Joan of Arc was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1909.
Beatification is a formal step in the Catholic process of recognizing a person’s holiness. Joan’s beatification came centuries after her death, following renewed interest in her life, trial, and reputation in France. Pope Pius X presided over the beatification ceremony in Rome on 18 April 1909.
Joan was not canonized at the same time. Her canonization took place later, in 1920, under Pope Benedict XV. That distinction is a common source of confusion because both milestones occurred in the twentieth century and were separated by only eleven years.
The church’s recognition followed a long historical process. A retrial held in the fifteenth century declared the original condemnation invalid, and later investigations examined Joan’s reputation and reported miracles. Her beatification preceded her elevation to sainthood and helped reinforce her religious significance in modern France.