Popular Attitudes to Catholicism Revision Notes for Edexcel A-Level History

Popular Attitudes to Catholicism

Introduction: Catholicism before the Reformation

For centuries before the 1530s, Roman Catholicism had been England's only religion. The Catholic Church played a central role in every aspect of ordinary people's lives, from birth to death. Local churches and monasteries were frequently the sole providers of essential services such as education, healthcare, and support for the poor. This deep integration into daily life made Catholicism far more than just a set of beliefs—it was the foundation of community life itself.

Historiographical debate: Was the Catholic Church popular or corrupt?

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Understanding the historiographical debate about the state of the Catholic Church before the Reformation is crucial for interpreting the evidence about popular attitudes and the nature of religious change.

Historians have debated the state of the Catholic Church before the Reformation:

Traditional view (A.G. Dickens):

The Reformation was an inevitable response to a Catholic Church that had become too wealthy, corrupt, and distant from its congregation
The Church had lost touch with ordinary believers
Reform was necessary and welcomed

Revisionist view (Eamon Duffy, Richard Rex, Christopher Haigh):

There is substantial evidence that the Catholic Church remained popular
The Church was actually growing in popularity in the early 16th century
Whilst there was some criticism, this did not mean the Church was dying
The Reformation was imposed from above rather than demanded from below

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This debate is crucial for understanding popular attitudes—if the revisionist historians are correct, it suggests that many people did not want religious change and that resistance to reform was significant.

Catholic beliefs about salvation and purgatory

English Catholics held specific beliefs about how to achieve salvation and what happened after death. Understanding these beliefs is essential for grasping why certain practices were so important to ordinary people.

Core beliefs:

Salvation could only be achieved through belief in God
Through God's grace (God's mercy), sinners could receive forgiveness
When a person died, their soul would go to purgatory—a place where souls spent time as punishment for sins committed during their lifetime
The time spent in purgatory could be reduced by actions taken whilst still alive on earth

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The concept of purgatory was central to Catholic practice. It meant that death was not the end of the soul's journey, and that the living could still help the dead through their prayers and actions. This created a strong bond between the living and the dead, and explains why so many practices focused on reducing purgatory time.

Ways to reduce time in purgatory

Catholics believed they could reduce their time in purgatory (or that of deceased loved ones) through various religious practices:

Sacraments and Mass

Sacraments were holy ceremonies that brought God's grace to believers
Key sacraments included baptism (welcoming a person into the Church), confession (admitting sins to a priest), and penance (doing acts to make up for sins)
The Eucharist (Mass or communion service) was particularly important
Because everyone sinned regularly, it was vital to keep seeking forgiveness
Attending Mass daily was common practice among devout Catholics

Indulgences

Indulgences were documents issued by the pope or bishops
They were believed to reduce the amount of time a soul would spend in purgatory
They could be purchased, making them accessible to those with money
The sale of indulgences would later become a major criticism of the Catholic Church

Chantries and prayers for the dead

Wealthy individuals could leave money in their wills to build chantries—small chapels where priests would be employed specifically to pray for the benefactor's soul
Those with less wealth would still pay priests to say Masses for their souls after death
This practice demonstrates how important it was to help souls reach heaven more quickly

Prayer to saints and intercession

Catholics believed that saints—holy people who were closer to God and Jesus—could intercede (act on behalf of) sinners on earth
Saints could appeal to God for mercy on behalf of living people
Saints were also believed capable of performing miracles, such as curing serious illnesses
Because saints had this special power, they were highly venerated (respected and honored)

Evidence of Catholicism's popularity

Pilgrimages and shrines

Pilgrimages to holy sites were extremely popular in early 16th-century England. People would travel long distances to visit shrines—places where the physical remains (relics) of saints were kept.

Major pilgrimage centres included:

The shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury—the most famous English shrine
The shrine to Our Lady (the Virgin Mary) at Walsingham, Norfolk
The Holy Blood (of Jesus) at Hailes Abbey, Gloucestershire

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These shrines attracted hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pilgrims who came to pray to the saints for help, healing, or forgiveness. The economic impact of these pilgrimages was significant—when the shrines were destroyed in the 1530s, many of these towns suffered serious economic decline. This demonstrates how embedded pilgrimage was in both religious and economic life.

Saints' days and holy days

Saints' days were celebrated throughout the year and helped mark the passage of time
These were known as 'holy days' (the origin of our word 'holidays')
The most popular holy days marked events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Jesus's mother)
These days provided breaks from work and opportunities for community celebration
They reinforced Catholic teachings through public celebration

Living holy men and women

Not only dead saints attracted attention—living people believed to have special holiness were also highly popular.

