Catholic challenge at home

• Counter Reformation


  The Catholic Church's attempt to reverse the Protestant Reformation in Europe and stop its spread
• Protestants in Europe were charged with heresy
• The pope issued an instruction to English Catholics to not attend Church of England services

  1566
• Heresy


  Denying the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church dealt with heretics severely, with many being executed for their beliefs.
• Counter Reformation in Europe

  • Attempts to reverse the spread of Protestantism
• Catholic hostility towards Protestants

  • The Catholic Church became increasingly hostile to Protestantism and Elizabeth's rule
• Timeline


  • 1517 Start of the Reformation under Martin Luther
  • 1553-58 Catholicism is restored under Mary Tudor
  • 1545-63 Council of Trent and Counter Reformation leads to determination to reverse gains made by Protestantism in Europe and England since Reformation
  • 1534 Act of Supremacy - the king and not the pope is head of the Church of England
  • 1559 Elizabeth's religious settlement
  • Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569-70)
• One-third of the English nobility and a large part of the gentry are recusants
• Recusants


  • Practised the Catholic religion in secret. Elizabeth tolerated them initially, as she did not want to turn them into religious martyrs (people prepared to die for their religion) and to avoid a Catholic rebellion
• Catholic nobility


  • Tended to be from traditional and powerful families that had prospered under Mary Tudor, such as the Neviles and the Percys. They resented their loss of influence under Elizabeth and disliked the growing influence of her favourites, such as Sir William Cecil and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who they saw as Protestant upstarts
• Nobility in the north

  • Were very influential and had always enjoyed freedom of action (independence) from the Crown, so they were well placed to incite a rebellion against Elizabeth. This threat was increased by the pope's instruction that Catholics were not to attend Church of England services, giving them a powerful religious reason to rebel.