On this day in Catholic History: The Excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I

One of the most momentous events in European religious history (so basically, European history) was the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I. While Henry VIII began England’s break with the Church, this made it definitive and is still slowly, slowly being repaired. In order to understand the importance, consider these five questions: 

1. Who was Queen Elizabeth I?

Here’s a short video to give you a basic overview of her life and impact, then you’ll be ready to move into the more “Catholic questions” surrounding her reign.

https://www.history.com/videos/this-day-in-history-11-17-1558-elizabethan-age-begins

2. Why was she excommunicated?

Not surprisingly, Elizabeth I was excommunicated for rejecting the religious authority of the Pope, like her father Henry VIII, and re-establishing the Church of England (after her half-sister Mary, a Catholic, had returned to the Catholic faith of her mother, Queen Catherine). The document was issued by Pope St. Pius V and called Regnans in Excelsis, which means “Reigning on High.”  

3. What were the consequences for Catholics in England?

While the Church had already been persecuted in England under Henry VIII, resulting in some martyrdoms and the seizures of Church land like monasteries, this definitive break made it more dangerous and difficult for every Catholic, especially priests. This is when Catholics began construction of “priest holes” in their homes in order to hide priests and priests were constantly hunted. Many Catholics practiced their faith in secret or suffered financial hardship for their faithfulness. This is where “recusants” came from, those who refused to attend Church of England religious services and faced financial and social hardship. One recusant family included the parents of William Shakespeare, whose Catholicism has been notably documented.

4. What Saints were made during her reign?

Many of the “40 Martyrs of England and Wales” were made during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. One who “haunted” her was the Jesuit priest, Edmund Campion, whose feast is celebrated on December 1. Shalom World produced a number of videos on these 40 martyrs, one of which is John Plessington, as seen below:

5. What is the state of the Catholic Church in England today?

While it may be on a slight upswing in comparison to it’s non-Catholic Christian counterparts in the country, Catholicism is still struggling to recover from this monumental break approx. 500 years ago. Here is a recent article on the “state of Christianity in England.

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