Louis IX: The Divine King

"What I have written besides this, I have written to do additional honour to that true saint; for it is through him that a man can best see that from the beginning of his reign to the end of his life no layman of our time spent his whole life in so saintly a manner" (Joinville 23). These are the words of Sir John of Joinville, Seneschal of Champagne and friend of the great saint whom he was referring to: Saint Louis IX. King of France during the Middle Ages from 1226 to 1270. Louis IX truly represented his title as "the Most Christian King." People of France, including ecclesiastical leaders, nobles, and ordinary people regarded King Louis as a pious, noble, trustworthy, and honorable king. In The Life of Saint Louis, Joinville suggests from his accounts that Louis' devout faith to Christianity leads him to take on more responsibilities than what is usually customary of a king.

Louis transformed the traditional role of the king as a ruler into the role of a public servant. Louis IX strongly believed in making himself available to any person in his kingdom, no matter the individual's social status. He assumes this role in accordance to his religious beliefs. This can be seen in a conversation Louis IX has with Seneschal Joinville when this noble king advises "For you should never scorn to do what our Lord Himself did as an example for us. So I beg you, first for the love of God and then for the love of me, to accustom yourself to washing the feet of the poor" (Joinville 169). Here, Louis explains to Joinville his belief in serving the people of France, even those who are stricken with poverty. Louis IX shows a respect for all human kind which parallels God's love for all human kind. King Louis' strong faith in Christianity causes him to act as how he believes God would act. This is evident when Louis notes that God took care of the poor as an example to his followers. The role of a public servant is just one of the unconventional responsibilities that King Louis takes on throughout his reign as king.

King Louis successfully assumed the role of a judge as a result of his Christian faith. The people of France considered Louis IX to be a very reasonable and fair judge. Louis was fair in respect that when a church conflict was present he would not automatically side with the church. Instead, he gave reasonable thought to each side's claim and submitted a judgment that he believed was fair in accordance with God's will. Fair judgment is shown when Joinville describes an incident where the bishop approached the king about a church issue. The bishop explained to Louis IX that many people in the community were not attending church or seeking confession for their sins. The bishop argued that the king needed to take action by seizing their possessions so these individuals would take action and get themselves 'absolved' (178). The king requested solid evidence that the individuals were in the wrong, in which the bishop denied. Joinville noted the king's response, "The king replied that he would not do anything other than he had said; for it would be against God and contrary to right and justice if he compelled any man to seek absolution when the clergy where doing him wrong" (178). King Louis's refusal to condemn an individual without concrete evidence demonstrates his just rationality as a judge. It is unexpected that such a devout Christian sided with individuals that neglected the church. However, King Louis's strong faith compelled him to pass the same judgment that God would have in the same situation. In this case, not only did Louis's faith lead him to assume the role of judge, but it also caused him to judge fairly without biases.

King Louis also takes on a role as a teacher or mentor in order to educate his people with new understanding. Joinville described a conversation between Louis XI and himself. He explained that the king asked him if he would rather be a leper or have committed some moral sin. To which Joinville replied that he would rather commit thirty moral sins then become a leper. Louis was dismayed by this and offered Joinville his input, "There is no leprosy so foul than being in state of mortal sin. Besides, when a man dies his body is healed of its leprosy; but if he dies after committing a moral sin he can never be sure that he has repented sufficiently" (169). Louis IX took it upon himself as his responsibility to expand the knowledge of his people by challenging their ideas and offering his own. In this dialogue described by Joinville, there is a high sense of intense passion for Christian beliefs voiced by the king. These solid beliefs without a doubt influenced his will to get his people to think critically.

King Louis IX was a servant of God in the fact that he lived his life the way he believed God would want him to. He believed that God appointed him as king and he took on all of the responsibilities that this appointment implies. His devotion to Christianity influenced how he ruled his kingdom. He was a very fair and reasonable king who had a general love for humanity. He was an unconventional king in that he took on responsibilities that were not required for a king. He assumed these duties in order to serve his kingdom as God would.

Reference

Joinville, Jean de, The Life of Saint Louis. ed. Noel L. Corbett. (Sherbrooke: Naaman, 1977).