Elizabeth I Excommunicated
- Dates
- 1570 AD
Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth I in attempt to cause the English people to usurp her power and restore England to the Catholic faith.
In detail
After the reign of Bloody Mary, Elizabeth I ended the fierce persecutions of Protestants. Instead of chastising the queen for her less than ardent Catholic faith, the Vatican hoped to win back England through the art of diplomacy.
For about 10 years, nothing seemed to be moving forward, so Pope Pius V resorted to more drastic measures. In 1569 a rebellion broke out in the north. In hopes that the queen's people would overthrow the Crown, the pope excommunicated Elizabeth I. However, the rebellion had already been quelled by the time Regnans in Excelsis, a papal bull, arrived in England.
As a result, Elizabeth began to hunt down Catholic priests living in England and execute them for treason. During her reign, more than 200 Catholic priests were killed.
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