Affair of the placards
Encyclopedia
The Affair of the Placards was an incident in which anti-Catholic
poster
s appeared in public places in Paris and in four major provincial cities: Blois
, Rouen
, Tours
and Orléans
, overnight during 17 October 1534. One was actually posted on the bedchamber door of King Francis I
at Amboise
, an affront and an alarming breach of security that left him shaken and angry. The Affaire des Placards brought an end to the conciliatory policies of Francis, who had formerly attempted to protect the Protestants from the more extreme measures of the Parlement de Paris
, and also of the public entreaties for moderation of Philip Melanchthon.
. They supported Zwingli's position on the Mass
which denied the physical existence of Christ in the sacraments.
The individual who has been traditionally credited as the chief inspiration, if not the direct author of the placards, was the French Protestant leader Guillaume Farel, but it seems that Antoine de Marcourt, a pastor of Neuchâtel from Picardy
was the real author: Antoine Froment
averred that "these placards were made at Neuchâtel in Switzerland by a certain Antoine Marcourd". Writing anonymously the following month, Marcourt took credit for the placards in the address to benevolent Readers of his anonymous "Most useful and salutary little treatise of the holy Eucharist", published at Neuchâtel, 16 November 1534, in which he avers "I have been moved by true affection to compose and edit in writing some true Articles on the importables [again, insupportable?] abuses of the Mass. Which Articles I wish to be published and posted throughout the public places of the land..."
Also, a reward of a hundred ecus
was advertised for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator or perpetrators, who were to be burned at the stake. Protestant sympathizers were soon identified and sent to the Châtelet
. The first condemnations were pronounced 10 November; the first of those burned at the stake, 13 November, was a cripple named Barthélemi Milon.
The polemic against the Catholic Church was considered a severe insult to Catholics; and the King now publicly affirmed his Catholic faith. The immediate public outcry necessitated the flight of several prominent Protestant leaders, including John Calvin
, and of scholars and poets like Clément Marot
.
In another provocative action the following 13 January, when François had recently returned to Paris, broadsheets of a tract on the Sacrament
s were deposited in the streets and doorways of Paris. Later, printing was banned by royal decree.
A few years later, Francis I issued the Edict of Fontainbleau
against the Huguenots.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
poster
Poster
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative. Posters may be...
s appeared in public places in Paris and in four major provincial cities: Blois
Blois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
, Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
and Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, overnight during 17 October 1534. One was actually posted on the bedchamber door of King Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
at Amboise
Château d'Amboise
The royal Château at Amboise is a château located in Amboise, in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley in France.-Origins and royal residence:...
, an affront and an alarming breach of security that left him shaken and angry. The Affaire des Placards brought an end to the conciliatory policies of Francis, who had formerly attempted to protect the Protestants from the more extreme measures of the Parlement de Paris
Parlement
Parlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
, and also of the public entreaties for moderation of Philip Melanchthon.
The placards
The placards carried the title "Genuine articles on the horrific, great and importable [sic, i.e. insupportable] abuses of the papal mass, invented directly contrary to the Holy Supper of our Lord, sole mediator and sole savior Jesus Christ" This provocative title was a direct attack on Catholic conceptions of the EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. They supported Zwingli's position on the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
which denied the physical existence of Christ in the sacraments.
The individual who has been traditionally credited as the chief inspiration, if not the direct author of the placards, was the French Protestant leader Guillaume Farel, but it seems that Antoine de Marcourt, a pastor of Neuchâtel from Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
was the real author: Antoine Froment
Antoine Froment
Antoine Froment was a Protestant reformer in Geneva. Froment is best remembered for his role in initiating and solidifying the Reformation in Geneva along with William Farel and John Calvin...
averred that "these placards were made at Neuchâtel in Switzerland by a certain Antoine Marcourd". Writing anonymously the following month, Marcourt took credit for the placards in the address to benevolent Readers of his anonymous "Most useful and salutary little treatise of the holy Eucharist", published at Neuchâtel, 16 November 1534, in which he avers "I have been moved by true affection to compose and edit in writing some true Articles on the importables [again, insupportable?] abuses of the Mass. Which Articles I wish to be published and posted throughout the public places of the land..."
Aftermath
Processions were announced in all the parishes of Paris for the following Sunday. In Paris, the King himself stood under the canopy where the Body of Christ (the Communion Wafer) was usually carried- the political point was clear: God was present to his people through the person of the King. It was a political statement.Also, a reward of a hundred ecus
ECU
ECU may refer to:Automotive terms* Electronic control unit, a generic term for any embedded system that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a motor vehicle...
was advertised for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator or perpetrators, who were to be burned at the stake. Protestant sympathizers were soon identified and sent to the Châtelet
Grand Châtelet
The Grand Châtelet was a stronghold in Ancien Régime Paris, on the right bank of the Seine, on the site of what is now the Place du Châtelet; it contained a court and police headquarters and a number of prisons....
. The first condemnations were pronounced 10 November; the first of those burned at the stake, 13 November, was a cripple named Barthélemi Milon.
The polemic against the Catholic Church was considered a severe insult to Catholics; and the King now publicly affirmed his Catholic faith. The immediate public outcry necessitated the flight of several prominent Protestant leaders, including John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, and of scholars and poets like Clément Marot
Clément Marot
Clément Marot was a French poet of the Renaissance period.-Youth:Marot was born at Cahors, the capital of the province of Quercy, some time during the winter of 1496-1497. His father, Jean Marot , whose more correct name appears to have been des Mares, Marais or Marets, was a Norman from the Caen...
.
In another provocative action the following 13 January, when François had recently returned to Paris, broadsheets of a tract on the Sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s were deposited in the streets and doorways of Paris. Later, printing was banned by royal decree.
A few years later, Francis I issued the Edict of Fontainbleau
Edict of Fontainebleau (1540)
The Edict of Fontainebleau was issued June 1, 1540 by the French King Francis I while at his Palace of Fontainebleau. It occurred after the insulting "Affair of the Placards" turned Francis I's policy from one of tolerance to the persecution of the Protestants...
against the Huguenots.