Catholic threat

• Catholic threat


  Became worse throughout the 1570s and the early 1580s
• In 1570 Elizabeth was excommunicated from the Catholic Church by the Pope
• Excommunication


  Catholics no longer had to obey the Queen and were encouraged to overthrow her
• Excommunication


  Changed Elizabeth's attitude towards Catholics, they were now seen as potential threat
• Response to the excommunication


  1. Parliament passed the treason act in 1571

  2. Anyone who claimed Elizabeth wasn't England's legitimate ruler could face execution
• William Allen


  Founded the missionary College in France to train English Catholic priests
• First missionary priest reached England

  1574
• Response to the missionary priests


  1. Parliament passed two anti-catholic acts in 1581

  2. Massively increased fines for recusancy

  3. Introduced fines and prison sentences for people who said or attended Catholic Mass

  4. Made it treason to convert to Catholicism

  5. Introduced prison sentences and death penalty for anyone who encouraged rebellions
• Catholic plots to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots

  • Ridolfi plot of 1571
  • Throckmorton plot of 1583
  • Babington plot of 1586
• Mary Queen of Scots was a figurehead for Catholic rebellion
• Walsingham's spy network was highly effective and established, they uncovered many plots before they were carried out
• Due to the increase in Catholic threat, the persecution of Catholics increased and anti-catholic laws were enforced more strictly
• Response to the Catholic threat


  1. In 1585 parliament passed two new laws

  2. Mary Queen of Scots wouldn't be allowed to become Queen if Elizabeth was assassinated

  3. Missionaries had 40 days to leave the country, any priest still in the country would be executed
• Babington plot of 1586


  1. Walsingham used his spy network to gather evidence for Mary Queen of Scots involvement

  2. Intercepted and decoded Mary's letters

  3. Persuaded Elizabeth to put Mary on trial in October of 1586

  4. Mary was found guilty
• Elizabeth was reluctant to execute Mary because she believed monarchs ruled by divine right, and she feared it would undermine her own claim to rule
• Mary Queen of Scots was executed

  8th of February 1587
• The execution of Mary removed the Catholic threat to Elizabeth at home, the English Catholics now had no figurehead and lost hope, resulting in no more major Catholic plots in Elizabeth's reign