William Allen | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal, Prefect of the Vatican Library | |
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti (1587–1594) |
| Previous post(s) | Canon of York |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1565 |
| Created cardinal | 7 August 1587 by Pope Sixtus V |
| Rank | Cardinal-priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1532 |
| Died | 16 October 1594 (aged 62) Rome, Papal States |
| Buried | Church of St Thomas of Canterbury at the English College, Rome |
| Nationality | English |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | John Allen |
William Allen (1532 – 16 October 1594), also known as Guilielmus Alanus or Gulielmus Alanus,[1] was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an ordained priest, but was never a bishop.[2] His main role was setting up colleges to train English missionary priests with the mission of returning secretly to England to keep Roman Catholicism alive there. Allen assisted in the planning of the Spanish Armada's attempted invasion of England in 1588. It failed badly, but if it had succeeded he would probably have been made Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor. The Douai-Rheims Bible, a complete translation into English from Latin, was printed under Allen's orders. His activities were part of the Counter Reformation, but they led to an intense response in England and in Ireland. He advised and recommended Pope Pius V to pronounce Elizabeth I deposed. After the Pope declared her excommunicated and deposed, Elizabeth intensified the persecution of her Roman Catholic religious opponents.
- ^ "William Allen (1532-1594)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ Miranda, Salvador. "William Allen". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Retrieved 8 October 2010.