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Opening Page
Augustana College Library Augustana History Department Augustana College |
The sixteenth-century was a period that experienced the shifting of secular and ecclesiastical loyalties from side to side. These acts were achieved by many phenomena, including the power of diplomacy. It is also in the sixteenth-century when diplomacy was in its beginning stages of development. The Catholic Church under the direction of Papal authority made significant contributions to this vital and rapidly increasing need for peace, through diplomacy. One of the individuals who aided this quest was Cardinal Reginald Pole, who used his appointment as papal legate to seek peace among the major powers of the mid sixteenth-century politics throughout the Continent and England. Using the papal authority granted to him, Reginald Pole was one of the earliest negotiators who advanced and developed the process of mediation in the search for peace. Papal Legate-Background to the legation After the untimely death of King Edward VI in 1553, it was decided that Mary Tudor would ascend to the throne later that year in July. More importantly this provided a chance for England to return to the Catholic Church and move away from the Edwardian policy of Protestantism. The news of this turn of events excited Pole who immediately sent a message to the Pope with instruction and advice to what should happen in an England that was under the control of Mary. Anticipating a response from Pole, the Pope sent a message to Pole (Pole was currently on his monastic retreat in Lake Garda during this time) recognizing him as an appointed legate to England and its circumstances. Within the letter the Pope gave Pole specific instructions in how free he would be in this role, making sure the he was aware of the complete liberties that he would be able to make on his own. Immediately Pole must have thought that his long exile from his native land was at a cease, and soon he would be on his home soil. But the eager anticipation that received much of his focus was halted by the advice that the Queen was afraid of an untimely return by Pole to England, as well as the abhorrence by the Emperor on the thought of Pole's journey home. Pole understanding the deep concern of the Queen and the Emperor believed that this mission that dealt with the schism and heresy of a country needed remedy as quickly as possible and the advice of simple humans must take heed to divine judgement. The intention of the Emperor in holding Pole out of England was an obvious ploy in his scheme to marry the Queen of England to his son and heir Phillip II. This was not surprising based on the history of the Habsburg dynasty and that it had more than once arranged advantageous marriages to secure alliances. In October of 1553 Mary had given the Emperor a verbal agreement at the proposition of becoming the wife to his son Phillip, even though it was a hopeful notion among many Englishmen that Mary take an Englishman as her partner. It is specifically because of this reason that Pole was forbidden to enter England. In the eyes of Charles V Pole was a potential suitor to Mary and opposition to Phillip and the Habsburg alliance with England. Pole never considered himself to be a legitimate partner for Mary and would have had to receive a papal dispensation to marry. Nevertheless Charles was not going to chance anything and insisted on keeping Pole out of England until the marriage celebration was completely finished. Pole's own opinion about the marriage of Phillip and Mary was one that was shared with a majority of the country: he was not in favor of it. Pole believed that the earlier arrival of the Pope in England would produce better results toward the reconciliation with Rome, because it was thought that the Spanish were part of the reason that the English were diverted from the Rome. Next-->
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