France: Bishop Nicholas Hudson preaches at annual celebration of St Joan of Arc in Rouen

Bishop Hudson and Archbishop Lebrun with the young Joan outside Rouen Cathedral

Source: CBCEW

The Saturday following the Ascension marks the annual celebration of Saint Joan of Arc in Rouen. Every year, the Archbishop of Rouen invites a guest preacher. The last Englishman to have been invited was Archbishop George Patrick Dwyer of Birmingham in 1967.

This year, the Bishop of Plymouth, the Right Reverend Nicholas Hudson, was invited to preach. Bishop Nicholas, both fully British and fully French, spoke of how English Catholics love and revere, the affectionally known, Sainte Jeanne d'Arc. As a former Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, he shared that Westminster Cathedral itself bears a large, prominent mosaic raised to the honour of Blessed Joan of Arc in 1910, ten years before her canonisation, and that many churches across England are dedicated to her honour.

Bishop Nicholas preached the morning homily at Mass in the church of Saint Joan which stands in the square where the nineteen-year-old was burned at the stake. Remarkably, the sanctuary was adorned with the 15th-century processional cross which Saint Joan asked to be held before her as she burnt. In his homily, Bishop Nicholas reflected on the words of Mark Twain, who called Saint Joan of Arc, "by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced." He drew on the words of the Psalmist and the Wisdom of Solomon to retell her story, recalling how she was "though young, found keen in judgment" and "in the sight of rulers, admired." He reflected on how "the pro-English clerics who put her on trial must surely have been impressed by her courage" in telling them, "You say that you are my judge. Take care what you do, for in truth I am sent by God, and you put yourself in great danger."

Bishop Nicholas spoke of how Saint Joan gave testimony to the teaching of Jesus - the call for any follower of his to deny himself, take up his cross and follow. "Every martyr," he said, "knows what it means to take up their cross, and such was Saint Joan of Arc's conviction of the Cross's saving power that she asked to have a cross held before her as she submitted to the flames." Everyone heard her cry "Jesus" as she took her final breath.

Bishop Nicholas also spoke of the deep distress Saint Joan of Arc experienced on discovering that, if she persisted in her recantation, she would be denied the life of the sacraments for the rest of her life. "She had recanted," he said, "only because she knew and trusted her judges to represent the Church, and because she respected and wished to submit to the Church's authority. But when she returned to her cell and was reproached by her voices for having denied God, she chose rather to submit to a higher authority - the authority of the voices she heard - even if it meant submission to the flames." George Bernard Shaw paid Saint Joan of Arc the highest compliment when he suggested that in such a decision she "represented life possibly at its highest actual human evolution."

Mass was followed by a civic ceremony in the Square. After lunch, and to a full Cathedral, Bishop Nicholas preached the half-hour Panegyric - a speech in honour of Saint Joan.

In his Panegyric, Bishop Nicholas recalled the words of the distinguished English historian Helen Castor, that "in the firmament of history Jeanne is a massive star" whose "light shines brighter than that of any other figure of her time and place." Her story, he recalled, is "unique and at the same time universal in its reach - a recurring motif replayed in art, literature, music, and film." He drew on the accounts of distinguished judge and historian, Jonathan Sumption, to recall that it was Saint Joan's persuading of both Dauphin and troops alike that made the coronation in Rheims possible and so altered history. "Her real weapons," Sumption said, "were her charisma and her faith - her faith in herself and in her voices. Victory, she would tell her men, would come not from numbers, not from tactics, but from God himself."

Bishop Nicholas reflected on the witness of Pope Benedict XVI, who wrote that her holiness is "a beautiful example for lay people engaged in politics, especially in the most difficult situations," and who described her prayer life as one of continual conversation with God - "the Name of Jesus," Pope Benedict XVI said, "was like the continuous breathing of her soul." He recalled too the bond between Saint Joan of Arc and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, brought together by the Church as Patronesses of France, and united by, as Pope Benedict XVI wrote, "the same great love for Jesus and her neighbour, lived in consecrated virginity." Thérèse expressed her desire to die, like Saint Joan of Arc, with the Name of Jesus on her lips.

He recalled the words of Pope Benedict XV at her Canonisation on 16th May 1920 - 106 years ago to the day - that the English "had a mortal hatred for Jeanne and wanted her death at all costs," and of how Pope Benedict XVI had written that her trial was "a distressing page in the history of holiness." "This trial," Jonathan Sumption suggests, "was not so much about the veracity of Jeanne but about the legitimacy of the dual monarchy - ultimately not a religious but a political condemnation." The judges who condemned her, Pope Benedict XVI said, "lacked charity and the humility to see God's action in this young woman."

In the final words of his Panegyric, Bishop Nicholas asked Saint Joan of Arc, "to stand alongside all who know themselves today to be victims of injustice," and "to pray for our troubled world; and most especially today for France and England, that we might grow together in ever-deeper unity and witness together to the urgent need for peace across the world."

As the congregation left the Cathedral, they were greeted by a colourful Medieval fair in the Cathedral piazza. The Bishops and civic dignitaries led the congregation in the company of a young "Joan" atop a horse towards the river, where flowers were thrown from a bridge in memory of Saint Joan's ashes being deposited there after her execution at the orders of the English Cardinal Beaufort of Winchester.

