Saint Joan of Arc, An Undeclared Martyr
By: John P. Fraunces, Ed.D.

This book is intended to give an overview of Joan of Arc’s heroic life, her bogus trial and conviction that caused her to be burnt to death at the stake for heresy in 1431. It examines her posthumous vindication in 1456, and her eventual canonization in 1920. At that time, Pope Benedict XV declared Joan of Arc to be a Saint and Virgin of the Church, but the title of Martyr was denied. While researching the life of St. Joan, the author discovered a sermon preached in 1965 by John Cardinal Wright in France. He said that he believed “. . . Joan of Arc died a martyr in the full theological sense of that glorious title. . .” His words inspired the author to focus on why this omission occurred, the reason why it happened, and a new argument to demonstrate the truth of her actual martyrdom.