Was Shakespeare a Secret Catholic?

In Shakespeares's time you had to be a 'closet' Catholic, otherwise you 'd get your head lopped off...

The Telegraph reports that...

The Venerable English College has claimed that England's leading playwright was a secret Catholic who spent "lost years" in Rome.

Father Andrew Headon, the vice-rector of the college, said that college records correspond with a previously undocumented period in Shakespeare's life after he left Stratford in 1585 and before he emerged as a playwright in London in 1592. "There are several years which are unaccounted for in Shakespeare's life," said Father Headon.

A leather parchment kept by the college is signed by "Arthurus Stratfordus Wigomniensis" in 1585, "Shfordus Cestriensis" in 1587 and "Gulielmus Clerkue Stratfordiensis" in 1589.

The college believes these signatures are: "(King) Arthur's (compatriot) from Stratford (in the diocese) of Worcester," "Sh(akespeare from Strat)ford (in the diocese) of Chester" and "William the Clerk from Stratford".

Shakespeare's family was Catholic and he had many friends who where loyal to Rome.

That's settled then! Another literary genius for the Church! Hurrah! Doubts still remain over Dante though...