Religion under mary Flashcards
What were Mary’s religious aims?
-Undo the religious changes made since 1529
-Restore papal authority
-Restore traditional Catholic practices
-Re-establish religious house that had been dissolved
-End clerical marriage and restore status of Priests
-Secure a long term future for Catholicism
-Persecute those who did not agree with her views
Did mary restore Papal authority? How?
Yes.
-1553- Mary gave up her title as Supreme Head of the Church
-Parliament refused to repeal the Act of Supremacy
-1554- Only one person in opposition to restoring papal authority
-Parliament unanimously decided to rid of all laws against the Pope’s authority
Did mary undo religious changed made since 1529? How?
Yes.
-Acts of Repeal 1553+ 1555- undid changes made after 1529, including the Act of Supremacy, making the Pope head of the Church
-Second Act of Uniformity suspended
Did mary re-establish religious houses that had been dissolved?
No.
Many Mp’s has bought large amounts of former monastic lands and did not want to lose them.
Had to reach compromise- Second Act of Repeal protected property rights of those who had bought churchland.
Did mary end clerical marriage and restore status of Priests? How?
-Priests no longer allowed to get married and put back higher up in class.
-Large numbers of married clergy deprived of their jobs.
Did mary persecute those who did not agree with her views?
Heresy Laws passed in 1555- Protestants punished. 280 Protestants were burned at the stake
Did mary restore traditional Catholic practices? How?
Royal Injunctions 1554- Restored some traditional Catholic Practices
Who were concerned about Mary’s religious policy? Why?
Charles V and the Pope were concerned that Mary would proceed too quickly and provoke unrest and cause threat.
Who were the Marian exiles? Are they good evidence of opposition/ support?
-Approximately 800 Protestants that left England and went into ’exile’ during Mary’s reign.
-Not significant as evidence of opposition as the less well off couldn’t leave, not very many, and many radicals were willing to wait and see what developments took place
Who was Thomas Cranmer?
Archbishop of Canterbury, part of Privy Council. Burned at the stake in 1556.
Why was Cranmer burned?
Reasons: Ended Henry’s marriage with CoA, supported LJG, was part of the break with Rome, helped change the Church to Protestantism
What was the reaction to Cranmer’s death? Why?
-Bad, seen as too far
-He was old
-Had recanted faith but was still burnt
Evidence of support for burnings?
-Burnings welcomed- gave an opportunity for Kent cherry growers to sell their produce
-Majority of burnings happened in the south east- higher concentration of Protestants there
-Prosecutions could only happen because the victims had been reported and local authorities enforced the law- would have been no burnings if there was no support from the local authorities
Evidence of Opposition to burnings?
-Cranmer’s burning was a big error- did not do the Catholic cause any good
-Gardiner was a restraining influence on Mary which his death removed. He felt that the burnings were not scaring the Protestants into submission, just building opposition.
-Regions further from London were less susceptible to pressure from central Gov, therefore there were less burnings
-The Gov sent letters to JPs in the south encouraging them to act- suggesting little enthusiasm for the efforts and that JPs were only acting under pressure from Gov
-Some historians have argued that Mary damaged her popularity through burnings
-Gardiner, a key adviser, advised caution with the persecution of Protestants as he felt policy was not working and were simply hardening opposition to Mary and encouraging criticism from exiles abroad
Evidence for a mixed reaction to burnings?
-Burnings in London had to take place early in the day so that less people would attend- more likely due to apprentices in London than a show of support for victims
-Large numbers attended burnings but there was little evidence of conversions; instead the burnings were simply a spectacle
-JPs were unpaid officials that had to deal with a range of laws and there was no more or less reluctance to persecute than with any other form of legislation
-Christopher Haigh suggested that “the persecution of Protestants was no success; nor a disaster. If it did not help the Catholic cause, it did not do much harm”
