Was England a Catholic nation by Mary's death? Flashcards
What evidence suggests that Mary had a strong base to build Catholicism on?
Henry abandoned any moves towards Protestantism that he might have contemplated in 1539, which suggests that the only period of Protestant reform was under Edward, therefore Mary had a strong base on which to build.
What are the negative aspects of Mary’s reign?
The burnings
Historians tend to focus on this
What do historians tend to ignore?
The more positive steps taken by Cardinal Pole
What positive steps did Cardinal Pole take?
he was the driving force behind the London Synod which stressed the importance of priests being resident so they could carry out their responsibilities and the need to end abuses such as pluralism and nepotism.
Also he had begun to plan for the long-term revival of the Catholic Church
What were the impacts of Pole’s steps?
The foundations for a reformed Catholic Church were put in place, but their impact on church goers was likely to be limited, + changes would take time
To influence the laity, what did the gov do?
adopted a two-pronged approach; tried to control Protestant literature + attempted to be proactive
Why were the gov less successful in their attempts to influence the laity?
Protestant writing was printed abroad & smuggled into England, also the 19,000 copies of the Second Prayer Book from Edward’s reign meant a Protestant underground could be sustained
What does evidence suggest about Catholic worship?
Evidence suggests that Catholic worship returned speedily, plus there is evidence that the changes were welcomed by many
What did Parishioners do to help with the restoration of parish churches?
Evidence shows that parishioners showed their support for restoring a parish church by donating large sums of money to the process
What was the examination of the Wardens in the Dioceses?
Exacting (demanding)
Why were many churches in a bad condition?
because they had been so badly neglected under Edward, no money was donated for the upkeep
What was there a rapid restoration of?
he mass and stone altars, high expenditure on replacing equipment, voluntary giving and church ales
What was the reaction to the changes?
At a parish level, the changes were popular + English Catholicism recovered in most places, but the changes of Henry and Edward could not be completely undone eg monasteries
What was the long term failure of Catholicism?
that Mary did not rule for longer or produce an heir
What evidence is a clear indication of the success of the Marian regime?
The length of time it took for Elizabeth to establish Protestantism through out England