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A key example: Elizabeth Barton, the Holy Maid of Kent

Elizabeth Barton demonstrated the popularity of living holy figures in early 16th-century England:

She experienced prophetic visions and preached whilst in trance-like states
Her prophesies and preaching drew large audiences in the early 1530s
She was encouraged by opponents of Henry VIII to prophesy that the king would die soon if he married Anne Boleyn
She was executed in 1534 for treason
Her popularity demonstrates public interest in mystical religious experiences

Church architecture: Pulpits and sermons

A significant trend beginning in the late 14th century was the building of pulpits in churches. Pulpits were raised platforms from which priests could deliver sermons to the congregation.

This is important evidence because:

The addition of pulpits in many parish churches shows that sermons were becoming an increasingly popular method of teaching about the Catholic faith
It demonstrates that the Church was adapting and developing, not stagnating
Ironically, sermons are usually associated with Protestantism, but the Catholic Church had been using them effectively long before the English Reformation
This suggests the Church was responsive to congregational needs and was attempting to improve religious education

Why this matters: Catholic survival and resistance to change

The evidence of Catholicism's continuing popularity helps explain two crucial historical developments:

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1. Resistance to religious change: When Henry VIII began reforming the Church, there was significant opposition. The Pilgrimage of Grace (1536) was a major rebellion partly motivated by attachment to traditional Catholic practices and opposition to the dissolution of monasteries.

2. Catholic survival: Catholicism did not simply disappear when the Reformation was imposed. It survived throughout the Tudor period because it had deep roots in popular belief and practice. Many people clung to Catholic practices even when they were officially forbidden.

Understanding that Catholicism was thriving, not dying, in the early 16th century is essential for understanding the nature of the English Reformation. It was primarily a top-down process imposed by the monarch and his ministers, rather than a popular movement demanded from below.

The extent of religious changes, 1529-36

Despite the popularity of Catholicism, Henry VIII's break with Rome led to significant changes in English religious life during the 1530s. These changes were imposed from above and fundamentally altered the appearance, liturgy (form of worship), and doctrine of local churches.

Enforcement of the Royal Supremacy (1534)

The first major changes came with the enforcement of the Royal Supremacy—the principle that the monarch, not the pope, was the head of the English Church.

Key legislation:

Supremacy Act (1534): Declared Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the English Church
Treason Act (1534): Made it an offence punishable by death to deny the Royal Supremacy

Implementation:

All adult men were required to take an Oath of Supremacy
Specially appointed commissioners administered the oath throughout the country
Parish clergy had to swear to renounce papal authority
Priests were ordered to remove all references to the pope from prayer books

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High-profile victims:

The legislation was used to target prominent opponents:

Sir Thomas More (former Lord Chancellor)—executed 1535 for refusing the oath
Elizabeth Barton (the Holy Maid of Kent)—executed 1534 after prophesying Henry's death if he married Anne Boleyn

Enforcement at local level:

Thomas Cromwell, as the king's vicegerent (deputy in religious matters), organized a preaching campaign in parish churches in 1534. This aimed to convince people that:

The Royal Supremacy was legal and biblically justified
Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn was valid

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However, not all clergy obeyed these orders. In 1535, Cromwell had to issue further orders to bishops and JPs (Justices of the Peace) to arrest and imprison clergy who continued preaching in support of papal supremacy. This resistance suggests that many clergy remained loyal to traditional Catholic beliefs.

Cromwell's reforms, 1535-36

Thomas Cromwell continued pushing religious changes throughout 1535 and 1536, though the most radical reforms would come in 1538.

Attacks on traditional practices:

1. Indulgences were discouraged:

Cromwell argued they were unnecessary superstitions
They disappeared very rapidly during the 1530s
This removed a key way Catholics had believed they could help souls in purgatory

2. Belief in purgatory was attacked:

This undermined the entire basis for prayers for the dead
It was particularly targeted through the dissolution of monasteries
Challenging purgatory meant challenging chantries, prayers for the dead, and pilgrimages

3. Exposure and destruction of relics:

Even before the break with Rome, there had been criticism of false relics
Cromwell's commissioners visited monasteries in 1535 specifically to expose "fake" relics
Many relics were destroyed in 1538
This attacked the whole system of saint veneration and pilgrimage

The Act of Ten Articles (1536)

The Ten Articles were passed in 1536 and represented a moderate form of Protestantism:

They enforced some Protestant ideas whilst keeping some Catholic practices
The interpretation of the Eucharist was left deliberately ambiguous—it wasn't clearly defined whether Christ was physically present in the bread and wine
This ambiguity was a compromise, but it also created confusion

