Rachel Evans
The persecution of Catholics in England has been a complex historical phenomenon, influenced by political, religious, and social factors over several centuries. It can be traced back to the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century, when he separated from the Catholic Church due to his desire for a male heir, leading to the establishment of the Church of England with himself as its head. This initiated religious tensions that would persist for hundreds of years, with periods of relative tolerance and heightened persecution. During the 17th century, Penal Laws were enacted, severely restricting Catholics' rights and resulting in violent persecution, torture, and execution. While Catholic Emancipation in the 19th century improved their legal status, anti-Catholic sentiment continued to linger in certain circles. Even today, a reigning monarch in Great Britain cannot be a Catholic, illustrating the enduring legacy of historical Catholic persecution in England.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date when Catholic persecution ended in England | 1689 |
| Length of Catholic persecution in England | Over 200 years |
| Monarchs who persecuted Catholics | Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, James II |
| Anti-Catholic laws | Recusancy Acts, Penal Laws |
| Effects of anti-Catholic laws | Banned Mass, ordination, and presence of Catholic Bishops in Ireland; banned Catholic schools; barred Catholics from holding public office, practising law, and serving in the military |
| Violence against Catholics | Torture and execution of Catholics, including clergy; burning at the stake; beheading |
| Reasons for anti-Catholic sentiment | Fear of Pope's secular power, desire for religious uniformity, political and social factors |
| Attempts to end Catholic persecution | King James II's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, failed attempt at religious freedom in 1688 |
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What You'll Learn
The English Reformation
Henry VIII initially opposed the teachings of Martin Luther, earning him the title "Defender of the Faith" from Pope Leo X. However, his desire for a male heir led to a pivotal shift. Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, bore him a daughter, Mary Tudor, but no sons. When Henry sought to annul his marriage, Pope Clement VII refused, sparking a series of events that led to the English Reformation.
Henry summoned the Reformation Parliament in 1529 to address the annulment and other grievances against the Catholic Church. This Parliament, which sat until 1536, passed laws abolishing papal authority in England and declaring Henry as the "supreme head" of the Church of England. The Act of Supremacy, enacted in 1534, affirmed that the English monarch was the highest authority, answerable only to God. This marked a turning point in the relationship between church and state in England.
The establishment of the Church of England as a separate entity from the Catholic Church had far-reaching consequences. It led to the dissolution of monasteries, the abolition of the Mass, the use of English in religious services and the Bible, and a departure from the decorative and ceremonial aspects of Catholicism. While some Protestants embraced these changes, others, including Puritans, Baptists, and Quakers, felt that the Church of England did not go far enough in its reforms.
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The Act of Supremacy, 1534
The Act of Supremacy, passed on November 3, 1534, was one of the first major events of the English Reformation. The Act declared King Henry VIII of England and subsequent monarchs as the "'supreme head on earth of the Church of England", replacing the Pope. It also required an oath of loyalty from English subjects that recognised his marriage to Anne Boleyn.
The Act established the English monarch as the head of the Church of England, with the reigning sovereign recognised as the supreme head of the Church. This act was an assertion of independence from the Catholic Church and the authority of the Pope, who had claimed both spiritual and political power over followers. The Act of Supremacy made it clear that Parliament was not granting the king the title, but rather acknowledging an established fact.
The Act of Supremacy had significant political and religious implications. It granted King Henry VIII absolute control over the English religion, and those who held Catholic beliefs or refused to recognise his authority as head of the Church were swiftly punished. This included Sir Thomas More, who was convicted of treason and executed by beheading for resisting the Treasons Act 1534, which stated that to disavow the Act of Supremacy was treasonous.
The Act of Supremacy was repealed in 1554 during the reign of Queen Mary I, Henry VIII's staunchly Catholic daughter. However, upon her death in 1558, her Protestant half-sister, Elizabeth I, ascended the throne. In 1558, Parliament adopted a new Act of Supremacy, declaring Elizabeth as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This title, which avoided the term "Supreme Head", pacified some Catholics and Protestants concerned about a female leader of the Church.
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The Gunpowder Plot, 1605
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, also known in earlier centuries as the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was an attempt by a group of English Roman Catholics to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, November 5, 1605. The plot was led by Robert Catesby, a devout Catholic, who was likely motivated by King James I's refusal to grant religious tolerance to Catholics. The conspirators planned to assassinate King James I, his ministers, and members of Parliament, causing chaos and providing an opportunity for English Catholics to seize control of the country.
