Booklet 1 - Catholic influence

Question 1

Explain the development of anticatholicism

Answer 1

• 1621: Parliament wanted James I to take part in the 30 years war which was in order to resist expansion of catholic power - parliament were scared that if catholics got power in England they would aspire to be superior and destruct protestantism
• By 1625, most English people feared catholicism
• People feared that the catholic church wanted to destruct other religions

Question 2

Events that fuelled the fear of catholicism before 1625

Answer 2

• 1570 - catholic plots against Elizabeth I
• Massacre of protestants in France
• 1588 - Spain attempt to invade England
• 1605 - Gunpowder plot

Question 3

Explain Charles’ association with Catholicism

Answer 3

• Charles was a faithful Anglican but his actions indicated to many people that he was a secret catholic or pro catholic
• Charles wrote to the pope in 1623 to seek approval to marry the spanish princess
• When his plan to marry the spanish princess failed he married the French catholic Henrietta Maria
• There was a growing catholic residency in London and the North and noble families who were catholic supported and used their wealth to support other catholics

Question 4

Explain the catholic influence of Henrietta Maria

Answer 4

• She worshipped as a catholic and encouraged others to join her, she allowed her catholic priests to perform work outside of her private chapel
• She was Charles I’s wife and he made no attempt to restrict her influence

Question 5

Why were people so suspicious of Charles for being a secret Catholic?

Answer 5

• Due to him staying in the royal court after the death of Buckingham, he went back to his natural tendency to be reserved. He therefore couldn’t explain his actions such as the promotion of Arminians in the Church and the increased roles of Bishops. People interpreted these things as a part of a wider catholic plot because Charles didn’t defend himself
• Charles’ court was decorated by a catholic painter using imagary and techniques that were popular in Rome
• When Charles became king of Scotland, 1633, he had a ceremony - ceromonies were Catholic ideas
• He surrounded himself with Catholic worshippers and people
• Puritans seemed to be getting harassed while catholics were left undisturbed and if they spoke out they’d be punished by Bishops - puritans saw this as catholic absolutism

Question 6

How did Charles think he could surpress the great rebellion in 1642?

Answer 6

• He believed he had rallied sufficient support from the small amount of English Catholics, and Irish and Scotish catholic armies
• He had offered help from the pope
• The fears from the Irsih rebellion in England in 1641 had come back and a strong anticatholic sentiment was present