Removal of feast days:

Following the Ten Articles, Cromwell pushed Convocation (the assembly of clergy) to pass an Act removing many traditional feast days:

Particularly affected were feast days falling during the harvest period (July to September)
The official reason was economic—too many holidays harmed the economy
The real purpose was to attack traditional Catholic practices
This would have significantly disrupted the rhythm of the year for ordinary people

Cromwell's first set of injunctions (1536)

Cromwell published his first set of injunctions (official orders) to the clergy in 1536. These required:

1. Preaching requirements:

All clergymen must preach the Royal Supremacy
They must follow the doctrine set out in the Ten Articles

2. Education in English:

Children should learn the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in English, not Latin
This was significant because Latin had been the traditional language of the Church
Using English made scripture more accessible but also reduced the special status of clergy

3. The English Bible:

Every priest must purchase a copy of the Bible in both English and Latin
This Bible must be placed in the parish church for anyone to read
This revolutionary change allowed ordinary people to read scripture themselves
It reduced the clergy's role as sole interpreters of God's word

4. Attacks on 'superstitions':

The injunctions specifically attacked pilgrimages
They also targeted the worship of images (icons and statues of saints)
These had been central to popular Catholic practice

The dissolution of the smaller monasteries (1536)

The most significant change to popular religion was the dissolution (closure and destruction) of smaller monasteries in 1536. This had profound effects:

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Impact on saint worship:

Monasteries like Hailes Abbey were important centres for the cult of saint worship
They housed major relics and attracted pilgrims
Their closure meant the end of these pilgrimage centres

Impact on prayers for the dead:

A key focus of monastic life was praying for the souls of the dead
Monks spent much of their time saying Masses to reduce souls' time in purgatory
Dissolving monasteries meant these prayers stopped
This deeply concerned people who had paid for prayers or whose families had founded monasteries

Economic and social impact:

Monasteries had provided education, healthcare, and poor relief
Their closure left gaps in social provision
Monastery servants and workers lost their employment
Local economies that depended on pilgrims suffered

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The dissolution represented a direct attack on core Catholic beliefs about purgatory and the value of prayers for the dead. It also removed important social institutions from communities.

Exam focus: Using this material

For essay questions asking "How far did Catholicism survive?":

Use evidence of Catholic popularity to argue that survival was likely
Explain the depth of Catholic beliefs in people's lives
Show how the Reformation was imposed from above, not demanded from below
Discuss resistance like the Pilgrimage of Grace

For questions on "Why was there religious change?":

Emphasise the role of the Royal Supremacy and political motivations
Explain Cromwell's role in driving reform
Show the gap between government policy and popular belief
Analyse the top-down nature of reform

For questions requiring historiographical analysis:

Contrast Dickens's view (inevitable reform of corrupt Church) with Duffy/Rex/Haigh (popular Church destroyed by political reform)
Use specific evidence to support revisionist arguments
Show awareness that evidence can be interpreted differently

Key individuals to know:

A.G. Dickens (historian arguing Church was corrupt)
Eamon Duffy, Richard Rex, Christopher Haigh (revisionist historians arguing Church was popular)
Thomas Cromwell (vicegerent driving reform)
Elizabeth Barton (Holy Maid of Kent)
Sir Thomas More (executed for opposing Supremacy)

Remember!

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Key Points to Remember:

Catholicism was thriving, not dying: Recent historians (Duffy, Rex, Haigh) have shown that the Catholic Church was still popular and even growing in popularity in the early 16th century, contradicting older views (Dickens) that it was corrupt and dying.
Purgatory was central to Catholic practice: The belief that souls spent time in purgatory after death shaped numerous practices—Mass attendance, pilgrimages, prayers to saints, purchase of indulgences, and building of chantries. Attacking purgatory undermined the whole system of Catholic devotion.
Evidence of Catholic popularity was extensive: The economic impact of pilgrimage sites, the popularity of saints' days, the crowds drawn by living holy people like Elizabeth Barton, and the addition of pulpits to churches all demonstrate that Catholicism remained vibrant in the early 16th century.
The Reformation was imposed from above: Religious changes in the 1530s were driven by the monarch and his ministers (especially Cromwell), not demanded by ordinary people. The need for enforcement (oaths, arrests of resistant clergy, preaching campaigns) shows that many people did not want these changes.
Changes 1529-36 fundamentally altered religious practice: The enforcement of the Royal Supremacy, attacks on indulgences and purgatory, removal of feast days, introduction of the English Bible, and dissolution of smaller monasteries all represented major disruptions to traditional Catholic life. These changes help explain why there was resistance, such as the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536).

Popular Attitudes to Catholicism (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes