English seminary in Rome exhibits history of martyrs, persecution

cns ^ | February 5, 2010 | Father Matthew Gamber

[NYer]

Father Jeff Kirby of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C., reads by candlelight in this demonstration of use of a "priest hole," part of an exhibit on the Tudor era at the Venerable English College in Rome. The replica is an example of hiding places built into walls for priests to celebrate Mass and the sacraments in England during the Reformation. (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Father Matthew Gamber
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Great Britain later this year, he will be greeted by lords and ladies and dignitaries of all kind, including Queen Elizabeth II and the British prime minister.

There was a time, though, in 16th-century England, when a priest arriving from Rome had to disguise himself and sneak onto the island. If he was caught he faced certain death.

The era of English priest-martyrs is prominently featured at Rome's Venerable English College in an exhibit called, "'Non Angli sed Angeli': A Pilgrimage, A Mission." The title refers to a quip legend says was made by Pope Gregory the Great, "They are not Anglos, but angels," when he first saw fair-haired English slaves in the marketplace of Rome and began sending missionaries to the British Isles in the 6th century.

The exhibit tells the history of England's religious relationship with Rome and the role played by the English College, which, opened as a pilgrims' hostel around 1300. It is the oldest British institution outside of Britain.

Currently home to 22 seminarians and eight student priests from England and Wales, it became a seminary in 1579 to train priests for the English Catholic mission -- an attempt to return Catholicism to England after the faith was banned. The college earned the title "Venerable" out of respect for the martyrdom of 44 former students, who between 1581 and 1679 went home to England and faced torture and death by decree of the Tudor monarchs during the English Reformation.

"This exhibition focuses mainly on the Tudor era and the difficulties that the Roman Catholic Church experienced during the Reformation," said Father Andrew Headon, the vice-rector of the college and organizer of the exhibit.


Father Headon said today's priests and seminarians at the college are working for Christian unity in England and that the exhibit is not intended to be divisive. Rather, he added, "the exhibit is meant to show simply how the seminary was born out of the English Reformation."

The exhibition includes a replica of a 16th-century London prison cell for priests and a display on the spies who tried to infiltrate the college and learn the identity of the future priests, who themselves would make clandestine entries into England dressed as aristocrats, merchants and horse traders.

Visitors can also experience what it was like to squeeze into a re-created "priest hole," a hiding place built into a wall or under a staircase where a priest could hide during the search of a home that was suspected of harboring Catholic clergy.

The first martyr of the college was St. Ralph Sherwin, who died along with the Jesuit priest St. Edmund Campion. When word of a new martyrdom reached the college, the seminarians sang a hymn of praise in the chapel under a painting of the Holy Trinity, which still hangs in the college's chapel.

The exhibit includes an oversize copy of the painting that visitors walk under as they leave the space.

During their "ad limina" visit to the Vatican in late January, the English and Welsh bishops visited the exhibit, housed in the crypt of the college's newly-renovated chapel.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the bishops' conference, said that their visit to Rome was a visit to the threshold of the apostles, but also a visit to the threshold of the martyrs -- the English martyrs -- who began their journey at the English College.

[NYer]

Ping!

[Mr Rogers]

If the Pope hadn’t encourage the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth, MAYBE there would have been less animosity? A few attempts on one’s life can sour one’s humour...

[Dutchboy88]

Does the exhibit include the places that the Catholic Church burned the martyrs that brought the English Bible to the public. Does it include the places that Hus and others were jailed for defying the chains of Rome? Does it show where the troops from the Pope struck down the 50,000 peasants for wanting the true Gospel of Jesus Christ instead of cultish sacerdotalism?

[trisham]

If anyone can be successful in this endeavor, it's Pope Benedict.

[Jacquerie]

What is a Hus?

[Pyro7480]

Well, that didn’t take long- just repeating the standard old talking points that date back from Elizabethan times.

[Pyro7480]

Hus was the proto-Luther, whose poisonous doctines led to the deaths of thousands during bloody conflicts in the present-day Czech Republic.

[trisham]

Is it a historical perspective? Or is it a perspective mired in the past?

[Mr Rogers]

Elizabeth became Queen in late 1558. Her brother had reigned from 1547-1553. I don’t have a list of Catholic martyrs by date, but scanning thru the list on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_martyrs_of_the_English_Reformation

I spot one: German Gardiner, 1548. There maybe more that I missed - I’m too lazy to sort more carefully.

Queen Mary reigned from 1553-1558. Wiki lists 64 Protestant martyrs by name for her 5 years, and says there were more. Foxe claimed 300+.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Persecutions

Queen Elizabeth, from 1559-1579, martyred 11.

So prior to 1580, the toll was 1 for King Edward in 6 years, and 11 for Elizabeth in 21 years, compared to 64-300 for the Catholic monarch Mary in 5 years.

27 years with 12 under Protestants, and 5 years with 64-300 for the Catholic Queen.

Obviously, something changed around 1580. From 1580-83, the toll was about the same for Elizabeth’s first 21 years, and then the killings began in earnest. I’m not enough of an armchair historian to say what caused the change, but it is very noticeable.

[Mr Rogers]

“Well, that didn’t take long- just repeating the standard old talking points that date back from Elizabethan times.”

Maybe because they are true?

[AnAmericanMother]

That's because Edward and Elizabeth followed Henry VIII's lead and executed martyrs for treason against the Crown, rather than heresy.

I hold no brief for Mary, but at least she was honest as to why she was executing people.

[Mr Rogers]

Not correct. The list shown is for Catholic martyrs, not just those killed on religious charges. It includes those killed for treason.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“If the Pope hadn’t encourage the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth, MAYBE there would have been less animosity?”

Nope. The English began killing priests in the 1530s - more than 20 years BEFORE Elizabeth even became queen.

“A few attempts on one’s life can sour one’s humour...”

Elizabeth’s “humour” was always sour in regard to the faith.

[Dutchboy88]

You must be Catholic.

[AnAmericanMother]

What list is that? All the lists I have seen do not include the recusants or those executed for treason.

[Mr Rogers]

The link I posted is the list I used to see what the dates were:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_martyrs_of_the_English_Reformation

In the intro, it says, “The Catholic martyrs of England are men and women who died for the Catholic faith in the years between 1535 and 1680. Certain of them have officially been recognized as martyrs by the Catholic Church.

Catholics in England and Wales were executed under treason laws. Legislation of the 16th century made treasonable refusing to assent to the royal supremacy over the Church that had been asserted by Henry VIII, or being (or harbouring) a Catholic priest. The standard penalty for all those convicted of treason at the time was execution by being hanged, drawn and quartered.”

[Mr Rogers]

King Henry VIII killed a lot of Catholics. His son did not, and Elizabeth did not prior to 1580. By 1584, Elizabeth was killing dozens - and I don’t know the reason for the change at that time.

[AnAmericanMother]

Take a closer look at the list - it is only priests, not laypeople.

Henry, Edward, and Elizabeth executed a lot of Catholic laity under the treason laws as well.

[Mr Rogers]

Evidence?

Henry VIII - yep. No disagreement. Elizabeth after 1580? Yep. But not Edward, and not the first 20 years of Elizabeth’s reign - that I see.

If I am missing it, provide the evidence and I’ll cheerfully admit I’m wrong.