Evening star., 1909-04-18

ladies; that she had received many people
of all conditions who found in her no evil,
but, on the contrary. kindness. virglnity.
devotion, honesty and simplicity; that
marvellous things were related of her birth
and life; that when asked for miracle In
proof OF her divine gifts. she has offered
to deliver Orleans in accordance with
Gods wish, and that she must be led
with soldiers before Orleans. since to lack
faith in her or to abandon her would be
to resist the Holy Ghost and become un-
worthy Of favors from heaven"
These parchments exist with the others
relating to her cause. and this vital evil
dence has been left aside or minimized
while the other evidence of the court
organized by enemies who had bought her
for 81 ,OCO and had found renegade prists to
condemn her, has been emphasized SO as
to eclipse everything else. Doubtless Eng
lish chroniclers of the period sought to
justify Henry vi for burning her, and
French chrOniclers sought to justify
Charles VII for abandoning her to her
fate, and so the first step was taken in
weakening the historical link; since then.
some writer's who did not happen to ap-
prove of Roman methods have helped on
the work of obscurity, while others have
sinned from ignorance. But the twentieth
century, enlightened by science and by
thought, can be broad-minded enough to
do justice not only to Joan, but to her
judges. too, quite irrespective of national
or religious prejudices.
Joan OF Arcs process or trial Of beati-
fication began officially in 1894. when
Monseigneur TOuchet, Bishop of Orleans.
acting as postulator since he was bishop
of her diocese. referred to the congrega-
ton of rites in Rome the documents he
had brought together In a preliminary
inquiry opened by him to establish Joan's
worthiness to be ranked as a saint. He
had gathered from the best available
sources all details of Joan's life, works.
virtues, supernatural gifts and reputation
for saintliness during life and after death,
and these were sent In with a report from
him urging that her cause offered all the
necessary guarantees for beatifcation.
In ancient times, public opinion would
have SufHced to make saint of Joan,
provided the Vatican had sanctioned the
worship: but in 1884 Pope Urban VIII es-
tablished a new and elaborate system.
now in vogue. and requiring minute in
vestigation and wise deliberateness In
procedure. The demand of the postulator,
representing public opinion in Christian
community, recalls the old method of
evidence Is required by close examination
of life and thoughts. and divine approval
is awaited by means of miracles, operated
in the name of the proposed saint.
* X
The process is a trial like one before an
ordinary court of justice. Since sentence
cannot be passed until evidence has been
produced and witnesses heard. council
must speak for and against the cause the
reliability of verbal and written evidence
must be examined. and only then can the
Judge decide, not according to his per-
sonal views but according to the actual
facts brought to light and sustained in
the face of contradictions. The congrega-
ton Of rites acts as court, reporting
Judge called the ponent is appointed from
the cardinals of the congregation to de-
fend the proposed saint and urge pleas
for beatiflcation. while an attorney gen
eral, officially known as the promoter of
the faith, must pick flaws in any fact
which might possibly be turned against
the person in question. That is, his tit'e
is promoter of the faith. since he is there
to safeguard the church against an error
in sanctifying some one unworthy of the
supreme honor: but public opinion has
ncknamed him the DEVILS advocate, on
the principle that, since he combats Gods