Why did St. Joan of Arc refuse to reveal everything she had told Charles VII?
St. Joan of Arc refused to reveal the details of what she had told Charles VII during her trial because she viewed her interrogators as enemies of the King. Although many of the judges were French, they were aligned with the English and Burgundian forces opposing Charles, and she maintained that she was not obligated to divulge information that could be used against him.1
Throughout her trial at Rouen, Joan consistently refused to share these private communications, even while under oath to tell the truth regarding other matters. Her refusal was rooted in her loyalty to the King she had helped crown, as she recognized that the ecclesiastical court was effectively acting as a political tool to discredit Charles by labeling his coronation as the work of a heretic or a witch.12