The plot was devised as early as May 1603 when Catesby shared his intentions with Thomas Percy. In May 1604, Catesby revealed his scheme to a loyal group of followers, including his cousin Thomas Wintour and Guy Fawkes. The conspirators rented a house near the House of Lords and began digging a tunnel to smuggle 36 barrels of gunpowder, amounting to about 1.5 tons. They ceased their tunnelling efforts when they discovered a vault directly under the House of Lords, which they rented and used to store the gunpowder.
On October 26, 1605, an anonymous letter of warning was sent to a Catholic member of Parliament, William Parker, the 4th Baron Monteagle. This led to a search of the House of Lords on the evening of November 4, 1605, during which Fawkes was discovered guarding the gunpowder and subsequently arrested. Most of the conspirators fled London but were later captured or killed. At their trial on January 27, 1606, eight surviving conspirators, including Fawkes, were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered.
The failure of the Gunpowder Plot marked the beginning of an even less tolerant era for Catholics in England. Parliament passed a series of oppressive measures, adding to the restrictions imposed on Catholics during Elizabeth I's reign. The plot's association with Catholicism fuelled anti-Catholic sentiments and resulted in increased persecution and more severe laws against Catholics in England.
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The Glorious Revolution
James II's overt Roman Catholicism, his suspension of the legal rights of Dissenters, and the birth of his son and Catholic heir, James Francis Edward Stuart, on 10 June 1688, raised discontent among many, particularly non-Catholics. Several prominent Englishmen, spurred by the prospect of a Catholic successor, invited William to invade England. William landed in Devon with an expeditionary force on 5 November 1688. As William advanced on London, James's army disintegrated, and he fled to France on 23 December.
In April 1689, while Dutch troops occupied London, Parliament made William and Mary joint monarchs of England and Ireland. A separate but similar Scottish settlement was made in June. William and Mary swore to govern according to the laws of Parliament, not the laws of the monarchy. A Bill of Rights promulgated later that year prohibited Catholics or those married to Catholics from claiming the throne. This provision was reaffirmed in the 1701 Act of Settlement and remains in force today.
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Catholic Emancipation in the 19th century
Catholic emancipation, or Catholic relief, was a process in the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the combined United Kingdom, in the late 18th century and early 19th century. It involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts, and the penal laws.
The penal laws, established in the 1690s, assured the Church of Ireland control of political, economic, and religious life. The Mass, ordination, and the presence of Catholic Bishops in Ireland were all banned, although some continued in secret. Catholic schools were also banned, as were all voting franchises. This led to violent persecution, resulting in the torture and execution of many Catholics, both clergy and laity.
The penal laws started to be dismantled from 1766, with the most significant measure being the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which removed the most substantial restrictions on Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom. However, the Act of Settlement 1701 and the Bill of Rights 1689 provisions on the monarchy still require the monarch of the United Kingdom to not be a Catholic.
In 1828, the British Parliament repealed two 17th-century laws that had disenfranchised Roman Catholics and Protestant Dissenters in Great Britain. The following year, Parliament passed the Emancipation Act, making it possible for British and Irish Roman Catholics to vote, enter universities, and hold public, political, and military offices.
The year 1829 is generally regarded as marking the chief moment of emancipation in Britain and Ireland. However, the obligation to pay tithes to the established Anglican Church in Ireland remained, resulting in the Tithe War of the 1830s, and many other minor disabilities remained. A series of further reforms were introduced over time, and the threshold for Roman Catholics to enter certain professions was gradually lowered in successive Reform Acts after 1832.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholic persecution in England can be traced back to the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
Henry's desire for a male heir led him to seek an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which the Catholic Church denied. In response, Henry separated from the Catholic Church and made himself the head of the newly formed Church of England.
Catholics who refused to conform to the Church of England had to practice their faith in secret and meet in underground congregations. They were viewed as a threat to the state and social order.
Catholic emancipation in the 19th century gradually improved the legal status of Catholics, allowing them to participate more fully in public life. However, anti-Catholic sentiment has persisted, and it still exists today.
Yes, in 1688, Britain came close to granting all of its citizens religious freedom, but this was thwarted by the birth of a son to Queen Mary of Modena, which threatened a new Catholic dynasty. This ended any hope of religious tolerance, and King James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution.
