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How did Queen Mary I change religious worship in England after 1553?
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Anglicanism
The stately Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. The cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of Canterbury, the mother church of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Upon ascending to the throne in 1553, Queen Mary I sought to reverse the Protestant reforms of her half-brother, Edward VI, and restore Roman Catholicism as the state religion of England.12
To achieve this, Mary worked through Parliament to repeal the statutes that had established papal independence and revoked the liturgical and doctrinal reforms enacted during Edward's reign. Her changes to religious worship included:2
- Restoration of Liturgy: She oversaw the return of traditional Catholic rites and worship, which were welcomed in many parish churches.2
- Clerical Requirements: Married Protestant clergy were forced to choose between surrendering their livings or abandoning their wives to resume their ministry.2
- Legal Enforcement: Mary revived laws against heresy, leading to the execution of approximately 300 individuals, including prominent Protestant leaders such as Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, and Hugh Latimer.12
While Mary intended to restore the church of her motherβs era, her efforts were hampered by political instability, the unpopularity of her marriage to Philip II, and internal struggles within the Roman church.12