NOAILLES, LOUIS-ANTOINE. - Cardinal, b. at Noailles on 27 May 1651, d. at Parigi on 4 May 1729. Bishop of Cahors from 1679 and of Châlons-sur-Marne from 1680, he attended the Assembly of the clergy in 1682, at which the four articles were adopted. Having become archbishop of Parigi on 19 Aug. 1695 and cardinal on 21 June 1700, he took part in the religious disputes of the time, drawing upon himself, because of his irresolute character, accusations of weakness, heresy, and betrayal from all parties.
Favourable to Jansenism, he did not dare support it for long and was induced to take severe measures against II. He sought to oppose the bull Vineam Domini, hostile to the Jansenists; he wrote in defence of Quesnel and against the bull Unigenitus (among other works, the Instruction pastorale du 14 janvier 1719 au clergé de son diocèse sur la constitution Unigenitus, which was condemned by the Holy Office on 3 Aug. 1719); he supported Bossuet and was an enemy of the so-called laxism of the Jesuits. Nevertheless, he was severe toward the nuns of Port-Royal, even permitting the destruction of their convent, and ended by repenting of his opposition to Unigenitus and to the other condemnations of Jansenism. Such uncertainties have made historians severe in their judgment of him.