Did Gregory XIII issue a death warrant for Queen Elizabeth?

[Scottgun]

I’m reading The Jamestown Project by Karen Ordahl Kupperman and it talks how in the 1570’s declared it wouldn’t be a sin for English Catholics to kill her. I’ve heard this before but never really examined it. Here is Pope Pius V’s bull, but it doesn’t mention assassination and sin for such. At a Presbyterian blog (which naturally makes me suspicious) attributes the following quote:
*
Since that guilty woman (Elizabeth) … is the cause of so much injury to the Catholic faith… There is no doubt that whosoever sends her out of the world with the pious intention of doing God service, not only does not sin but gains merit, especially having regard to the sentence pronounced against her by Pius V of holy memory. And so, if those English gentlemen decide actually to undertake so glorious a work, your lordship can assure them that they do not commit any sin.*

to the Cardinal of Coma supposedly speaking on the Holy Father’s behalf, but guess what? No source, and I can’t seem to locate it elsewhere. Anyone know?

 

[katy]

A reference would be in order for the statement about killing Elizabeth I. This era interests me,but I have never heard that–only about what is stated in the Bull that her subjects were released from her. I believe that is how she decided that Catholics, esp. priests, were traitors. It was a sad and tragic business.

 

[Digitonomy]

Do a search for “Since that guilty woman” in quotes.

I wasn’t able to find a source detailing the original letter, what collection it may be in, how it came to us through the years, etc. However, in the 5 or so sites I read through, I didn’t really find anyone debating its authenticity (until you), which you would expect if that were in doubt. Supposedly it was translated by Father McKee of Brompton Oratory, from a letter written to the Spanish nuncio by the Secretary of State.

The Brompton Oratory is the actual church building of the London Oratory, which was founded in 1849 per Wiki. In a book entitled The London Oratory: Centenary 1884-1984, we read (courtesy of Google books search):

But of all the members of the community since Father Antrobus who have contributed to the library the outstanding donor was Father Michael McKee. Born in 1865, and then an Anglican clergyman, he entered the Oratory in 1904, where he …

This may account for how the English flows much better to the modern ear than most English written in the 16th Century.

That’s all I have for now.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

I don’t know about the quote but she and her father murdered many, many innocent people, entirely apart from the schism in religion. Who could blame anyone for wanting to kill her and restore peace? Those bloodthirsty English pirates were not seen as heroes by their victims.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

I’m reading The Jamestown Project by Karen Ordahl Kupperman and it talks how in the 1570’s declared it wouldn’t be a sin for English Catholics to kill her. I’ve heard this before but never really examined it. Here is Pope Pius V’s bull, but it doesn’t mention assassination and sin for such. At a Presbyterian blog (which naturally makes me suspicious) attributes the following quote:
*
Since that guilty woman (Elizabeth) … is the cause of so much injury to the Catholic faith… There is no doubt that whosoever sends her out of the world with the pious intention of doing God service, not only does not sin but gains merit, especially having regard to the sentence pronounced against her by Pius V of holy memory. And so, if those English gentlemen decide actually to undertake so glorious a work, your lordship can assure them that they do not commit any sin.*

to the Cardinal of Coma supposedly speaking on the Holy Father’s behalf, but guess what? No source, and I can’t seem to locate it elsewhere. Anyone know?

Saul Alinsky learned his " Rules for Radicals " from the Refomation leaders.
Take anything from those sources with a grain of salt. You should read " Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland by William Cobbett.

 

[Scottgun]

Do a search for “Since that guilty woman” in quotes.

I wasn’t able to find a source detailing the original letter, what collection it may be in, how it came to us through the years, etc. However, in the 5 or so sites I read through, I didn’t really find anyone debating its authenticity (until you), which you would expect if that were in doubt.

Actually, having been around the block, I’ve been surprised about how things get passed around even in academic circles that should be doubted. Take Luther’s “Dunghills covered with snow”. This has been repeated by both Catholics and Protestants and yet I’ve never seen anyone able to point to a primary source that he said any such thing. Or Christopher Haigh’s work uncovering whole swaths of porkie pies about the English Reformation still being repeated uncritically in higher education.