medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I've been interested in the number of Elizabethan recusant martyrs that
> Phyllis has put on the list lately. My non-specialist's understanding of
> E.'s policy towards Catholics was a sort of early "don't ask, don't tell"
> policy. I also understood that she much disliked the more gruesome forms
of
> execution (e.g. see above). Am I mistaken about this?
IIRC Elizabeth is famously quoted as saying that she "did not want to make
windows in men's souls" and provided people obeyed the law - and this meant
any non-conformists (extreme protestant as well as catholic) who were not
prepared to go to their parish church being fined - I think the going rate
was one shilling for every Sunday missed - she would not proceed further.
However, this situation changed radically in 1570 when the pope
excommunicated Elizabeth and formally absolved her subjects from their oath
of loyalty. This put English Catholics in a very nasty moral dilemma and
meant that every Catholic priest was perceived as a traitor or a spy.
Additionally, the presence of the Catholic refugee Mary Queen of Scots in
England from 1568 onwards - who was Elizabeth's cousin and closest blood-kin
and therefore Elizabeth's legitimate heir - meant that Mary was the focus of
plots (some genuine, some provided by agents provocateurs). The whole
situation had become deeply politicised. It became virtually impossible to
distinguish between religious faith and treachery. Remember also, Elizabeth
only signed Mary's death warrant after much delay - to the exasperation of
her advisers who were convinced of the political risk posed by the Catholic
Queen. The following year (1588) Spain sent the Armada which was a
specifically Catholic crusade to invade England and return her people
forcibly to the Old Religion. The prospect of the Spanish Inquisition being
set up in London did not endear the hearts of the Protestant English towards
their Catholic neighbours. In spite of the undoubted courage and skill of
the English sailors, the Armada was actually defeated by the weather, and
the English saw this as divine favour. I think it is fair to say that the
majority of the Catholics executed during Elizabeth's reign were convicted
in the law courts as traitors and not as Catholics as such.
Brenda MC
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