Christians in HP - in a purely historical way(was:Re: Christianity in HP)

[Karen Barker]

No: HPFGUIDX 128480

Betsy wrote:
> When England went through its religous wars (long after Hogwarts' 
> founding) I believe it became treasonous to be Catholic.  And just 
> as I speculate that the Pope knew about the WW, I'd imagine King 
> Henry VIII, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I knew about the WW 
> too.  So I imagine there was some pressure on the WW to convert 
> (under Henry and Elizabeth, anyway), just as there had been on the 
> Muggle world.  

Just a bit of background for you:

Henry VIII was a Catholic.  He was anti-protestant.  When Martin 
Luther nailed his protest against the Roman Catholic Church Henry 
VIII wrote a thesis against this and was rewarded by the Pope with 
the title "Defender of the Faith" - that is where this title, still 
used by the Monarchy to refer to the CoE, comes from.

Although he broke with the Church of Rome he considered himself to 
be the Head of the *Catholic* Church in England.  (He broke with the 
Church of Rome because the Pope would not annul his marriage to 
Catherine of Aragon, on the grounds that she had been betrothed to 
his brother - perfectly legal grounds at that time and an annulment 
had been granted recently to the King of France on similar grounds.  
The reason the Pope couldn't grant the annulment was mainley because 
he as being held hostage at the time by the King of Spain - 
Catherine's nephew!

Mary I was an ardent Roman Catholic.  She had hundreds of 
protestants burnt at the stake - hence her popular nickname 'Bloody 
Mary'.

Elizabeth I was raised as a protestant, but when her Sister Mary I 
was trying to incriminate her for this she was not above attending 
Roman Catholic Mass.   Two of her famous quotes regarding religion, 
when her ministers were urging her to take start trying to find out 
who were secret Catholics was "I will not make windows into mens' 
souls" and "Let each man go to the Devil his own way".

Therefore Catholics were not under pressure to convert under any of 
the above monarchs either Muggle or Wizard/Witch.

You've got a very goood point about Harry having been Christened and 
Sirius being his Godfather.  This means that Sirius has to have been 
Christened himself.

I don't think that Hogwarts is a 'Christian school' however, as we 
would have had to have had mention of chapel somewere along the 
lines if that was the case.

Karen