Expert: Mark Smith - 9/17/2009

Question
I'm writing a story in which a visitor to England in 1687 suddenly finds himself in danger of death and wants to find a Catholic priest for the Last Rites.  How much difficulty would he have had?  Were Catholic priests easily found during that time, or were they still pretty much in hiding?

Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hello Jake.
You've picked just the right time because in 1687 England had a Catholic King, James II who succeeded to the Throne in 1685. By 1687 he had repealed some of the anti-Catholic laws and therefore Catholic priests no longer felt under threat. It was because of his Catholicism that he was overthrown in 1688 and the Protestant ascendancy restored.
Mark