Friday, August 28, 2009

Joan of Arc: a witch or a saint?

Joan of Arc (c. 1412 – May 30, 1431) is a French saint. She helped France during the Hundred Years War against England, who then held more than half of France.
At the age of 12, she began to have visions of St. Catherine, St. Margaret, and St. Michael the Archangel. She joined the Army and led many battles against the English. Then she brought Charles VII of France to his coronation at Reims Cathedral. The English later captured her and judged her. They also invited the French Church to the trial. Though now she is a saint, at that time she was found guilty and said to be a heretic. She was put to death by burning at the stake by the French. She was only 19. Most of the court documents from her trial in 1431 and the later retrial in 1455-1456 which found her innocent are still kept to this day in the French National Library. These documents are full of details, and have made Joan's story one of the most complete and best known stories from older history. She is now an important saint and icon in France.

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