Though many modern-day historians have given less weight to religion as a motive for the rebellion, it is important to note the high anti-Catholic sentiment that existed in England at the time. After Queen Mary I’s rise to the throne there was much debate over the possibility that England would revert to Catholicism. While some would have welcomed a return to the papacy, many Protestants were deeply opposed. As more and more Catholics were appointed to the Privy Council and other important posts, these fears began to grow larger. It is impossible to fully separate the religious and political reasons for the uprising.