Editing Pope Pius V (section)

===Protestant Reformation===
By the time Pius V ascended the throne, Protestantism had swept over all of England and Scotland, as well as half of Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of France; only Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Italy remained unswervingly Catholic. Pius V was thus determined to prevent its insurgency into Italy—which he believed would come via the Alps and Milan.

In the first year of his papacy, Pius urged [[Mary, Queen of Scots]] to restore Catholicism in her realm, providing funding and sending Jesuit [[Vincenzo Lauro]] to [[Scotland]] as Nuncio to further this cause. However, with Mary's Protestant half-brother [[James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray|James Stewart, Earl of Moray]], back at the heart of government and her Catholic husband [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]], in disfavour, the political circumstances did not prove favourable.<ref>Stedall, Robert (2021), ''Mary Queen of Scots' Secretary: William Maitland, Politician, Reformer and Conspirator'', [[Pen and Sword Books|Pen and Sword]], Yorkshire, pp. 109 - 115, {{isbn|9781526787798}}</ref>

====Huguenots====
Pius V recognized attacks on papal supremacy in the Catholic Church and was desirous of limiting their advancement. In [[Kingdom of France|France]], where his influence was stronger, he took several measures to oppose the Protestant [[Huguenots]]. He directed the dismissal of Cardinal [[Odet de Coligny]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RcEAAAAAcAAJ&q=Pope+Pius+V+and+Odet+de+Coligny&pg=PA53|author=Joseph Mendham|title=The life and pontificate of Saint Pius V|year=1832|place=[[London]]|page=54|author-link=Joseph Mendham}}</ref> and seven bishops, nullified the royal edict tolerating the extramural services of the Reformers, introduced the Roman [[catechism]], restored papal discipline, and strenuously opposed all compromise with the Huguenot nobility.

====Elizabeth I====
His response to Queen [[Elizabeth I of England]] assuming the position of [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]] included support of the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots and her supporters in their attempts to rescue [[England]] ''"ex turpissima muliebris libidinis servitute"'' ("from a most sordid slavery to a woman's voracity"). A brief English Catholic uprising, the [[Rising of the North]], had just failed. Pius then issued a papal bull, ''[[Regnans in Excelsis]]'' ("Reigning on High"), dated 27 April 1570, that declared Elizabeth I a heretic and released her subjects from their allegiance to her.<ref>Ehler, Sidney Z., ''Church and State Through the Centuries'', (Biblo-Moser, 1988), 180.</ref> It was the official decree of [[excommunication]] on her and it also declared an [[ipso facto]] excommunication on anyone who obeyed her. In response, Elizabeth now actively started persecuting English Catholics for treason.