Saint Joan of Arc (Jeanne la Pucelle): Difference between revisions

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== Joan the Catholic ==

Given most biographies and depictions of Saint Joan, it's rather hard to appreciate her Catholicism -- it is simply ignored or ~~denied~~. ~~Such historians~~ "~~contextualize~~" ~~her~~ amidst a backwards, superstitious, Middle Ages Catholic world, perhaps recognizing that Joan was more devout ~~-- to a backwards religion, apparently --~~ than were others. Even there, the historical snobbery ever leaks in, as if others less devout than Joan weren't actually believers, just followers of some tradition. Going through the literature, I constantly run into dismissals of or end runs around Catholicism, such as not using "Saint" before a name and "Christian hagiography".<ref>A fascinating essay, "Joan of Arc and her Doctors," by Marie Vėronique Clin, provides a quick review of clerical and female involvement in Medieval hospitals, remarking, "we might remember that the first hospital was founded in fourth-century Italy by a woman named Fabiola." Fabiola? Ahem, you mean Saint Fabiola, who was not just "a woman." ("Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc", Edited by Bonnie Wheeler and Charles T. Wood, 1996; p. 295). In Pernoud's "Her Story," the author describes the death of one of Joan's worst tormentors, the Dominican "Jean d'Estivet," who died in a sewer outside of Rouen, which was held to mark divine retribution. The historian admits that while this wicked end followed a "favorite topos" of Christian hagiography, this one "seems actually to have happened." (Her Story, p. 212).</ref> Worst of all are those histories that place Joan amidst a syncretic mysticism, a mix of "medieval Catholicism", "folk religion", and paganism, and so attribute her experiences to it.<ref>See [https://archive.org/details/joanofarcheretic0000bars/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater&q=syncretic Joan of Arc : heretic, mystic, shaman : Barstow, Anne Llewellyn] (Archive.org), pp. </ref>

Given most biographies and depictions of Saint Joan, it's rather hard to appreciate her Catholicism -- it is simply ignored or framed as anachronistic. When the latter, ii is "contextualized" amidst a backwards, superstitious, Middle Ages Catholic world, perhaps recognizing that Joan was more devout than were others. Even there, the historical snobbery ever leaks in, as if others less devout than Joan weren't actually believers, just followers of some tradition. Going through the literature, I constantly run into dismissals of or end runs around Catholicism, such as not using "Saint" before a name and dismissals of "Christian hagiography".<ref>A fascinating essay, "Joan of Arc and her Doctors," by Marie Vėronique Clin, provides a quick review of clerical and female involvement in Medieval hospitals, remarking, "we might remember that the first hospital was founded in fourth-century Italy by a woman named Fabiola." Fabiola? Ahem, you mean Saint Fabiola, who was not just "a woman." ("Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc", Edited by Bonnie Wheeler and Charles T. Wood, 1996; p. 295). In Pernoud's "Her Story," the author describes the death of one of Joan's worst tormentors, the Dominican "Jean d'Estivet," who died in a sewer outside of Rouen, which was held to mark divine retribution. The historian admits that while this wicked end followed a "favorite topos" of Christian hagiography, this one "seems actually to have happened." (Her Story, p. 212).</ref> Worst of all are those histories that place Joan amidst a "syncretic" mysticism, a mix of "medieval Catholicism", "folk religion", and paganism, and so attribute her experiences to it.<ref>See [https://archive.org/details/joanofarcheretic0000bars/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater&q=syncretic Joan of Arc : heretic, mystic, shaman : Barstow, Anne Llewellyn] (Archive.org), pp. </ref>

Saint Joan of Arc -- drop the "Saint," if you will -- Joan of Arc makes no sense unless we recognize her Catholicity. She was fundamentally, authentically and thoroughly Catholic.

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<blockquote>Without the Catholic Faith, she is inexplicable. More than on her sword, she relied on the Mass; more than bread, the sacraments were her sustenance.</blockquote>

Three Masses marked a good day for Joan.<ref>At Rouen she testified, "“Yes, and I heard there [Saint Catherine de Fierbois] three Masses in one day." Murray, p. 28.</ref> She was seen constantly in prayer, and asked for Confession whenever possible. ~~Father~~ Jean Massieu recalled that during her trial at Rouen Joan dropped to the floor at the doors of a chapel when told that a consecrated Host lay inside:

Three Masses marked a good day for Joan.<ref>At Rouen she testified, "“Yes, and I heard there [Saint Catherine de Fierbois] three Masses in one day." Murray, p. 28.</ref> She was seen constantly in prayer, and asked for Confession whenever possible. The priest Jean Massieu recalled that during her trial at Rouen Joan dropped to the floor at the doors of a chapel when told that a consecrated Host lay inside:

<blockquote>Once, when I was conducting her before the Judges, she asked me, if there were not, on her way thither, any Chapel or Church in which was the Body of Christ. I replied, that there was a certain Chapel in the Castle. She then begged me to lead her by this Chapel, that she might do reverence to God and pray, which I willingly did, permitting her to kneel and pray before the Chapel; this she did with great devotion. The Bishop of Beauvais was much displeased at this, and forbade me in future to permit her to pray there.</blockquote>

