Christian Women of the Medieval Era – Part 56

Joan of Arc – Maid of Orleans – Part 2

Introduction

We continue on our journey through the Middle Ages. There were hundreds of faithful women who served in God’s kingdom during the approximate 1000-year span, roughly 500 to 1500 AD. We have only related the stories of a few dozen. We began with Genovefa (423 – 502) and continued on through Julian of Norwich (1342-1416). We have discovered that there were many ministering female believers including queens, empresses, abbesses, nuns, Beguines, sisters in monasteries, writers, godly wives, mothers, social reformers, and many others. Thousands of women were called and gifted by God to serve Christ during this very interesting time in history. 

This week we continue with our story of a Christian soldier in the physical and spiritual sense – Joan of Arc. 

The Maid of Orleans- (1412-1431) – Part 2

In our last post, we left Joan in the hands of her English captors. Joan had accomplished 2 of the 3 goals that the “voices” had proclaimed to her. Orleans was freed and Charles was crowned king. However, her third task was thwarted when the cowardly Charles retreated from the battle at Compiegne. Joan was taken prisoner. At that time, she did not see how cruelly she had been betrayed. She hoped that Charles would rescue her or at least bargain for her release. He did not. Charles was glad to be on the throne, but he was only thinking of himself. He did not care anything about a peasant girl who had completed her usefulness to him. 

The English were reluctant to put Joan to death because they did not want to create a martyr around which the French might rally. Neither the English nor the French could justify a military trial against Joan. They told the commander Bedford, to release her to the French for an ecclesiastical trial for heresy. The trial, which took place between March and May 1441, was a total fraud.

To understand how dastardly the actions on the part of the English and their French allies were, one must understand the politics in the church. The faculty at the University of Paris considered itself to be the premier center for theological and ecclesiastical thought. The Papal schism, which had lasted for over forty years, had finally been resolved. An Anglo-French monarchy would allow the Paris school great preeminence among European colleges. They would lose this prestige if France became united. Joan was in favor of a united France. So, the Parisian theologians decided that Joan must die.

Joan was tried in Rouen which was controlled by the English. The man in charge of the trial was Pierre Cauchon who had sided with the English in exchange for their help in his goal of becoming the archbishop of Rouen. Cauchon had no regard for the French or Charles. He was guided only by his ambition and showed no concern for true justice. Cauchon handpicked all of the judges, theologians, and lawyers. When Joan asked for a more balanced court which was required under Canon law, Cauchon denied her. Cauchon rigged juries and broke many laws making it clear that he had a political agenda. 

People under the age of 25 were to have a lawyer to represent them. Cauchon did not allow Joan to have legal counsel. Without a lawyer it was much more difficult for Joan to respond to Cauchon’s rigged questions. Amazingly, Joan did very well.  Guided by her voices and the confidence that one has who sticks to the truth, Joan held her own against many grown men.^[1]

The outcome of the ecclesiastic trial had been a foregone conclusion from the beginning. Most of the sixty judges were tied to the University of Paris and had affiliations with the English. These self-proclaimed men of God had kept Joan in a military prison. She should have been in an ecclesiastical prison attended by women. Instead, she was kept in chains and her male guards would often harass her. 

On May 9, 1431 Joan was threatened with torture. The judges continued to accuse her of lying and giving false testimony especially in regard to the voices that she heard. Joan did not waiver from her testimony. The judges brought in men with instruments of torture and told her to confess. She responded, “Truly, if you were to tear me limb from limb and separate my soul from my body, I would not tell you anything more: and if I did say anything, I should afterwards declare that you had compelled me to say it by force.”^[2] What courage from a nineteen-year-old girl! The men decided against the torture mostly because they didn’t want their cruel deeds exposed. 

On May 19 the deliberations of the University of Paris were read to the public. A letter was sent to the Kings of France and England. The trial was concluded on May 23. She was given one last chance to “admit” to her crimes. Joan replied, “As for my words and deeds, which I declared in the trial, I refer to them and will maintain them.” She further stated that even if she saw the executioner “ready to kindle the fire, and she herself were in it, she would say nothing else and would maintain until death what she said in the trial.”^[3] The trial was declared over and Joan was sentenced to die the next day.

Joan had a tremendous fear of fire. When she was taken to the place of execution she recanted. A few days later she heard the voices again. They told her that she was wrong to recant. Joan found her courage and overturned her recantation. Later witnesses reported that Cauchon and the clerics were overjoyed when Joan withdrew her recantation. Cauchon looked forward to preparing for her death. He handed Joan over to the secular authorities for the execution.

On May 30, 1431, Joan’s head was shaved and she was forced to wear a paper hat on which were written, “Heretic, Relapsed, Apostate, Idolater.” She was taken to the main square in Rouen where a large crowd had gathered. After she was lashed to the pole and the fagots were lit, she called out, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus . . .” Then Joan, the Maid of Orleans, died at age nineteen.

Many believe that her brave death was a turning point in the life of Charles VII. The heretofore timid, cowardly king suddenly became confident and led his people to win many battles. He actually is known in history today as “Charles the Victorious”. The French went on the push the English out of their country for the most part; only the port of Calais remained in English hands. Truly it was Joan who had turned the tide for the French, eventually ending the curse of Jacques de Molay.

Nineteen years later Pope Callixtus II called for a retrial. Many witnesses came forward in Joan’s defense. They testified to Joan’s piety even as she burned at the stake. They told of the many illegal and cruel deeds perpetrated by Cauchon. He had planted a spy in her prison. Among many things, he had denied her legal counsel, chosen only judges that were prejudiced for the English, and allowed guards had to subject her to sexual assault. Pope Callixtus II drew up a list of articles to serve as the basis of a retrial which was held in Paris. 

On July 7, 1456, the judges declared that the charges against Joan were “corrupt, deceitful, slanderous, fraudulent, and malicious, that her sentence was null and void, and that a cross should be erected at the spot where she had been burned in the Old Market of Rouen.” Pope Callixtus went further to bring about justice. He excommunicated the then deceased Bishop Pierre Cauchon for his role in Joan’s persecution and condemnation.^[4]

Reviewing the testimony of this trial of rehabilitation nearly 500 years later, Pope Benedict XV declared Joan of Arc a saint. She was canonized in May of 1920. Her feast day is celebrated the day of her death, May 30. She is the patron saint of France, martyrs, captives, prisoners, soldiers, military personnel (especially women who have served) and those who are ridiculed for their piety. Catholics and non-Catholics have all come to esteem Joan for her courage and faith. 

If it were not for the Hundred Years’ War, Joan would probably have lived out her life as any other peasant girl. The events that she was caught up in called for courage. Joan did not shirk the task that she was called to. With selfless humility and strong faith, Joan of Arc did her part and changed the course of history. 

Joan’s visions confirmed and deepened her faith in God. As a peasant girl in a remote village Joan could not have known how complex the political issues were of her day. Joan had a strong desire to see the rightful king on the throne of France and the resulting peace to come from it. The men in power who surrounded her were not interested in peace or justice. They did not stop at getting rid of a young peasant who stood in their way. It took many years before Joan was exonerated and shown to be a woman of courage who desired truth, peace and justice.

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^[1] Wyatt North. Saint Joan of Arc: A Life Inspired. Wyatt North Publishing, LLC, 2019. (Kindle version) An excellent summary of the history of the Hundred Years’ War and Joan’s life including her answer to her call, actions in battles, betrayal, arrest, imprisonment, trials, martyrdom and retrial can be found in this engaging book by Wyatt North.

^[2] North. Location 836.

^[3] Ibid. North. Location 869.

^[4] Ibid. North. Location 922.