Pope Remembers Saint Joan of Arc

After seeing little to no coverage of Saint Joan of Arc’s birthday earlier this month I was pleasantly surprised to see a great many news reports today about some remarks Pope Benedict XVI made earlier today in Rome praising Joan for being an example to follow for those in public service. Below is the substance of the Pope’s remarks about Joan:

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our catechesis today deals with Saint Joan of Arc, one of the outstanding women of the later Middle Ages. Raised in a religious family, Joan enjoyed mystical experiences from an early age. At a time of crisis in the Church and of war in her native France, she felt God’s call to a life of prayer and virginity, and to personal engagement in the liberation of her compatriots. At the age of seventeen, Joan began her mission among the French military forces; she sought to negotiate a just Christian peace between the English and French, took an active part in the siege of Orleans and witnessed the coronation of Charles VII at Reims.

Captured by her enemies the next year, she was tried by an ecclesiastical court and burnt at the stake as a heretic; she died invoking the name of Jesus. Her unjust condemnation was overturned twenty-five years later. At the heart of Saint Joan’s spirituality was an unfailing love for Christ and, in Christ, for the Church and for her neighbor. May the prayers and example of Saint Joan of Arc inspire many lay men and women to devote themselves to public life in the service of God’s Kingdom, and encourage all of us to live to the fullest our lofty calling in Christ."

Watch Video on MaidOfHeaven.com page about Pope Benedict XVI and Joan of Arc

Thank you Pope Benedict XVI for helping the world to remember what a great example Joan of Arc is to everyone!