Joan of Arc Again!?

Question

This time enlarging on the topic after her death. After she was burned at the stake, proclaimed a witch, then she became a saint. How long until this happened and what caused the drastic change of heart? How do you "become a saint"? who was the poe that christened Joan a saint and could you give me some information on him.

Thankyou!

Answer 1

Convicted and executed on May 30, 1431, she was subsequently declared innocent by the Inquisition on July 7, 1456 after a lengthy re-trial process which was initiated shortly after the English were finally driven from Rouen, thereby allowing access to the documents and witnesses associated with her trial; the presiding Inquisitor, Jean Brיhal, ruled that the original trial had been tainted by fraud, illegal procedures, and intimidation of both the defendant and many of the clergy who had taken part in the trial, and she was therefore described as a martyr by the Inquisitor. After the usual lengthy delay associated with the sluggish process of canonization, she was beatified on April 11, 1909 and canonized as a saint on May 16, 1920.
http://members.aol.com/hywwebsite/private/joanofarc.html
and more
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08409c.htm
http://www.gale.com/free_resources/whm/bio/joan_of_arc.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/joan-of-arc
http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/joanarc.html

Answer 2

When Joan was executed by the English, the Catholic Church did little or nothing to prevent it. As a predominantly Catholic Country, maybe it was politically expedient of the Catholic Church to re-address the issue of Joans trial and the charges that the English brought against her. Maybe the Church feels guilty at not having done enough to stop it...

But Joan has lived on in the French national psyche. As a national hero that had saved France from the English, Joan's name comes up time and time again when the French are going through a national crisis. An example of this was during the First World War. as French troops carried images of Joan into battle with them.

In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV. While she was canonised 400 years later after her death, maybe her canonisation was also seen as an attempt by the Church to re-address its own sins and short-comings.

Answer 3

Yep, 1920. Nearly 600 years. See, there's a system to these things. The dead innocents of religion go in one end of the hopper, and eventually, if anyone can remember their names after a sufficiently insane period of time, they come out the extruder as saints. Sort of the William Morris Agency in extreme slow-motion.