The Joan of Arc was born on 6th January 1412 and was nicknamed the maid of Orleans, is considered a heroine of France from her role during the Anglo- French war of hundreds of years of war and was canonized by Roman Catholic Church in 1920 as saint. The Joan of Arc was born to the family Jacques and Isabelle Arc, a peasant family who lived at Domremy in North-east France (Patricia, 98). The Joan of Arc claimed that she had received vision instructing her to supporting Charles VII in fighting against the English dominion from Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Archangel Michael, and Saint Margaret. Furthermore, at that period a large area were under the control of Duke of Burgundy, had risen against the authority of the French king, therefore, starting a civil war. The Duke of Burgundy made a pact with English to fought French on the other side. The propaganda was launched by the two parties that the Charles was not legitimated to be crowned French king but Charles dismiss the claims and stated that he was heir apparent and therefore , he was rightful to be crowned the king
The Joan of Arc grow up into a teen and develop a healthy mystical and spiritual life of prayer. At 13 years old, she claims that the voices of the saints were giving instructions that she should support the heir apparent of the French kingdom, and as well raise the siege of Orleans and the capture of Rheims to have Charles crowed as the King. She further claimed that she instructed to dress like a man while caring out this work. The death of both the Henry v and Charles VII had left the throne unoccupied, Henry’s successor was Henry VI, an infant, but Charles claimed that he was the right to be crowned the King. He was not yet crowned the king, at the Rheims, the ancient site of French coronations, since the England had taken siege on the town. The Joan of Arc used to new the war between the French side and the English from members of her village and travelers passing by her village. Furthermore, through her dedication and prayerfully to the saints, she knew about the French prophesied that a virgin French warrior would rescue her kingdom (Daniela, 169). This convinced her that God wanted her to remain virgin to serve him. As she grows older, Joan of Arc claimed that the voices of saints become more urgent to her mission to serve God and his purpose to support the Charles to fight against the English. After convincing the Governor of the town to meet Charles is appointment was accepted, and she meets him.
In early 1428, 17 years old, Joan of Arc left home following a church trial at Poitiers that she was claimed to be a witchcraft but later cleared on her quest. On his arrival to the royal court of the heir apparent, Charles, she claims that she was God sent to bring aid to the king and the kingdom. This show that she lived to be a saint. Charles called the churchmen to test the Joan of Arc and her virginity since the belief was that witch, and other evil-doers are not a virgin, she was cleared and join the French troops (Dominique, 258). She was taught a military skill, and she masters faster than expected and acquired special sword which she said it was burled behind the altar of the church. This gave Charles and his French troop’s strength that God wanted them to be victorious and would help them. She didn’t take control of French army but, she provided the leadership inspiration in crucial places and at a vital time. This lead to French troops pulling surprising victories which lead to Charles been crowned the King of France in Rheims cathedral in July 1429.
Although Joan of Arc had declared that her mission was over, she continued to take part in fighting and was captured in May 1430 by the British army. The English agreed to have her tried and executed for heresy or act against to the Catholic Church. The belief by the English men was that if the Joan of Arc were convicted against such falls conviction that she was witchcraft or evildoer, it would undermine the crowned of Charles as idle king, and thus, the English could crown theirs, the young Henry VII as king.
At this point, the life of Joan of the Arc has heretic began. The English had no other claims to tried Joan since other applications were humiliating them in the battle. The other option that the English had remained with if they failed to try, Joan were to take her to England and disposed of her there. The Joan was tried in France, in the court of French Catholic inquisition, which if the person was a heretic and if so, attempted to bring him or her back to judge. Though the English paid for and approval of the trials, the trials were steered by French conservative forces in the French Catholic church at the University of Paris. The trials approval to proceed were based on the accusation against Joan of Arc been witchcraft for her dressed in men’s clothes.
The Bishop Pierre Cauchon was appointed to preside over Joan’s trials. The Pierre assembled a large group of individuals to question the Joan during the hearings. Furthermore, Bishop Pierre includes another judge from French to support him and many other church lawyers, French religious experts and other churchmen who acted as his advisers to the two judges in presiding Joan’s trials (Hillarie, 28). The trials started nearly at the end of February 1431 to determine Joan heretic accusation and proceeded for three months. During this time Joan told the trial chamber and judge Bishop Pierre that he should consider very well his decision and stated that she was God sent and, therefore Pierre was putting herself in great peril. In fact, without no help, Joan of Arc amused her accusers by outwitting their attempts to trap her with her own words.
After accomplishing little in his attempt to get Joan of Arc incriminated, the Bishop Pierre and his advisers later drew at least 70 lists of charges against Joan. The most notable charges against Joan wrote by judges was that she was witchcraft, false prophet, and enchantress. Moreover, they managed to accuse her of making the battle between the French and English to be cruelly thirsting for human blood. The judges drew that the most considerable heresy against Joan was her failure to submit herself entirely to the church authority. This conviction was based on her refusal to give up on her male clothes that it was physical evidence of heresy (Picard & Nicolas, 248). Though, the troubling question to her accusers was Joan’s communication to God through her claim voices rather than through church. Furthermore, the issue was complicated by Joan stated who unequivocally that she would not say anything the voices instructed her and her refusal to confess the charges of heresy.
