The libretto to The Devils of Loudun refers to the mid-17th-century events in Loudun, France, concerning the demoniacal possession of the Ursuline nuns and their abbess, Mother Jeanne. A parish priest, Father Grandier, was accused of the alleged possessions and indicted for conspiracy with Satan. Consequently, in August 1634, Father Grandier was sentenced to burn at the stake. Nevertheless, it is claimed that the underlying cause of Grandier's fall was a political one, for the priest had secret alliances against the powerful Cardinal Richelieu, who planned to deprive Loudun of independence. The possessions continued for a number of years, yet Penderecki's libretto comes to a closure with Grandier's death for an obvious reason — Grandier is the main character of the opera, so with his death the opera ends.