DAY 260 - PRUNAY TO REIMS: 9.3 MILES (18,600 STEPS)

Saturday 7 January, 2012

9.3 miles (Total: 2449.5 miles) – 18,600 steps (Total: 5,243,401 steps)

Reims, like Verdun, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, and Saarbrucken were not on a direct route from Switzerland to Paris, but they seemed to be important milestones in understanding the history of conflict and the idea of Europe. A direct line from Basel would have been 280 miles, but with my detours it will be close to 500 miles although I will hopefully arrive better informed if not in better shape. This has been a recurrent theme on the walk that has taken me to Athens and Sarajevo – I reflect that had I taken the direct route from Olympia to London of 2350 miles, I would have been home for Christmas – don’t get me started again as I am only just toughening up.

Reims, like the wonderful city of Durham from where I left, is dominated by her magnificent cathedral – Notre Dame. Moreover, that magnificent cathedral is adorned with an inspirational rose window. Durham pre-dates Reims by around one hundred years, but as Durham Cathedral was commissioned under French occupation and constructed to classic Norman designs, it is no surprise that similarities should exist.

There is something about cathedrals that inspires me and at the same time gives me an incredible sense of peace. I have sat in Durham Cathedral for hours although it felt like just minutes, though often when there is a service on with hymns and a preacher it has seemed like hours when it has only been minutes. When I am in London, Durham Cathedral is the place I miss the most in the North East – I would love to be able to wander into Westminster Cathedral for quiet contemplation from time to time but I can’t afford the £15 admission fee. Reims is free and the scale and light is utterly impressive. I light a candle at the Chapel of Joan of Arc and watch it flicker for an hour or so and as I did, my problems seemed to be consumed by the flames leaving only the illumination of the light.

Reims Cathedral was badly damaged during WW1 when the city was under siege by German forces. Neither did it fare well during the Hundred Years War in fighting against English forces, although they fortunately did not have access to canon. They did however manage to capture Joan of Arc and put her on trial for heresy. Joan of Arc must be one of the most remarkable figures in world history; she was put in charge of commanding all French forces in the war against England at the age of only 16-17 and succeeded in securing some incredible victories at Orleans and Reims. Following this, she chose to offer the victories to God and Charles VII rather than claim them and the power for herself, an act that stunned supporters and opponents alike. Like Jesus she shunned the trappings of earthly power, though unlike Jesus she was not averse to using the sword to do so.

If you want to see man at his worst, simply tell him he is god for he will wield with lust of power but extend none of the grace. Bishop Cauchon was in charge of the prosecution and, as a puppet of the English government who paid for the trial and expected a return on their investment, cooked up charges against her in a similar way to which the Scribes and Pharisees cooked up charges against Jesus. The penalty for challenging the religious authorities was no less severe in Roman occupied Palestine than it was in English occupied France and meant that Joan was burned at the steak for the heresy of denying that Henry VI was God’s anointed king by using her victory in Reims to crown Charles VII instead.

There was a re-trial a hundred years later where the decision of Bishop Cauchon’s ecclesiastical court was overturned, thereby clearing the way for Joan of Arc to become a saint (I am sure she would have wanted that – not!) and patron saint of France (well perhaps). Mind you, it always seemed a little off that women are allowed to be saints, interceding on our behalf directly with the Almighty in heaven, but are not permitted to do so here on earth. Our grandest cathedrals can be named Notre Dame (Our Lady) or the Blessed Virgin Mary (as in the case of Durham) but women are unable to preside in them as bishops. I am sure the clergy have a really good answer on that one, they have had two thousand years to think one up. Perhaps it is because the Bible says priests, archbishops and popes shouldn’t wear dresses – “yes!”, uh, I meant “no!”. Stick to the heresy trials lads, pious hypocrisy and the retention of power plays to our strengths. Meanwhile, I headed off in pious judgement of the priests for my 12:44pm train back to Prunay to recommence my walk into Reims.