March 5 - Joan of Arc

March 5 – Joan of Arc

The hundred years war plagued all of Europe, though it was essentially a war between England and France. Back and forth the battles went. Charles VII declared himself king, but was losing badly. And then he met Joan of Arc, a young woman from a little village in France.

She claimed to have had visions of saints and the archangel Michael, ordering her to lead his troops to break the siege of Orleans and to crown him king. Charles sent for her, not believing in her at all, but she soon convinced him and so he sent her out of the city to attempt to bring badly needed supplies. She succeeded against odds and began accomplishing other goals for the army.

Finally, the siege broke, the enemy left and the “Maid of Orleans” was in charge. She didn’t allow the troops to pursuing the fleeing army since it was Sunday – a day for prayer and not for battle. From here, the war changed course. The French had been split among the French and English rulers. Joan of Arc gave them one central focus and they gathered and united under her standard. The king of France was finally crowned king.

She wanted to stop fighting and go home, but he insisted she remain. The English were desperate to stop her. They were claiming that God fought on their side, but if she was right with her visions, then God was obviously for the French. King Charles was embarrassed that he owed his crown to a peasant girl, so when she was captured and sold to England, he refused to ransom her.

A bishop bought her and imprisoned her among male convicts. She did agree to recant all of her statements about receiving orders from heaven, but then she again spoke of visions from the saints. She was taken to the square in Rouen and burned alive. Her last request was that the priest with her would hold the crucifix high and speak words of salvation loudly so she would hear them above the flames.

Twenty years later, Charles VII came to Rouen, ordered an inquiry and she was exonerated.