The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-28
Joan OF ARC
NOT A SAINT.
Maid OF Orleans
Will Not Be
Canonized.
ROME ADVISES
ALL DIOCESES
Famous Heroine OF france Said
Not to Have had Good
Morals.

Roman Catholic Dioceses all over the
United States, including Hawaii. have
| been advised from Rome of the decis-
ion of the Congregation of Rites that
Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans. shall
not be canonized, and in so doing has
stigmatized the name of the famous
girl in a startling manner.
| The principal reason for which can
onization is denied is the alleged dis
covery of facts against her moral
| character, which precluded the posi-
bfiity of according to her sanity rev.
erence. ''--,-.
The Congregation has also announc-
ed that Joan was guilty of a grave
fault of attacking Paris on a feast of
the Blessed Virgin, in signing a con-
fession to the effect that she had no
divine commission to deliver France
from her enemies, and that her claims
to such distinction were fraudulent and
prevarication.
The confession was made, according
to the English, in the hope that she
might be saved thereby from the igno-
minious death at the stake which she
afterwards suffered
The proclamation of the reasons has
caused surprise, as it is felt that they
will coriouolv offand -ol;,r;o,,. o1o..1
in France, where Joan of Arc is re-
garded as a national patron saint, on
the same plane with St. Patrick in
Ireland, st. George in England. ard
st. James in Spain. The practical
aspersion of her character in France
as a saint, it is generally believed, will
prove play into the hands of the pres
ent French ministry, engaged as it is
in suppressing the religious orders. |
The Roman curia has never been
partial to Joan of Arc. The agitation
to have her canonized began during the
latter years of Napoleon III, and it is
alleged that had he remained on his
throne and continued to maintain an |
army in the Eternal City for the pro-
lection of the temporal rights of the |
papacy the matter would have been
settled in her favor long ago. But with |
the overthrow of Napoleon and the
withdrawal of the French troops from |
Rome, which ended in the seizure of |
the city by the Italians and the con-
quest of the states of the church. the
question dragged along until the Access
sion of Leo XIII, who at once
saw the Importance of pleasing the
French Catholics and identifying
French national sentiment with Cathol-
icism.
queen Victoria, at the head of the
English nation, whose ancestors had
condemned Joan of Arc at the stake
was asked If she had any objections to
ofer, 1t is said, to the Maid of Orleans
being canonized, and on a negative re-
ply being received, the process of cam
onlzlng was begun. Joan of Arc was
accordingly "beatified," which is the
irst step towards canonization, and is
low termed blessed"
That the Queen of England, a Prot
'stant, should have been consulted nv
he Vatican relative to the canoniza-
ion of a Catholic saint, may appear
until it is remembered S
hat the Maid of Orleans was regarded C
S witch by the English and that her
martyrdom," as the French people be-
ieved, for freedoms sake, as we'll as
hat OF conscience, is the chief ground
n which her canonization was asked
The French people have now. it IS
aid, learned for the first time that tne
queen was consulted before the beati- =
lcatlon of Joan of Arc, and indigna-
ion is felt because of it. =
AS far as known, Joan of Arc left
o descendants. She had a brother
nd from him are descended the Mar
uses and Counts de Maleysie, one of
nom is married to an American girl
llss Stems, of New York, who would
ave inquired prominently at the canon
'atlon ceremonies in st. Peters. Rome