On This Day

Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and persecution of English Catholics during her reign and

Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and persecution of English Catholics during her reign and absolves her subjects from allegiance to the crown

Pope Pius V, OP (Italian: Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an inquisitor and is venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the implementation of the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman Rite within the Latin Church, known as the Tridentine mass. Pius V declared Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church.

As a cardinal, Ghislieri gained a reputation for putting orthodoxy before personalities, prosecuting eight French bishops for heresy.

Historical Significance

Pope Pius V, OP (Italian: Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572.

Key People

Pius V

Elizabeth I

Events Before

  1. Duke of Alva leads "tenth penning" in Les Ponts de Cé

    Duke of Alva leads "tenth penning" in Les Ponts de Cé

  2. Lithuanian Parliament accepts Union of Lublin, merging the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuan

    Lithuanian Parliament accepts Union of Lublin, merging the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, becoming one of Europe's largest countries at the time

  3. Coronation of John III, King of Sweden

    John III (Swedish: Johan III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He attained the Swedish throne after a rebellion against his half-brother Erik XIV.

  4. Pope Pius V names Cosimo I de'Medici, Duke of Florence as Grand Duke of Tuscany

    The Republic of Florence (Latin: Res publica Florentina; Old Italian: Republica di Fiorenza), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on...

  5. Gilbert Kennedy, Scottish Earl of Cassilis, roasts the administrator of Crossraguel Abbey, Alan Stewart, over an open fi

    Gilbert Kennedy, Scottish Earl of Cassilis, roasts the administrator of Crossraguel Abbey, Alan Stewart, over an open fire at Castle Dunure to obtain Abbey lands; it works after two turns of the spit [1]

Events After

  1. Battle of Lepanto: Holy League of Catholic states formed by Pope Pius V destroys an Ottoman fleet in a significant defea

    Battle of Lepanto: Holy League of Catholic states formed by Pope Pius V destroys an Ottoman fleet in a significant defeat off Western Greece

  2. Spanish troops occupy Manila

    Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 1,902,590 people.

  3. Catholic Italian businessman Roberto Ridolfi leaves England

    Catholic Italian businessman Roberto Ridolfi leaves England

  4. Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi founds Manilla in the Philippines

    Miguel Lopez de Lagazpi founds Manilla in the Philippines

  5. Catholic rebellion in Scotland

    Catholic rebellion in Scotland

More from the 1570s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 25, 1570?
Pope Pius V, OP (Italian: Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an inquisitor and is venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the implementation of the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman Rite within the Latin Church, known as the Tridentine mass.
Why is Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and persecution... significant?
Pope Pius V, OP (Italian: Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572.
Who was involved in Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and persecution...?
Key figures include Pius V, Elizabeth I.

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