated many Catholics.
Elizabeth's predecessor, Queen Mary I, had been a Catholic who persecuted Protestants, earning her the nickname "Bloody Mary". In contrast, Elizabeth is often portrayed as a shrewd ruler who persecuted Catholics for political rather than purely religious reasons. When Elizabeth became queen, she had to decide between maintaining the Catholic Church or establishing the Church of England as an independent, Protestant institution. She chose the latter, positioning herself as the head of the Church of England and requiring all clergy and royal office-holders to swear an Oath of Supremacy to her. This act alone would have been seen as a direct challenge to the authority of the Pope and a potential cause for concern for Catholics in England.
In 1570, Pope Pius V officially excommunicated Elizabeth, declaring her a heretic and releasing her Catholic subjects from their allegiance to her. This was a significant turning point, as it meant that Catholics were now viewed as potentially disloyal subjects, a threat to the stability of the realm, and even traitors. The Pope's bull was issued in support of a failed 1569 rebellion in the north of England, led by Catholic earls, which further fuelled the idea that Catholics were a dangerous, disloyal faction. Elizabeth's subsequent persecution of Catholic Jesuit missionaries, who were entering the country illegally to convert the population, led to executions and the creation of a narrative of Catholic treachery.
The Recusancy Acts, dating from Elizabeth's reign, legally coerced citizens to conform to Anglicanism and attend weekly Anglican services on pain of prosecution for high treason. Catholics were now fined and physically punished for recusancy, and their priests were outlawed and executed. The saying of Mass, central to Catholic worship, was banned and punishable by death, although Elizabeth did not enforce this until 1577. The need for secrecy and concealment among Catholics during this time is evident in the existence of secret Mass-kits, altar-stones, and priest-holes.
While some sources emphasise that Elizabeth's main concern was outward obedience and that she turned a blind eye to Catholics who practised their faith in private, the broader context suggests that Catholics were viewed with deep suspicion and as a potential threat to the stability of the realm. The continuous tension between loyalty to the Queen and loyalty to the Pope, as well as the increasing Catholic threat from Europe, contributed to Catholics being seen as traitors and a danger to Elizabeth and England.
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Frequently asked questions
Queen Elizabeth was Protestant, and her main goal was to secure her position as the head of the Church of England. She initially maintained that nothing had changed in terms of religion, but later passed laws that favoured Protestantism and suppressed Catholicism.
In 1559, two new bills were introduced: the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity. These laws made it compulsory to acknowledge Elizabeth as the head of the Church of England and to attend Church of England services. Anyone who refused to take the Oath of Supremacy or attend Anglican services was fined and physically punished.
Violations of the laws passed under Queen Elizabeth were considered acts of treason. Men could be punished by hanging, drawing, and quartering, while women were burned. Attending Mass was punishable by a fine of 100 marks, and saying Mass or arranging for it to be said was punishable by death.
Catholics grew adept at concealing their religious practices. They held secret Masses and used portable Mass-kits and altar-stones that could be easily hidden. Many Catholics were torn between their loyalty to the Queen and their loyalty to the Pope, and some chose to remain loyal to both.
Ireland's Catholic majority was subjected to persecution and land appropriation during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Their political and land-owning rights were denied, and their lands were given to Anglican and Nonconformist Protestant settlers from Britain.
