Joan of Arc
March 15th, 2011 | Author: kim
Question on her trial: Do you know if you are in the grace of God?
“If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God so keep me. I should be the saddest in all the world if I knew that I were not in the grace of God. But if I were in a state of sin, do you think the Voice would come to me? “
Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) was born on Jan. 6, 1412, in Domremy, Champagne, France. She was described as an extremely religious girl and that at the age of almost 13, she was said to have visions with accompanying voices which she claimed to be that of the Lord giving her Divine instructions. Among these instructions was ‘to drive the English out of France and bring the Dauphin, Charles VII to Reims for his coronation.’
So, at 17, she was given control of the French army which led to the liberation of other French towns from the English and eventually the coronation of Charles VII. She was, however, captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English. Since her family was poor, she was not ransomed, nor did Charles VII offered to ransom her.
The English put her on trial for witchcraft. She was burned at a stake before about 10,000 people. It was said that she was burned twice to make sure that she did not escape. Another story claimed that though her body was burned and turned to ashes, her heart remained intact and full of blood. Her ashes were cast into Seine. That was May 30, 1421, she was only 19 years old.
On 1452, however, a retrial was authorized by Pope Callixtus III and on July 7th, 1456, Joan of Arc was declared innocent. In 1909 she was beatified and in 1920 she was canonized as a Saint.
Joan of Arc is the patron saint of France.
Source: biographyonline.net, buzzle.com, maidjoan.tripod.com
