On January 13, 1431, on the third day after King Henry of England saw Jeanne and left in anger, Jeanne's trial began. However, Jeanne's trial was not carried out by a secular court.
But it is carried out by some very special groups of people...
Fighting Church.
According to the church, they are warriors who fight spiritually against the evil in the world, so the church also has the term "fighting church".
In this trial, theologians from the University of Paris and many church figures were involved. They accused Jeanne of being a heretic, distorting teachings, claiming to be able to hear the voice of God, and using the name of God to confuse ignorant believers into participating in the secular world.
In the struggle between countries, it is a serious act of heresy.
Unlike secular countries, the church is not interested in territorial disputes between kingdoms. It does not matter who the king of France is, but he is extremely interested in Jeanne, because according to Jeanne, her existence is simply subverting the church.
foundation.
If God does not guide believers through the church, then where is the authority of the church as the earthly spokesperson of God?
Jeanne, a woman who claimed to be able to hear the voices of saints, was already a thorn in the side of the church.
However, the support of the British was naturally inevitable behind this. After all, the current French King Charles was pushed to the throne by Jeanne herself. If the person who crowned the French King was judged to be a witch, the legitimacy of the French King would naturally be questioned.
Therefore, under the threat of the British, many scholars who concentrated on theological research and did not intend to participate in the national struggle were forced to enter this religious trial.
…
In the morning, it was a sunny day, and a large number of people had already gathered outside the Inquisition in the center of the town. Everyone was eager to see the grace of the "Saint of Orleans", and when the Maid of Orleans actually appeared in front of people
At that time, it caused quite a stir.
"Wow..."
His hands were shackled and he made a soft sound when he moved around. He was dressed like a boy and followed closely by two soldiers. Although he was a little haggard after several months of imprisonment, his bright eyes were still as determined as ever.
When they saw the Saint of Orleans, the crowd of civilians looked at the Saint of Orleans in awe. As she moved forward, they slowly pushed away like a tide, making way for a path. Some devout believers painted directly on their chests.
Cross, some bold women tried to reach out and touch Jeanne's clothes, arms, and hair, murmuring prayers to pray for the saint's protection.
No matter how the church and the king view it, for most French people, Jeanne is a legendary saint. Superstition and worship of Jeanne are not uncommon in France at this time.
"Spread out, spread out!"
The soldiers waved their weapons and drove away those who tried to contaminate the holy relics. After Jeanne entered the religious court, the soldiers directly closed the door tightly and did not allow anyone else to enter, blocking all those who tried to peek inside.
sight.
"Bang..."
The door was closed, and the first thing that caught Jeanna's eyes was several bishops sitting on the judgment seat directly above. There were many scholars on both sides. As Jeanna entered, the eyes of many scholars enveloped her.
on the body.
Doubt, disdain, hostility, pity, all kinds of looks contain infinite human emotions.
"Jeanade Acre, you are accused of seventy crimes...you can plead guilty."
The judgment seat was shrouded in darkness, and the face of the judge could not be seen clearly, only the low and loud voice sounded.
Claims to be able to talk to God, predict the future, confuse believers, wear men's clothing, and does not follow the church...
Many crimes were listed one by one by the voice. Among the many gazes, Jeanne, who was alone, looked particularly small, like an ant in front of a giant.
But listening to the many accusations, her bright eyes did not waver, she just raised her head, just like when she faced the British. However, the British army wanted to destroy her body, and now the trial is trying to destroy her body.
her spirit.
"I don't admit it!"
In the courtroom, the decisive voice was sonorous and powerful.
…
The trial lasted for a long time, and there was a fierce debate between the two sides during the process. The church did not care about Jeanna's secular identity. They hardly asked about Jeanna's leadership of the army in the war. Instead, they paid special attention to Jeanna's understanding of the doctrine.
For the church, Jeanne's faith is the only issue worth paying attention to, which is related to the authority of the church.
"You claim to be able to hear the voice of God? Do you feel that you have been graced by God?"
This is a question with a trap, because according to dogma, God is unfathomable, and no one can know whether he has received the grace of God. If Jeanne says yes, then she is heresy, but if Jeanne denies, then
It stands to reason that she is a liar who tells lies and needs to be held accountable.
But Jeanne unexpectedly answered.
"If I haven't received it, I hope God will give it to me; if I have received it, I hope God will still give it to me."
This answer stunned the scholars present. The astuteness in this answer was far beyond the concept that an illiterate village girl could understand. But then, after the scholars talked in low voices, they asked again.
"Do you think God hates the English and that's why he sent you to save France?"
This is also an answer full of traps, because God will not love or be hostile to a certain country or nation. If Jeanne answers incorrectly, it will also be regarded as heresy by the church.
"Whether God is loving or evil to the English, I don't know. I only know that except the dead, all the English will be driven out of France."
The stubborn answers once again silenced the judges.
This trial lasted for a long time, as long as 4 months, with constant exchanges and debates between the two sides, but Jeanne showed amazing rationality. Even if the other party was a church with countless scholars, she still did not fall behind.
The church once tried to use the instrument of torture to make Jeanne surrender, just like they had done countless trials.
But Jeanne stiffened her neck and answered.
"No matter what torture device you use, I will not give in. Even if I confess because of pain, I will insist on explaining that all my confessions were made under violent coercion."
After the stalemate, the church had to choose to give up the torture. After all, Jeanne was not an unknown person. Many people were paying attention to the trial. Many nobles came to Rouen to witness the results of the trial. The church
I can't resist the gaze of so many people.
In the end, the 70 charges were reduced to 12 by Jeanne. Instead of finding enough evidence for the crime, the church suffered a huge loss of face. These charges will also be tested by many theologians in the UK to verify whether there are any.