Rome promised plenary absolution to anyone who murdered Elizabeth

Evidence

Then came William Parry’s cold-blooded revelation that he had been promised plenary absolution from Rome for the murder of the Queen, besides substantial earthly benefits, and had come to England expressly for that purpose. — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 55

Categorization

• QUESTION: The Church promising absolution for assassination is a striking detail — worth chasing the primary source to verify Parry’s exact confession and whether Rome sanctioned this directly.
• FICTION: The cold-blooded would-be assassin promised eternal forgiveness plus pay is ready-made scene material.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 55
• XREF: connects to: Sixtus admired Elizabeth yet worked for her overthrow — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 126; A single assassin could have toppled Elizabeth’s entire government — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 54

Broader Connections

• A single assassin could have toppled Elizabeth’s entire government #corroborates (0.75) — Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 54