@@ Line 673: / Line 673: @@
 == Joan the Catholic ==
-Given most biographies and depictions of Saint Joan, it's rather hard to appreciate her Catholicism -- it is simply ignored or denied. Such historians "contextualize" her amidst a backwards, superstitious, Middle Ages Catholic world, perhaps recognizing that Joan was more devout -- to a backwards religion, apparently -- than were others. Even there, the historical snobbery ever leaks in, as if others less devout than Joan weren't actually believers, just followers of some tradition. Going through the literature, I constantly run into dismissals of or end runs around Catholicism, such as not using "Saint" before a name and "Christian hagiography".<ref>A fascinating essay, "Joan of Arc and her Doctors," by Marie Vėronique Clin, provides a quick review of clerical and female involvement in Medieval hospitals, remarking, "we might remember that the first hospital was founded in fourth-century Italy by a woman named Fabiola." Fabiola? Ahem, you mean Saint Fabiola, who was not just "a woman."  ("Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc", Edited by Bonnie Wheeler and Charles T. Wood, 1996; p. 295). In Pernoud's "Her Story," the author describes the death of one of Joan's worst tormentors, the Dominican "Jean d'Estivet," who died in a sewer outside of Rouen, which was held to mark divine retribution. The historian admits that while this wicked end followed  a "favorite topos" of Christian hagiography, this one "seems actually to have happened." (Her Story, p. 212).</ref>  Worst of all are those histories that place Joan amidst a syncretic mysticism, a mix of "medieval Catholicism", "folk religion", and paganism, and so attribute her experiences to it.<ref>See [https://archive.org/details/joanofarcheretic0000bars/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater&q=syncretic Joan of Arc : heretic, mystic, shaman : Barstow, Anne Llewellyn] (Archive.org), pp. </ref>
+Given most biographies and depictions of Saint Joan, it's rather hard to appreciate her Catholicism -- it is simply ignored or framed as anachronistic. When the latter, ii is "contextualized" amidst a backwards, superstitious, Middle Ages Catholic world, perhaps recognizing that Joan was more devout than were others. Even there, the historical snobbery ever leaks in, as if others less devout than Joan weren't actually believers, just followers of some tradition. Going through the literature, I constantly run into dismissals of or end runs around Catholicism, such as not using "Saint" before a name and dismissals of "Christian hagiography".<ref>A fascinating essay, "Joan of Arc and her Doctors," by Marie Vėronique Clin, provides a quick review of clerical and female involvement in Medieval hospitals, remarking, "we might remember that the first hospital was founded in fourth-century Italy by a woman named Fabiola." Fabiola? Ahem, you mean Saint Fabiola, who was not just "a woman."  ("Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc", Edited by Bonnie Wheeler and Charles T. Wood, 1996; p. 295). In Pernoud's "Her Story," the author describes the death of one of Joan's worst tormentors, the Dominican "Jean d'Estivet," who died in a sewer outside of Rouen, which was held to mark divine retribution. The historian admits that while this wicked end followed  a "favorite topos" of Christian hagiography, this one "seems actually to have happened." (Her Story, p. 212).</ref>  Worst of all are those histories that place Joan amidst a "syncretic" mysticism, a mix of "medieval Catholicism", "folk religion", and paganism, and so attribute her experiences to it.<ref>See [https://archive.org/details/joanofarcheretic0000bars/page/6/mode/1up?view=theater&q=syncretic Joan of Arc : heretic, mystic, shaman : Barstow, Anne Llewellyn] (Archive.org), pp. </ref>
 Saint Joan of Arc -- drop the "Saint," if you will -- Joan of Arc makes no sense unless we recognize her Catholicity. She was fundamentally, authentically and thoroughly Catholic.
@@ Line 681: / Line 681: @@
 <blockquote>Without the Catholic Faith, she is inexplicable. More than on her sword, she relied on the Mass; more than bread, the sacraments were her sustenance.</blockquote>
-Three Masses marked a good day for Joan.<ref>At Rouen she testified, "“Yes, and I heard there [Saint Catherine de Fierbois] three Masses in one day."  Murray, p. 28.</ref> She was seen constantly in prayer, and asked for Confession whenever possible. Father Jean Massieu recalled that during her trial at Rouen Joan dropped to the floor at the doors of a chapel when told that a consecrated Host lay inside:
+Three Masses marked a good day for Joan.<ref>At Rouen she testified, "“Yes, and I heard there [Saint Catherine de Fierbois] three Masses in one day."  Murray, p. 28.</ref> She was seen constantly in prayer, and asked for Confession whenever possible. The priest Jean Massieu recalled that during her trial at Rouen Joan dropped to the floor at the doors of a chapel when told that a consecrated Host lay inside:
 <blockquote>Once, when I was conducting her before the Judges, she asked me, if there were not, on her way thither, any Chapel or Church in which was the Body of Christ. I replied, that there was a certain Chapel in the Castle. She then begged me to lead her by this Chapel, that she might do reverence to God and pray, which I willingly did, permitting her to kneel and pray before the Chapel; this she did with great devotion. The Bishop of Beauvais was much displeased at this, and forbade me in future to permit her to pray there.</blockquote>