In the Roman Catholic religion, saints are viewed with immense respect. Saints still play a key role in the lives of those who are religiously devoted. However, what some people may not think about is the actual process that takes place to achieve sainthood. For some historical figures this may take a short time, but for others it may take centuries. This was the unfortunate case of Joan of Arc, a young heroine whose life was fascinating but which ended up turning tragic. If Joan of Arc's short life was undeniably heroic and full of importance, the most significant event occurred after her death; Hundreds of years of work, from the discovery of his innocence to the declaration of his canonization, took place in his path to sainthood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Joan of Arc lived in Domrémy-la-Pucelle, France, with her mother, father, and two brothers. She also had a sister who died when she was sixteen. Neighbors described Joan as particularly religious, showing early on her undeniable devotion to her Lord. However, at the age of twelve, Joan's world changed when she began having visions. She later claimed that she believed the visions were those of an angel, but during her trial she was pressured to say that these visions had the voices of Saint Catherine, Saint Margaret and Saint Michael. As strange as these visions may have seemed to young Jeanne, she listened to the mission they entrusted to her; her visions told her that she was to be the savior of France. Steve Bonta said: “The illiterate peasant girl, Joan of Arc, began having visions at a young age that she attributed to God, informing her that she was to be an instrument in the liberation of France.” Joan was the chosen one sent to drive out the English and crown the true king, Charles the Dauphin. The unwavering dedication that Jeanne had for this mission is actually what led her down the path to her eventual death. Eighteen years after Joan of Arc's execution, King Charles began to have doubts about the way her trial had proceeded. He entrusts the task of investigating the trial to his advisor, Guillaume Bouillé. After re-questioning all the witnesses and their testimonies, Bouillé came to the decision that the first trial had been a sham, he even declared it void. Along with this, his king was worried, so he was sure to inform Charles what to do next. The text says: "In his summary, he indicated that the king should not be associated with a person condemned as a witch and that a review should be undertaken as soon as possible." Justice for Joan was moving slowly but surely, with the next step being the rehabilitation trial. This retrial was intended to shed light on any new evidence that might prove that Joan's initial finding of guilt was incorrect. Four examinations took place in Paris, Orléans, Domrémy and Rouen; During the retrial, evidence from these interrogations was revealed and formed a key part of the final verdict. The initial trial was deemed invalid due to the biased nature of the judges involved. Another problem was the fact that the procedure was not followed all the time. Joan was pardoned of those charges, but some were quick to point out that she shouldn't have been charged in the first place. In his book, Thiel says, “Joan was pardoned for sins she never committed but had been convicted of.” Jeanne was charged, tried and executed inbecause of the prejudices that few people had towards her which outweighed the faith and love that others had in her. Before the process of sainthood is revealed, it is important to know exactly what a saint is; a saint is defined as a person recognized as holy and is generally considered to be in heaven after death. It is evident that Joan was a saint from the moment her soul left this earth. Mary Gordon explains: “Joan of Arc was a virgin and died for what she believed, but she does not fit the type of virgin martyr. . . she is like all the great saints, a personality of genius.” Holiness requires that various steps be followed for the process to be carried out properly. One of the most important stages is beatification. Beatification is when a pope declares that a deceased person is in a state of beatitude. Four miracles are generally required to obtain beatification, but Pope Pius IX granted the dispensation of one miracle since Joan had succeeded in saving France. There were only three miracles left to link to Joan, and they all ended up coming from three nuns living in France. Sister Thérèse was healed of leg ulcers, Sister Julie was healed of a cancerous ulcer in her breast and Sister Marie was healed of stomach cancer. The Pope considered all this authentic and accepted them. Joan of Arc was officially declared blessed on April 11, 1909. The next stepping stone to sainthood is canonization. Canonization is the final step in the process and formal admission of a deceased person to sainthood. Even after the three miracles required for beatification, two more must be authenticated for canonization to be granted. According to the text, "Two such miracles were attributed to Joan of Arc which sealed her holiness: a cure of tuberculosis and the healing of a hole in the sole of a woman's foot." Joan of Arc was canonized on May 16, 1920 and the celebration took place in Saint Peter's Basilica. While achieving canonization was a huge victory for the legacy of Joan of Arc and her supporters, it's hard to ignore the fact that it took four grueling centuries to get to this point. Joan of Arc still proves to be important in today's society. She represents and is a great example of true courage. Joan began her heroic journey when she was just fourteen years old, and it took a tremendous amount of nerve for her to confront grown men and repel all their attempts to keep her from her mission. Even though her family, her own group of men, and her country may not have believed in her, she still managed to keep going. Joan also showed the importance of faith. Every decision the young hero made, she made sure to base it on what would please her God. Even as a young girl, when she began to have visions, no matter how unusual, she agreed to follow through on their plans for her in order to obey her Lord. Joan showed total dedication throughout her life, even her last breath was used to implore God. If Joan of Arc's life were inspected, one would undoubtedly notice that her entire life was marked by her faith and she had no qualms about letting the world know how much it meant to her. Because even when she was mocked for letting her faith guide her, she didn't let that override her perseverance. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay While Joan of Arc was known for defying the gender roles common in her time, she also managed to have enough..