Religion Flashcards
What religion was England when Mary acceded?
Protestant (but much of the country remained privately Catholic)
What did Mary want to do to religion in England?
Restore Catholicism
What were the 3 key problems that Mary faced regarding the restoration of Catholicism?
- Protestantism was a minority faith but had significant support in London + southern areas
- Many elites had gained church land they didn’t want to return
- Reformed Protestant church had been established in statute law
Why was it an issue for Mary that the Protestant Church had been established by statute law under Edward?
Required statute law to reverse it
BUT - Mary believed in divine law + using statute law would mean accepting the ability of the monarch/parliament to make laws about religion (indirectly accepting H.VIII’s royal supremacy she denied)
What 2 cautious moves did Mary make before starting properly on her process of religious reform?
- Some key Protestant clergy (inc. 7 bishops) deprived of livings
- Foreign Protestants ordered to leave England
What were the 4 key stages in Mary’s process of religious reform?
1) Mary’s 1st Parliament (Oct 1553)
2) 1554 action with the Pope
3) Mary’s 3rd Parliament (Nov 1554 -> Jan 1555)
4) Burning heretics (Feb 1555 onwards)
Outline action taken at Mary’s 1st Parliament (Oct 1553)
- Edwardian religious legislation repealed
- Legal status of Church of England upheld
- Church restored to its 1547 state (e.g. order of service)
- Married clergy deprived of livings
When was Mary’s 1st Parliament?
Oct 1553
Outline action taken with the Pope in 1554
- Reversed attainder against papal legate Reginald Pole, so he could return to England as Archbishop of Canterbury to oversee revert to Catholicism
- Pope Julius III agreed not to reclaim church land that had been sold off (increasing support for Catholicism of the elites)
When was the Pope restored as Head of the Church of England?
1555 (in the Act of Supremacy)
Outline action taken at Mary’s 3rd Parliament (Nov 1554-Jan 1555)
- Restoration of heresy laws (1554). Denying papal supremacy was punishable by death.
- Act of Repeal (1555) - law passed to revoke the royal supremacy
- Act of Supremacy (1555) - law passed to restore papal supremacy + Pope as Head of Church of England
How did Mary get around using statute law?
She didn’t
- Forced to use statute law (despite her belief in divine law) so she could restore papal supremacy in 1555 Act of Repeal + Act of Supremacy
Which pope replaced Pope Julius III in 1555?
Pope Paul IV
What were Pope Paul IV’s 2 opinions that caused the weakening of the papacy’s relationship with England?
1) Disliked Spain
(Spain connected to England through marriage + meant papacy opposed England’s side in the Franco-Spanish War)
2) Disliked Pole
Why did Pope Paul IV dislike Pole?
Said he was a heretic
What did Pope Paul IV do to Pole?
Dismissed him as papal legate (April 1557) - he could no longer act on behalf of the Pope in England
Did Mary agree with Pope Paul IV’s negative opinions on Pole?
No
- Kept him as Archbishop of Canterbury
- Refused to acknowledge the new papal legate in England: Peto
Who did Pope Paul IV replace Pole with as papal legate?
William Peto
When did Mary start burning heretics?
Feb 1555
What religious policy resulted in the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’?
Burning heretics
How many Protestants did Mary burn at the stake for heresy?
Approx 280
Under what law could Mary burn heretics?
1554 Heresy Law (denying papal supremacy - done by Protestants - punishable with death)
In what was the burning of the heretics recorded?
‘Book of Martyrs’
- By Foxe
- Published 1563
- Became most widely read book in England excluding Bible
Were all people burnt for heresy actually Protestant?
No (but Foxe’s book was publicising anti-Protestantism)
E.g. John Bland: ‘FreeWiller’ believed in man’s free will instead of a religion. One of the Canterbury Martyrs.
What types of Protestants were burnt for heresy?
- Key figures (e.g. Oxford Martyrs: Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer)
- Clergymen (approx 21)
- Gentry (approx 8)
- Mostly ‘normal’ people
Where were most of the ‘normal people’ burned for heresy from geographically?
South East (3/4)
- Protestantism most popular here
- Specifically 1/5 from Kent (mainly Cranmer’s diocese Canterbury)
Was the burning of heretics successful?
- In continental countries YES
- In ENGLAND NO
Why was the policy of burning heretics unsuccessful in England?
- Mary + Catholicism got bad reputation as strict + merciless
- Protestant victims became ‘martyrs’ who were sympathised with
Give an example of 2 people who were sympathised with for being burnt for heresy
Rogers + Taylor
- First 2 victims
- Had been popular Protestant preachers
As the burning of heretics was unsuccessful, was the policy stopped?
No
BUT - Council tried to ban the young (easily influenced) from attending
What religious reforms did Mary (with help from Pole) make aside from reinstalling Catholicism?
Improved role of clergy (1555-6)
- Pole outlined his expectations at his legatine synod (1555-6)
- Bishops should: live in diocese, preach, thoroughly oversee religious and pastoral life
New bishops appointed
Each cathedral should have a seminary to train new priests
Were the religious reform actions (not including conversion to Catholicism) successful?
In theory - Yes, tried to ensure clergy were capable of fulfilling role.
In practice - No: relied on parish commitment which wasn’t present in heavily Protestant areas. Mary’s reign was too short for much impact.
Did Mary ever succeed fully in restoring Catholicism in England?
No
What prevented England being fully converted back to Catholicism under Mary?
- Deteriorating England-papacy relationship
- Deteriorating public opinion of Mary + Catholicism after harsh burning of heretics
- Short length of Mary’s reign which limited time to make progress
