Catholic emancipation in Britain

For centuries after the British split with the Catholic Church, the papacy refused to recognize the Protestant rulers of Britain, and Britain made life tough for Catholic Ireland. The history of Irish Cathlolics is filled with rebellion after rebellion put down by British rulers – the Offaly rebellion, the Nine Years War – and Parliamentary acts passed by the British openly discriminating against the Roman Catholics. But throughout they held fast to claims for independence and for unrestrained exercise of their faith. They were finally rewarded when the Vatican and Britain made peace, prompting the Catholic Emancipation.

On this day, April 13, in 1829, royal assent was given to the Roman Catholic Relief Act. It repealed the “Test Act,” which essentially required anyone holding public office to profess loyalty to Protestantism, and other Irish Penal Laws.

Although the reconciliation between the Church and the Crown was the first step towards emancipation, it was domestic political events that precipitated the act. O’Connell won election to the British Parliament, but under the conditions of the Penal Acts still in force, had to take the “Oath of Supremacy,” which was incompatible with Catholicism. Keeping him from the Parliament, the British felt, would have caused a riot in Ireland, and the law was changed to grant Catholics political power.