Joan of Arc Burned at the Stake

The English claimed many offenses against Joan of Arc. But when they burned her at the stake in Rouen, France on May 30, 1431, they not only immortalized the 19-year-old, but made her a national symbol for the French cause during the long-fought Hundred Years’ War.

Born a peasant in a small French village, the illiterate girl claimed to hear divine voices and see visions of St. Michael, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret of Antioch from the age of 13. Their message: Help Charles VII, heir of Charles VI, be named the rightful king of France.

Convincing Charles to let her fight—and dressed as a man—Joan led the liberation of Orleans, triumphed with other victories against the English, and soon Charles VII was crowned. But a series of missteps, including her failure to liberate Paris followed, and on May 23, 1430, she was captured by the Duke of Burgundy’s men, jailed for more than a year and put on trial for charges including heresy, witchcraft and violating divine law for dressing like a man.
The trial itself was an ecclesiastical procedure covered under canon law—a heresy investigation carried out as an inquisition, according to Hobbins.

“Joan of Arc was tried as a heretic not because she was a woman, though that factor played an important part, nor because she heard voices, but because she heard voices telling her to attack the English,” Hobbins writes. “Joan believed that God favored the French: God was on her side. … As long as she insisted … that her voices were saints telling her to attack the English, she was doomed.”

Hobbins adds that the motivation for the trial was political, because Joan’s claims were political.
“We say and determine that you have falsely imagined revelations and divine apparitions, that you are a pernicious temptress, presumptuous, credulous, rash, superstitious, a false prophetess, a blasphemer against God and his saints, scornful of God in his sacraments, a transgressor of divine law, sacred doctrine, and ecclesiastical decrees; that you are seditious, cruel, apostate, schismatic, straying in many ways from our faith; and that in these ways you have rashly sinned against God and his Church.”

On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.

The Hundred Years’ War waged on until 1453, with the French finally beating back the English invaders.

“If true,” he writes, “they would have invalidated the English claim to legitimate rule in France. Of course, exposing Joan as a fraud, or as someone deluded by evil spirits, would also have struck at the legitimacy of Charles VII.”

Death, Then Sainthood
On May 24 Joan signed a retraction, and, on the condition she would dress as a woman, her death sentence was reduced to life in prison. But four days later, she said the voices had returned and she was again found dressed in men’s clothing. All 27 trial masters pronounced her a relapsed heretic.

According to Hobbin’s trial translation, they declared: “Whenever the deadly poison of heresy infects a member of the Church, who is then transformed into a member of Satan, utmost care must be taken to keep the contagion of the disease from spreading to other parts of the mystical body of Christ.”

[theopticdiary]

You know, being burned at the stake is one of the most brutal ways of dying.

[Fabxsss]

it was written in a medieval book that right after she was officially dead, a woman in the crowd was screaming “we are lost! we have just burned a saint!” so heartbreaking, she was a heroine and she didnt deserve that

[ajaxjs]

The movie ignored the fact that 20 years later, the Pope ordered a retrial, and Joan was found a martyr and her 'prosecutor' Cauchon was excommunicated.

[.Star.]

I can't imagine how a young 19-year-old brave woman fight in a war... Love her.

[RollTide]

“Hold the Cross up high that I may see it through the flames.” - Jeanne d’Arc

[Sabrinajaine]

I'm so glad I didn't live in this time. Absolutely horrific. Poor Joan

[tomben]

Her last words were “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”

[mayaahtow]

And they thought they were doing the right thing—

[jeffn]

I can’t even imagine the primal torture of trying to get away from the heat and unable to move.

[sunshinewisdom]

She does not appear hostile and violent at times she even makes a speech about wanting peace. Yet she was a warrior none the less and a peace maker.

[tonybarde]

Holy Saint Joan, compassionate to the sick and wounded,

who, while on earth, nursed so many back to health, hear me.

You who wished to see no one injured or in discomfort,

pray for me and guide me through this difficult time.



Daughter of God, wounded many times in battle,

I petition you for healing: (Share your request…)

so that I may be better able to serve God in whatever capacity He wishes.

Intercede for me.



It may not be in God’s will for my body to be healed,

for my sufferings may help another or my own soul.

If my request is not granted, help me to remain strong,

and instead be healed emotionally and spiritually. Amen.

Saint Joan of Arc pray for us

[RollTide]

"Joan was a being so uplifted from the ordinary run of mankind that she finds no equal in a thousand years." - Winston Churchill

"Joan of Arc was easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced." - Mark Twain

[shaunsanborn]

She died horrifically, but look how things ended up for her:
She went to Heaven.
She was Sainted.
She became a role model for young women all over the world.
And most importantly, she's God's sidekick on his podcast.

[marcusanderson]

Never really knew who she was but heard her name before. Not until I did a college research paper on her last week. Her story is everything

[GreatWestern]

The soundtrack used in the burning scene is titled Angelus In Medio Ignis in Latin translates to "Angel In The Midst Of Fire". Very powerful words for this scene.

[sunshinewisdom]

There's a church for and named after Joan of arc I've started going there and I was shocked it exists. There's statues of her and painting of her there. There's also a street named Joan of arc right by my home that I run. I've always been infatuated by her story and Milla as a an actress and this director. So amazing and interested moving meaningful full of courage sad and powerful.

[EngPheniks]

this might probably be one of the most horrifying movie scenes

[kushan]

Most don't know this, exactly 25 years later her mother was still alive when at her request pope Callixtus III appointed court nullified all charges made against Joan and cleared her name. This was so important to her family that they fought for that appeal for 25 years after her execution. I can't even imagine how hard it was for them to have her daughter name being dragged through the mud, as if execution wasn't enough. I'm glad they won in the end. They could die knowing her daughter will be remembered as a hero of France for all time, not discarded as a heretic.

[mr.joshua]

A King may move a man, a father may claim a son, but remember that even when those who move you be Kings, or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, "But I was told by others to do thus." Or that, "Virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice. Remember that. -King Baldwin IV

[catarinasimoes]

I love Jeanne d’arc what a brave women I love her and I remember her history when I was at school in Portugal and I never forgot