If King Philip II of Spain had one defining characteristic throughout his fifty-eight years of ruling (1540 – 1598),¹ he was Catholic. While controlling not only Spain but also Milan, Naples, Sicily, the Netherlands, a vast portion of the New World, and eventually Portugal, Philip faithfully heeded the guidance of his father, Charles V,² who “wrote Philip secret memoranda, impressing on him the high duties to which God had called him” (Koenigsberger, par. 2). Philip’s resulting comprehension of the responsibility of a Catholic ruler influenced his entire career—throughout his successes, his failures, and even his war with the pope. In short, Philip was almost a fairytale prince, the mightiest man in the world and yet a hero of Christendom.
But even as the most powerful monarch in Europe, Philip could not prevent England from breaking away from Christendom. Recognizing his moral obligation to prioritize the good of Catholicism in the use of his resources, Philip threw all his energy into an effort to preserve the Church England by overthrowing Queen Elizabeth I. But although the Spanish were far more militarily capable than the English, a series of missteps on Philip’s part doomed the endeavor, the famous Spanish Armada.
After the death of one of the Armada’s intended commanders, the Marquis of Santa Cruz, in February 1588, Philip appointed the Duke of Medina Sidonia, a devout Catholic but ignorant of the intricate plans surrounding the Armada and, more importantly, an incompetent admiral who could not even sail without becoming seasick. With uncharacteristic impatience that proved fatal, Philip sent the Armada to sea on May 28 without even ensuring that his ships would have a place to land. Morale quickly sank along with the ships, and the Spanish were forced to retreat within three months (Carroll 421 – 429). Despite Philip’s noble intentions, the Armada was a disaster, from a political perspective.

Nevertheless, Philip compensated for the loss of England by the salvation of France. The Calvinist Henry of Navarre was insisting on his claim to the throne and using force to attain his end, supported by England and approximately a sixth of France.³ After a smashing victory at the Battle of Ivry on March 14, 1590, Henry proceeded to siege Paris, which was not only the nation’s capital but also probably the firmest stronghold against Calvinism. Though the Catholic Parisians defended themselves heroically, the starving city could not resist forever (Carroll 440 – 441).

At this time, Philip’s only available army was with the Duke of Parma, struggling with rebellion in Flanders. If that army moved, Flanders could be lost; without the intervention of that same army, France most certainly would be lost. Philip made his choice: in July he ordered Parma to march to France, which the extraordinary general accomplished within a month. Approaching the enemy in a fog, Parma destroyed Henry’s army with the help of the French Duke of Mayenne and entered Paris on September 19 (Carroll 442). France was preserved as the cornerstone of the Church; Philip had completed his duty as a Catholic king.

Philip’s enterprises in England and France demonstrate the principles that guided the King throughout his life: he would sacrifice everything for Catholicism, pouring the wealth of the great Spanish Empire into the Armada and placing the religious future of France over his own crown in Flanders. Philip’s service to his Faith far outweighs any evil he caused —even during his tragic war with the Pope Paul IV.

For unknown reasons, Paul IV strongly disliked Philip’s father, Charles V. When the pope arrested the Spanish ambassador in Rome and declared war on Spain in July 1556, Charles was in physical decline, and young Philip was pushed into a very awkward position, where his obligation to defend his kingdom required that he fight the pope himself.

In October, Philip’s advisor and general the Duke of Alba captured Ostia, a mere fifteen miles from Rome; meanwhile, King Henry II of France sent an army under the Duke of Guise to the pope’s aid. The war’s outcome was quickly decided at St. Quentin, France: on August 10, 1557, a Spanish army commanded by Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy destroyed half the French army under Constable Montmorency, leaving the other half in “complete demoralization” (Carroll 254). Henry was forced to withdraw his troops from Italy, rendering the pope helpless. The resulting peace treaty reinstated the status quo ante bellum (Carroll 252 – 255).
As unfortunate as the incident was, it did not detract from Philip’s identity as a Catholic king. Philip did not cause the war; he inherited it from his father. When Philip did fight, he did so defensively, afterwards returning what he had conquered and begging the Holy Father’s forgiveness. In Dr. Warren Carroll’s words, “the treaty…displayed the extraordinary forbearance of Philip II…so embarrassed at having had to fight the Pope” (254 – 255). Philip remained a faithful Catholic during and after this tragic episode.

Furthermore, he compensated for the scandal caused by the war by proving himself the era’s champion of Christendom. As England and Germany broke from Catholicism and France was on the brink of doing the same, Philip threw all his energy into saving the Faith. He did not rescue England, but France owes its next centuries of Catholicism to Philip II. As the son of Charles V, Philip continued the work of his predecessor and the religious tradition of Spain. Above all else, King Philip II was Catholic to the heart.

Notes

1. Philip (1527 – 1598) did not inherit most of his kingdom until 1556, when his father abdicated the throne of Spain and the Spanish empire in the New World. By this time, however, Philip had ruled elsewhere for as long as sixteen years.

2. Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor 1519 – 1556 and firmly opposed the Protestant Revolt, which had started in 1517.

3. Most of France did not accept Henry of Navarre as King Henry IV until he converted to Catholicism in 1593, for the law prohibited a heretic king.

Works Cited

Barandiaran, Felipe. “How Don Pelayo Saved Catholic Spain.” TFP Student Action, 2016. < https://www.tfpstudentaction.org/blog/how-don-pelayo-saved-catholic-spain>

Carroll, Warren H. The Cleaving of Christendom. Christendom Press, 2000.

Koenigsberger, Helmust G. “Philip II: King of Spain and Portugal.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philip-II-king-of-Spain-and-Portugal>

“Spain: The Politics of the Catholic Monarchs.” Spain Then and Now, 2009. <http://www.spainthenandnow.com/spanish-history/catholic-monarchs-politics/default_82.aspx>