The Irish standard., 1908-02-15
JOAN OF ARC
France Only Country in the
World Where the Warlike
And Inspired Virgin Cannot be
Worshiped as a Saint.

M. Clemenceau, premier Of France,
has just laid down the dictum that in
one country at least Joan of Arc, the
warlike and inspired virgin, cannot be
worshiped as a saint, says the San
Francisco Call Though the Catholic
church may officially place her in the
list of the blessed, though the re-
lnainder of the world would concede
her a place among the elect, the France
for which she fought and died will per-
init her to be llonorcd only in a civic
sense.
1t was in connection with the renew
al of the ceremonies by which for GEN.
turies the city of orleans has celebrat-
ed it's gratitude for the deliverance
Joan of Arc brought to it, that the
premier announced his stand on the
subject of the national heroine. He
would permit civic celebration,
speeches and parade, but there must
be no religion in it. Joan of Arc. no
matter what the remainder of the world
might say, was in his eyes no saint.
The decision has provoked a greater
protest among the people than perhaps
any of the many much discussed acts
of the present head of the French gov
ernment.
Joan of Arc has always been the
special delight of the French people.
They. in their simple manner, have
worshiped her memory devoutly, and
when recently the Catholic church COM
pleted her Qualification there was gem
eral rejoicing throughout the republic.
Not that this final official act was
necessary in France, for there she has
been worshiped for centuries. The
people of her own country had long
ago conceded her those seven virtues
of faith, hope, charity, temperance,
fortitude, prudence and justice, which
in the Sistine Chapel, on January 6,
the four hundred and ninety-second
anniversary of her birth, the. Papal
bull pronounced her to have. possessed.
Only canonization, formal canoniza-
ton, remains to complete the cere-
monies that will establish the saint
hood Of the famous maiden warrior and
put her as securely in the list of those
worshiped of the church as any other
wearer of the title.
But in France alone, that country to
which she devoted her all, the Maid of
Domremy is without honor Clemen-
ceau has decreed it. This injustice to
the Maid of Orleans is nothing new.
In fact, the wrong against her began
during life, and steadily continued in
various forms for many centuries.
The extreme humility of her birth
she was a peasant in Domremy, de-
partment of the Vosges, who, though
she could sew and spin, never knew
how to read and write-gave many of
her critics u chance to dilate on her
ignorance, and to argue that a woman
SO lacking in education never could
have achieved the marvels that have
been credited to her. Every act of
that wonderful career from the time
when, brooding over the sufferings and
humiliations of her nation, she fancied
herself called by spirit voices to be
the savior of France, went to the
Dauphin, told her story, persuaded him
to let her don male attire and go to the
war, critics have striven to discount.
Two men as great as Shakespeare and
later Voltaire, drew the pen against
her, and mighty champions like Schil-
Ter replied in her behalf
The warfare has waged without ces-
sation for centuries. But certain cold
facts Of history speak for themselves.
They tell how on the night of April 80,
1929, she threw herself with supplies
of provisions into Orleans, then close
ly besieged by the British, and from
the 4th to the Sth Of May made sue
cessful sallies OH the British which re-
suited in the siege being raised. This
important victory rekindled the ardor
of the nation, and a mighty wave of
patriotism reached its crest when Joan
conducted the Dauphin to Rheims on
July II, 1929, and with many tears sa-
luted him as king.
For eleven months Joan continued to
lead the troops, but in May, after hav-
ing hurled herself with a few troops
into Compiegne, which the Burgundian
forces besieged, she was driven back
by them. and taken a prisoner. The
officer in charge sold her to the Brit
| ish for a sum said to be 10000 francs.
While controversialists may have
disagreed in France as to the divine
nature of Joan's inspiration, the Brit
ish had no doubt as to the proper course
to pursue with reference to her They
recognized in the enkindled peasant
Io