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FREE Bell Ringer On Henry the 4th
During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther asserted that the Catholic Church had drifted away from the message of Christianity and led many to split from the Catholic Faith. The Catholic Church disagreed with Luther and claimed he was the true agitator toward unity. Luther’s followers formed Protestant Churches throughout Europe and taught the Bible alone was the sole authority for Christians, not the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. France was a Catholic nation and often experienced military engagement with Protestant factions. John Calvin was a Protestant theologian who gained a massive following in Europe and taught that God predestined who would be saved in the afterlife. In France, followers of Calvinist beliefs were called Huguenots. In 1572, the French government launched a brutal attack against the Huguenots known as the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. The Huguenots also attacked Catholics throughout France during these various conflicts. Yet, eventually, King Henry the 4th (1553-1610) of France determined to give religious freedom to the Huguenots. Through endorsing the Edict of Nantes (1598), France recognized the right of the Huguenots to worship as they wished. Due to his leniency toward the Huguenots, many Catholic factions saw Henry as a traitor to Catholicism. Numerous unsuccessful assassination attempts were made against him by these factions. Francois Ravaillac (1578-1610) assassinated Henry in 1610. Henry’s son, Louis the 13th, took over as monarch. Above is a depiction of the assassination of Henry the 4th.
