Wouldn't you agree 'Bonfire Night' carries certain anti-Catholic undertones?

Question

I know as an Irish Catholic I don't feel very comfortable with the whole thing.

Well come on. I don't mean to play the victim here, but know your history. The whole evening celebrates Guy Fawkes failed attempt to kill the Protestant King, so he and his band could place a Catholic heir on the throne of England instead. All the conspirators were Catholics; consequently, in some parts of England people still burn the Pope in effiagy on Bonfire Night. In Irish-Briton communities, Catholic ones that is, many of us aren't so sure we think all this anti-popery pageantry is such a nice idea. It makes many feel less than accepted as full citizens, even if our families have been living in England for generations.

Answer 1

Don't go to Lewes then as that can be very intimidating, i know because I'm Catholic with Irish Catholic parents. I do agree with you as when i was a child, i was shocked to see them burning effigy's of the Pope in Lewes it is very anti Catholic the whole town turns into a festival of anti popery on the fifth, but you have to remember the Catholics did try and blow up England's Parliament amongst other atrocities. Personally, i think if it stayed Catholic, England would never have been a progressive society. So lets see it for what it is, a celebration and enjoy.

Answer 2

Only in NI (where for some 300 years ago history is as yesterday) does Guy Fawkes night have any anti-catholic overtones. The rest of the UK population have either forgotten or gotten over the original cause de guerre. It's simply a night (weeks(?)) of irresponsible letting off of colourful and noisy chemical expletives into the night november sky.
What is far more divisive and disruptive of communities in WOS and NI are the annual orange parades. Instead of being a colourful pageant of Scotland and Ireland's honourable Protestant past, they are a backward looking and hateful, spiteful insult aimed at intimidating Catholics and reinforcing bigotry. Why on earth are people being beaten and murdered for wars fought between men for causes now both dead hundreds of years ago for chrissake!

Answer 3

Whoever told you the effigy is supposed to be that of the pope was lying. A shamelessly dishonest terrorist propaganda, typical of every species of clergy. The effigy has a name. It's called a Guy.

Yes, burning the Guy does have some anti-catholic significance. The Guy is an effigy of Guy Fawkes, who was a catholic but never held any ecclesiastic role, at all, let alone anything approaching pope. He had been a soldier of low rank with knowledge of explosives.

Fawkes was a terrorist bomber in the continuing tradition of religoius terrorism. Bonfire Night is still pretty topical, really.

Answer 4

Dogstar has it spot on. In one or two places that the plot was a Catholic one is more clearly remembered But even in Lewes, the "heavy metal band" of bonfire night celebrations, it's not dangerously anti-catholic, even if they burn an effigy of the Pope of 1605 every year, alongside an effigy of Guy Fawkes and detested figures of the moment... See below. "Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot."

Answer 5

Wouldn't you agree 'Bonfire Night' carries certain anti-Catholic undertones.
Untill you aked the question no.
as far as research goes they were not all Catholic and its a good way to make money selling fireworks.
Why worry
if somebody met you and talked to you and talked about everything about life and the universe would you worry about thier religion
I dont care what religion any one has
I care about the person what ever thier religion is colour or creed tribe sexuallity dissability I dont care its the person that counts

Answer 6

I understand where you are coming from. As a catholic myself, i dont personally celebrate Bonfire night because, as you have said the effigy is said to represent the pope. However, if protestants etc (or should i say non-catholics) wish to celebrate something, which is part of their history then i have no problem with that. I mean, its not as if they are burning real catholics!

Answer 7

I think as a Catholic, you should be looking at the more important issues of your religion such as the Catholic Church preaching that contraception is not acceptable but neither are abortions - so Catholics just have to cross their fingers or abstain (cross their legs) or be damned to hell for their sins.
This is one, out of lots of reasons why I am an 'Agnostic'
Also' I ' hate Bonfire Night - It's a commercial rip, it's so bloody noisy and frightens animals and old people and my son in law to be is a Firefighter - so that says it all. Get a life!

Answer 8

Hey dont feel left out, my wicker man for tomorrow includes Christians of all denominations

(It is not Guy Fawkes night by the way, I dont give a toss about him either way. Its bonfire night. the bonfires mark the end of Halloween in scaring away the spirits)

Answer 9

LOL It was 402 years ago, nobody cares about the religious aspect anymore of it, its just a traditional celebration. So what? You are being highly touchy here, and it will make no difference to the amount of people here in old Blighty that do enjoy it. Half of them don't know the full story I reckon, although I hope all the school children are taught what the meaning is.
Look, history is history, you can't re write it, or think what the Nazi's would want re writing.

Answer 10

???
Never heard that one before, and I grew up in a town with four strong Catholic congregations.
If you have any specifics to share, that could strengthen your question.

ADDED:
I see. As you didn't specify Guy Fawkes with Bonfire Night, those of us west of the Atlantic (such as myself) assumed you were referring to any old community bonfire. In the states, there are generally assiciated with autumn sporting events/celebrations and the like.

I didn't know about the religious connections with Guy Fawkes, but I've never heard of any anti-Catholic sentiments attacked to his rememberance; it always seemed to me like a fun thing, honoring the guy who rebelled against you (sort of like how Canadians have taken to Louis Riel in recent times). But I fully admit my knowledge of the celebration is quite limited.