A brief account of our diocesan history
This section was added in October 2004, containing chapters in the history of the Diocese.
At present we cover the period 1500 - 1844. The history has been written by Rev David Milburn
- Under the Earlier Tudors (1500-1558)
- Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
- James 1 (1603-25)
- Charles I (1625-49)
- The Protectorate (1649-1660)
- Charles II (1660-1685)
- James II (1685-88)
- 18th Century (i)
- 18th Century (ii)
- 19th Century
7. James II (1685-88)
Moderate opinion eventually prevailed, the Whigs fell from office, and following the lifting of the ban on James' accession, Catholic confidence began to recover. With his accession prospects were bright indeed, reflected in a spate of Catholic publishing and the return of the Latin Mass in all its splendour at the king's chapel in Whitehall and elsewhere in newly built churches.
Newcastle's first known Catholic chapel opened its doors in White Hart Yard (Bigg Market) in the first year of James' reign, and a public Mass was celebrated in the presence of the town's dignitaries in the course of 1688. This euphoria quickly evaporated in the face of widespread opposition to James' irresponsible attempt to resurrect a Catholic England overnight. Deaf to counsels of moderation even from Rome, he used his alleged dispensing power to admit Catholics wholesale to offices from which they were debarred by law.
When the Anglican bishops refused as a matter of conscience to have read in the churches a declaration granting full civil rights to members of other denominations, but plainly intended to promote Catholics, he imprisoned the archbishop of Canterbury and six other bishops in the Tower and brought them to trial on a charge of seditious libel. This action lost him the loyalty of even his natural supporters, the Tories, and encouraged the anti-Catholic Whig aristocrats to appeal to William of Orange to help rid England of its rightful ruler. James eventually abandoned resistance and fled to the continent, providing parliament with a tailor-made though probably illegal opportunity of declaring William III and his wife Mary, James’ daughter, joint rulers.
Though the king had acted in good conscience, English Catholics now paid for his excessive zeal. In the anti-Catholic rioting which followed James' departure both the Newcastle chapel and that of the Jesuits in Durham city were virtually destroyed. During the next ten years a host of measures passed through parliament excluding Catholics from the throne, from government, administration, and from the armed services. Other prohibitions such as owning or purchasing land and practising law were held in reserve should they step out of line.
Despite James’ abysmal failure to restore their glory days, Catholics did reap one lasting benefit from his reign, which was a return of episcopal authority of a sort. He personally preferred a return to the old diocesan structure, but was persuaded by Rome to settle for a single vicar apostolic, a bishop appointed by and directly answerable to the pope in all matters.
The new vicar apostolic immediately conducted a thorough and arduous visitation of the whole English Catholic community. which bore fruit shortly before James' flight to the continent in 1688 in an increase of vicariates from one to four: London, Midland, Western and North, each governed by its own vicar apostolic, an arrangement which continued for 150 years.
Copyright 2004 Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle