Confession and Catholicism
Posted by Helen on January 25, 1998 at 08:34:28:
In response to Catholicism in JA's England, written by Caroline on January 22, 1998 at 16:15:32
] There were many aristocrats of the Old religion, who were kept out of public office by their faith, but were otherwise treated as normal citizens of England, so for Anne to come across one would be perfectly reasonable.
I think it's safe to argue that the Old Catholic Nobility were very much a class apart from ordinary run of the mill people, and would have been absolutely exempt from any kind of discrimination: in fact, they would have seen themselves as an elite. It's quite possible that Catholics in general would have been subject to some prejudice socially, though here I would imagine that there was a difference in the perception of English and Irish Catholics.
] No, the Anglican Church does not have Confession.
Ah, yes, it does allow for the possibility of confession - although given the state of the Anglican Church at this time (very Low, the Highs had yet to resurrect in the Oxford Movement in the 1830's) it is highly unlikely that this would have been a popular practice. But what it doesn't have at all are confessional boxes - you would have to be face to face with your priest if you wanted to make a confession.
Re. Oxford and Cambridge, which you raised below, I think that Catholics, like all non-Anglicans, could not sign the 39 Articles (summary of C of E doctrine) and therefore could not be admitted until the reforms of the late C19th.
Helen
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