He entered politics at the Conferences of Loudun. There, as the confidant of the queen and the papal envoy, he opposed the Gallicanism advanced by the parlement. He succeeded in convincing the princes that the stance harbored schismatic tendencies and they abandoned their initial support.[citation needed] In 1612 he established those personal relations with Richelieu that established his reputation—and the phrase—éminence grise, though historical research has not been able to document his supposed influence on the latter.[citation needed] The description drew on the grey friar's cloak that Père Joseph wore and the title "eminence" conferred on Richelieu as a cardinal.