William Allen

Who was William Allen?

William Allen, was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Allen assisted in the planning of the Spanish Armada's attempted invasion of England, and would likely have been made Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor had it been successful. The Douai-Rheims Bible was printed under Allen's orders. His activities were part of the Catholic Counter Reformation, but they made matters worse for Roman Catholics in England and in Ireland. He advised and recommended Pope Pius V to "depose" Elizabeth I. After her Sentence of Excommunication and "Deposition" from the Pope, Elizabeth chose not to continue with her policy of religious tolerance, and instead began the persecution of her Catholic religious opponents.