This week in Christian history: Catholic Church declares first woman 'doctor;' Peace of Augsburg signed

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, September 25, 2022

Protestant queen accused of heresy – Sept. 28, 1563

This week marks the anniversary of when Jeanne d'Albret, a French Protestant and the Queen of Navarre, was ordered to appear in Rome by Pope Pius IV under the accusation of being a heretic.

The queen, who oversaw the French region of Béarn, had converted to Protestantism three years earlier, which became a source of tension for a nation dealing with increased tensions between Catholics and Huguenots.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Subscribe

Catharine de Medicis, the Catholic queen regent of France, took the side of d'Albret, believing that the pontiff did not have the authority to interfere with French matters in such a way.

"Whether the Pope withdrew the citation is debated by historians. Some say he excommunicated D'Albret three months later," explained the Christian History Institute.

"Her son ascended the French throne as Henry IV. Although he converted to Catholicism, he granted the Huguenots a measure of tolerance and independence."