Homily in Full

Sagesse 8, 9-15
Psaume 15 (16), 1-2a.5, 7-8, 11
Evangile Matthieu 16, 24-27

To think that Sainte Jeanne was only nineteen years of age when she made the supreme sacrifice of submitting her life to the flames!

She was just sixteen, and with no prior military experience, when she rode forth in white armour to lead the army into triumphant battle at the Siege of Orleans.

"By far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced," Mark Twain said of her.
In her are truly realised the words of the Psalmist, "On the lips of children and of babes you have found praise to foil your enemy."

Of course, Sainte Jeanne was no child: she was endowed with a courage and wisdom far beyond her years, which enabled her to foil the enemy with unparalleled success.

In her was made incarnate the Wisdom of which Solomon sings so eloquently in our first reading today.
It was indeed because of Sainte Jeanne that God had "glory among the multitude".
"Though young, she was found keen in judgment."
"In the sight of rulers," she was indeed "admired".

If not admired by King Henry of England or King Charles VI of France, she certainly impressed the Dauphin, to the point that he allowed her to proceed to Rheims in order that he might be crowned King Charles VII.

"The King of Heaven has commanded me," she had told the Dauphin, "that through me you are to be consecrated and crowned in the city of Rheims. On behalf of my God, I tell you that you are the true heir of France and that he has sent me to take you to Rheims."

King Henry of Egland and King Charles VI of France, we might say, fall into the category of "monarchs afraid of me when they hear me."

Sainte Jeanne anticipated the fear instilled by her voice when she wrote to the English at Orleans, "I will make a way-cry that will be remembered forever."

The pro-English clerics who put her on trial must surely have been impressed too by her courage in telling them, "You say that you are my judge. Take care what you do, for in truth I am sent by God, and you put yourself in great danger."

Sainte Jeanne gives eloquent testimony not only to the Wisdom of Solomon but to the very teaching of Jesus - the teaching we hear today, the call of Jesus for any follower of his to deny himself, take up his cross and follow.

Every martyr knows what it means to take up their cross. So it is that many a martyr who has been heard to say, as they mount the scaffold or receive the noose around their neck, "Salve sancta crux", "Hail, Holy Cross."

Such was Sainte Jeanne's conviction of the Cross's saving power that she asked to have a cross held before her as she submitted to the flames.

Hearing that, an Englishman made a little cross of wood, which he gave her and she devoutly received it and kissed it.
She put this cross into her bosom and asked that she might have the processional cross from the church held before her eyes.

So the words of the Psalmist - "I keep the Lord before me always" - were realised in her.

As she submitted her limbs to the chains and ropes which would bind her to the pyre, she was doubtless sustained by God's promise, spoken also through the psalmist, of "the fullness of joy in your presence."

Jesus showed her "the path of life"; and she took it. "Jesus," she called continually as she became engulfed by the flames.
Everyone heard her cry "Jesus", as she took her final breath; and submitted her spirit into his loving embrace.

He doubtless received her and told her, as he promised, "Well done, good and faithful servant; now come and enter into your eternal reward."

The psalmist speaks of the way the Lord "even at night directs my heart".

Pope Benedict XVI spoke of Sainte Jeanne's prayer-life as one of continual conversation with God.

That conversation must surely have intensified as she endured her long imprisonment.
We can understand therefore her deep was her distress at the discover ythat, if she persisted in her recantation, she would be denied the life of the sacraments for the rest of her life.
She recanted only because she knew and trusted her judges to represent the Church; and because she respected and wished to submit to the Church's authority., to the authority the Church invested in them.

It was when she returned to her cell and was reproached by her voices for having denied God that she chose rather to submit to a higher authority, to the authority of the voices she heard, even if it meant submission to the flames.

From that point on, the psalmist's prayer and conviction was made real manifest in her, that "I shall not be moved".
George Bernard Shaw, the English playwright, paid Sainte Jeanne the highest compliment when he suggested, in such a decision, she "represent(ed) life possibly at its highest actual human evolution."

Why King Charles VII would not support her after the failed assault on Paris is not clear. The historian Helen Castor believes the King did not wish to put his new reign in jeopardy. His recent coronation was secured. Paying a high ransom for the captured "Pucelle" could sabotage his war efforts. Perhaps he was afraid that too close an identification her now might cast a shadow over his reign. So he chose to leave the "Pucelle" to whatever fate God had in store or her.

One cannot doubt her trust that her Lord and Master would be waiting for her on the other side of the flames. It is rather wonderful to think that, as she stood at the Dauphin's right hand to see him crowned in Rheims Cathedral, so now she sits at the Lord's right hand, enjoying eternal happiness. From there she has called down from God countless blessings on those who place their trust in her and in Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By this I mean the countless have been the miracles attributed and documented as being owed to her divine intercession; and confirmed as such by Pope Benedict XV in his canonisation of Sainte Jeanne in 1920.
They should serve as a sign and encouragement that she waits to intercede for every one of us if we would but ask her help.

As she commended herself, at the very last, to the intercession not only of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also to the voices of those who had spoken to her - St Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine and St Margaret - so should we on this, her feastday, commend ourselves not only to their intercession but to Sainte Jeanne's intercession. too.

We should commend not only ourselves, our families, and the Church in France; we should commend the whole French nation and English nation, asking for her intercession these, our homelands, become places where the King of Heaven, in which she placed all her hope, might see his Kingdom grow.