The Bishop Cauchon declared his trial over and read that Joan will be sentenced to death by fire, before the pro-English crown. On May 30, 1431, the English armies took Joan to the marketplace of Rouen. The English were so impatient that they pressurized Bishop Cauchon over directly to the executioner without his conviction been officially reviewed, civil officials. The English and Burundian didn’t deny Joan’s superhuman powers, but the describe them has a devil. Joan was bound to a stake in the platform for all to see and set into a fire, and ashes were thrown into the river of Seine. She was just 19 years old, has she perished, she cried Jesus many times (R, 175). This brought to an end her life which he had lived with claims that she was witch and heretic.
After the Orleans war, she was viewed by the French as a saint while the English side saw her as a witch who should be condemned to death at stake by any means. Her military role in the French army appeared to have been limited, rather than taking control of the military she was more of a mascot. The reports show that before the English army arrest Joan of Arc she had fought hard to the extent that she was severely wounded at her shoulder. Although deeply indebted to Joan for his crown, Charles is reportedly makes no efforts to salvage her or offer any assistance. Charles is believed to have to get rid of Joan of Arc to make a deal with the Burgundians to leave only English on one side. Feeling the betrayal by Joan of Arc, she decided to attract small group and fought for a little while before her capture on May 30, 1430.
The French capture the marketplace of Rouen and pope ordered the investigation into the trial, brought a light to the most controversial death of Joan. The Charles VII later in 1456 declared null and void. Once again her piety and exemplary conduct had triumphed. Joan had slim chance in fraud trial. She stood alone before the learned judges, an illiterate poor girl defending herself (Picard & Nicolas, 248). The inquisition stated that Joan of Arc was interrogated eight times in private and seven times in public. The questions which were most asked her to answer were firmly about her voices, visions, faith, and male dress and dutiful to the Catholic Church authorities. The panel was unfair to her for declaring that all of her revelations were inspired by demons.
We can do it today.
The panel had resolved that unless Joan of Arc renounce, she was to die a heretic. At beginning, Joan of Arc had reject. But when she appeared before a vast crowd, she appear to have made some retraction. Bishop Pierre visited her, noticed her clothes, and ascertain that she had retreated back into the error. At that point, she acknowledged that God had indeed sent her and voices had come from him. Having denounce her to as relapsed heretic instead heretic.
After the revisit of her unfair trial which led to burned of Joan at stake as relapse heretic, she has been beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920 as a saint. In the fraudulent court, Joan of Arc was depicted to be heretic that she had goes against the Catholic teaching, but she was a saint. In fact, she was forced to sign a document promising to obey church at the last moment before been incriminated. The church court at Poitiers, bishops, priests, king and ordinary people accepted that it was sensible for her fighting in the army to wear male clothing. Therefore, it was only the Bishop Pierre and his advisers who portrayed that it was against the Catholic Church teaching for a female to wear male clothing (Hillarie, 28).
Joan of Arc did not act as protestant as put by Bishop Pierre and his advisers, but she was loyal to the Catholic Church as represented by the pope and the rest bishops. The Cauchon over a period of months failed to trick Joan into making even one heretical statement. Joan took her mission has been instructed by God through saints unwillingly, and she didn’t encourage others to join her in the army. At one time an eyewitness claimed that illiterate peasant, Joan astonish court with her escape from theological traps. The most known was that when she asked if she was in God’s grace, she answered that “if I am not, may God put me there and if I am, may God keep me.”
Another eyewitness testified that the guards had taken her dress and to frame her, she had nothing else to wear. When she go back to male clothing, she was given another account of schism for cross-dressing, though it was later disputed by the inquisitor presiding over the court of appeals after the war. The Joan of Arc was a symbol of Catholic league during the 16th century and when Felix was made the bishop of Orleans in 1849. He pronounced a panegyric at her and led the efforts leading to Joan of Arc’s beatification in 1909, on May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV canonized her.
Joan of Arc who leads her nation to memorable victory against the English. Since her beatification from heretic to the saint, she has become a role model to the young girls and women because of her seemingly indomitable odds in the world of men. When Joan of Arc joined French military, and they defeat English at Orleans, she earned respect from her French army peers as extraordinary and competent general. This show that she was an unstoppable saint, God sent, driving the French army into essential defeats of English over a short period. The French even had to question the spiritual and religious motivation. This show that Joan was sainted since she was always different from everyday people.
Thus, like other saints, no one understood Saint Joan until almost 489 years after her death was canonized. In my own opinion, Joan was not only a saint, but an angel sended to show act as an example to us all, through her honest, honor and glory. Joan of the Arc was a straightforward girl and faithful to her country. Furthermore, Joan was a saint, during her trial she claimed that in her vision she saw St. Michael surrounded by angels. Also, before Joan joined the French military, Charles called the churchmen to check if she was a virgin, which they confirm, like the saint she was a virgin.
Moreover, over the ages, people of Catholic Church has remembered her for military exploits and strong love for sacraments, which strengthen compassion towards the poor. She is a saint of simplicity, obedience and single-minded devotion to duty. She is singular inner faith and trust in God providence she was a curiously old testament like figure in her military service to God and his plans mixture of Samson and Deborah. She was docile to God’s will, but pushover to the men of power who surrounded her.
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