The Bishop, for some time, aligned himself with Henry and accepted the Royal Supremacy and was appointed Ambassador to Charles V in Spain. Upon being summoned by the King, Richard Pate fled to Rome and was reconciled to the Faith.Pope Paul III made him Bishop of Worcester in 1541 and he was one of the two English Bishops to assist at The Council of Trent.
Upon the accession of Mary, he returned to England and took possession of his See.
When Elizabeth became Queen Bishop Pate voted against every Anti Catholic measure she tried to introduce and refused to take the Royal oath of allegiance. He was initially committed to the Tower for an 18 month period before being released into the custody of 'Jewel' at Salisbury. However, he was recommitted to the Tower where he died after 6 years of suffering.
This biography differs slightly from the Wikipedia entry but is from a reputable Catholic source.
Thank you for this interesting post. We sometimes forget that all but one of the English and Welsh bishops refused to accept the Elizabethan settlement and were deprived of their sees. Nor werethey alone. Seth Holland, dean of Worcester was also imprisoned and died in the Marshalsea prison in London. This was all very early in the reign and gives the lie to the oft-repeated myth that Elizabeth was moderate at the outset.
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