The Black Pope – By M. F. Cusack
Appendix I.
Contents
We give below extracts from two letters which throw a lurid light on the inside history of the Roman Catholic Church: —
The first letter is from Pére la Chaise, confessor to Louis XIV., and i is addressed. to Father Peters, confessor to James II, of England, in 1688. It is copied from the seventh volume of the collection of manuscript papers selected from the library of Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford, and is entitled “Father la Chaise’s project for the extirpation of heretics, in a letter from him to Father Peters, 1688. The authenticity of this letter has been disputed, probably because it tells so strongly, against Romanism.
How a Confessor treats a King.
Pere la Chaise explains thus how he compelled his penitent, King Louis IV., to sign the decree for the Revogation of the Edict of Nantes, which expelled from France her best and noblest sons, and inflicted a blow on that country, commercial and social, which she has never recovered. “It cost me many threats and promises before I could bring it thus far, our King being a long time very unwilling. But at last I got him on the hip, for he had lain with his daughter-in-law, for which I would by no means give him absolution, till he had given me an instrument under his own hand and seal, to sacrifice all the heretics in one day. Now, as soon as I had my. desired commission, I appointed the day when this should be done, and in the meantime made ready some thousands of letters to be sent into all parts of France in one post night.” [Editor’s note: The Edict of Nantes was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantly Catholic. The Jesuit priest Pere la Chaise forced the King Louis XIV in 1685 to revoke the Edict of Nantes with the Edict of Fontainebleau. This new Edict forbade religious practice for the Protestant Reformed Church and stipulated that all their church buildings should be pulled down. Pastors had to recant or go into exile. The faithful lost their identity as Protestants and were declared Catholics. Many chose to emigrate, even though it was forbidden, rather than to submit.] But the father was baffled for the time. The Duke of Condé, whom he calls the devil’s instrument,” got some idea of what was going on, and came to the rescue of the king. He succeeded in getting back the warrant from Pere la Chaise, but the father was not so easily. baffled. He says “I soon gave an account of this affair to several Fathers of our Society, who promised to do their best to prevent the aforesaid prince’s. doing such another act, which was accordingly done, for within six days after the damned action, he was poisoned, and well he deserved it. The King also did suffer too, but in another fashion, for disclosing the design unto the prince, and hearkening unto his counsel. And many a time since, when, I have had him at confession, I have shook hell about his ears, and made him sigh, fear, and tremble, before I would give him absolution. Nay, more than that, I have made him beg for, it on his knees before I would consent to absolve him.”
In the end the plot was carried out, but the Jesuit confessor was obliged to content himself with the banishment of all the Huguenots, instead of a whole sale massacre.