24
August 1572 A.D. No
Peace, But a Sword: Massacre of French Huguenots in Paris and France
Graves,
Dan. “Not Peace But a Sword on St. Bartholmew’s Day. Christianity.com. Apr 2007. Apr 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/not-peace-but-a-sword-on-st-bartholomews-day-11630021.html. Accessed 17 May 2014.
In France, following the
Reformation, Calvinists known as Huguenots sprang up in large numbers. The
Roman Catholic establishment persecuted them. Manipulated by French political
leaders, the Huguenots rose to defend their rights. Their behavior and methods
in turn outraged Catholics. War ravaged France. Although fewer in numbers than
their foes, the Huguenots fought so fiercely they managed to extract
concessions which allowed them to build churches and manage affairs in cities
where they had majorities. But the bloodshed imprinted lasting animosity
between Protestants and the Catholic majority.
Out of this smoldering hatred
flared up one of the most regrettable events of church history. On August
22, 1572 an attempt was made in Paris to assassinate Huguenot leader and French
patriot Coligny. Wounded, he returned home to recover. Accounts disagree as to
what happened next and who was responsible. Late on this
day, August 23, 1572, armed men, led by the Guises, broke into Coligny's
apartment, overcame the fierce resistance of his guards and killed him.
Coligny's death was the signal for a general butchery of the Huguenots. This
atrocity is known to history as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre because it
lasted well into that saint's day.
Catholics slaughtered Huguenots
in cold blood into the morning of the 24th in Paris and for days in outlying
regions. As many as 70,000 perished. The rest fled to fortified cities and
fought back. Their movement became known as La Cause (The Cause) and pitted
them against The Holy League (La Sainte Ligue). Brutal fighting raged across
the French kingdom.
Charles IX publicly claimed he
had ordered the massacre. Certainly the Paris constabulary were warned in
advance to prepare for disturbances. Many historians have seen the plot as the
work of Catherine de Medici, who felt her power threatened. Possibly Charles,
by taking credit, was trying to reap a political benefit from the gruesome
event. If so, he won no plaudits outside Catholic regions. Pope Gregory XIII
struck a special medallion to commemorate the "holy" act but most
other European reaction was horrified. Charles himself suffered psychological
agonies from the affair.
The Massacre of St. Bartholomew was
not the end of the matter. When the Protestant Henry of Navarre converted to
Catholicism in order to become king, he granted his Huguenot compatriots a
number of rights under the Edict of Nantes. These rights were gradually eroded,
more Huguenot revolts occurred and, finally, 400,000 fled the country into
voluntary exile under Louis XIV.
Bibliography:
1. Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity. Editor Tim Dowley. Berkhamsted, Herts, England:
Lion Publishing, 1977.
2. "Huguenots." Encyclopedia Americana. Chicago:
Americana Corp., 1956.
3. Sutherland, N. M. The Massacre of St. Bartholomew and the European
Conflict. London: Macmillan, 1973.
Last updated April,
2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment