challenges to the religious settlement

• Catholic Church tried to regain control through counter reformation- plan to take back any land controlled by Protestants

• 1566- pope told catholics not to attend Church of England- contradict Elizabeth to unite people

• Elizabeth labelled a heretic- traitor to god

• Church wouldn’t tolerated energies (EB)

• Worried about catholic threat- initially reluctant to persecute- allowed to practice in secret

  • Most common in north, included 1/3 nobility, gained large amounts of land and wealth under previous queens rule, concerned EB favoured Protestants over them

  • Nobility clear reason to rebel

  • Elizabeth executed key earls

  • Pope viewed this as direct attack on Catholicism

  • Retaliated by excommunicating EB in 1570

  • Removed from Catholic Church, seen as enemy of church

  • Increased threat to Elizabeth, international threat to throne

• Late 1560s, Spain greater threat, gained control of Netherlands, killed hundreds of Dutch Protestants

• EB publically spoke out about these Protestants but secretly allowed them to seek shelter in England

• 1568- Elizabeth stole Genoese loan from Spanish

• Mary- legitimate successor, catholic opposition began to rally.

The Catholic Church initiated the Counter-Reformation to reclaim land lost to Protestants. In 1566, the pope advised Catholics to avoid the Church of England, undermining Elizabeth I's unifying efforts and branding her a heretic. Although initially reluctant to persecute Catholics, Elizabeth's government eventually executed key earls, prompting the pope to excommunicate her in 1570. The late 1560s saw Spain become a significant threat, as it gained control of the Netherlands and persecuted Dutch Protestants. Elizabeth publicly opposed these actions yet secretly sheltered Protestant refugees. In 1568, her seizure of a Spanish loan increased tensions with Spain further.