What word fits in the blank?Many Catholics accused Elizabeth of being a __________ for her handling of the Religious Settlement.

The word that fits in the blank is "heretic."

This choice reflects the sentiments of many Catholics during Elizabeth I's reign, as they viewed her policies and religious alignments as divergent from traditional Catholic doctrine. Elizabeth's Religious Settlement aimed to establish a moderate form of Protestantism, which included the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity that reinstated the monarch's authority over the Church of England. By doing so, she alienated many Catholics and created resentment towards her leadership. As a result, some viewed her actions as heretical—rejecting the established beliefs of the Catholic Church—instead of a legitimate attempt to unify the religious factions within her realm. Thus, the term "heretic" aptly encapsulates the accusations thrown at her by discontented Catholics.