History Theses

The Pragmatic Sanctions of Bourges came at the culmination of a longstanding Franco - Papal conflict. This thesis demonstrates the purpose of Charles VII in issuing such ordinances which benefited the crown and limited the influence of the papacy in France as it relates to perceived papal overreaches into royal jurisdiction and finances. Primary source material such as royal ordinances, papal bulls, and the decrees of the Pragmatic Sanctions of Bourges and ecumenical councils are utilized. The Pragmatic Sanctions of Bourges secured the crown's jurisdiction with regards to courts and clergy, and ameliorated it's financial position, while limiting the influence of the papacy in France. The Pragmatic Sanctions are traditionally viewed through the lens of ecclesiastical reform; this thesis provides a new context through which to view the Pragmatic Sanctions and contemporary events, and provides for a fresh perspective to examine later events of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.