Catholic Emancipation

Catholic Emancipation an enactment to relieve Roman Catholics of the civil and religious disabilities imposed by the laws passed in the time, chiefly, of Elizabeth. These forbade a Catholic priest receiving a neophyte into the Church in England under penalty of death; Jesuits forfeited life by appearing in the country; no man could plead at law or become a schoolmaster, or hold any office, especially in Ireland, without taking the oaths of supremacy and against transubstantiation. All this was abolished by the act of parliament of April 23, 1829, since which time Catholics and Protestants have enjoyed equal protection and liberty before the law.