Louis Antoine de Noailles

Louis Antoine de Noailles was a French bishop and cardinal who belonged to the noble family of Noailles. He studied theology at the Collège du Plessis in Paris, where he befriended Fénelon. He was ordained as a priest in 1675 and obtained his doctorate in theology from the Sorbonne in 1676. He was appointed as the bishop of Cahors in 1679, then transferred to Châlons-en-Champagne in 1680. He was a zealous pastor who reformed the seminaries and founded a small seminary. He also participated in the foundation of the convent of Petit-Saint-Chaumont in Paris. He was nominated as the archbishop of Paris by Louis XIV in 1695, and was created a cardinal by Pope Innocent XII in 1700. He was a pious and charitable prelate who sold his silverware to help the poor during the famine of 1709. He also improved the decoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral and other churches in his diocese, and rebuilt the archbishop's palace at his own expense. He was involved in several controversies regarding the Jansenist movement, which he supported despite the opposition of the pope and the king. He signed the four articles of Gallicanism in 1682, which affirmed the independence of the French church from Rome. He also defended the rights of the French bishops against the papal nuncio and the Jesuits. He opposed the bull Unigenitus, which condemned 101 propositions from Jansenist writings, and refused to accept it until 1728, when he was pressured by his family and friends. He died a year later and was buried in Notre-Dame Cathedral. He was considered as one of the most eminent prelates of his time, and was praised by Voltaire for his tolerance and moderation.