ABSTRACT
Joan of Arc has been subjected to many contradictory judgments over the ages, some of which must be characterized by unprejudiced observers as rash, being dictated by political, religious, or ideological biases. This chapter uncovers clashing opinions in a forum where we would expect most of the intellectual presuppositions and leanings to be fairly uniform, namely, the papal curia, in Joan's canonization trial. In Joan of Arc' s canonization trial, the Devil' Advocates made serious charges against her modesty, temperance, humility, fortitude, perseverance, and military mission. By speaking of Joan in conjunction with Columbus, and saying that he could hardly think of a more celebrated or more difficult case for canonization than hers, the Promotor was clearly inviting comparison with the recent elaborate attempts to have Columbus considered for sainthood.
