"Blessed" GK Chesterton? [Zenit]

[Catholic_Press]

Interview on Possible Beatification of English Author

By Antonio Gaspari

ROME, JULY 14, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) is well known for his clever and humorous writing, and his thought-provoking paradoxes. But he might also become known as a saint, if a proposal to launch his cause of beatification goes forward.

ZENIT spoke with Paolo Gulisano, author of the first Italian-language biography of the great English writer (“Chesterton & Belloc: Apologia e Profezia,” Edizioni Ancora), about the origins of this proposal. Here, Gulisano explains why Chesterton might merit recognition as a saint.

ZENIT: Who is promoting this cause of beatification?

More…

 

[DaveBj]

A 300-lb, cigar-smoking, pistol-carrying saint (possibly)?

I love it!

I’m not 300 lb, and I don’t smoke cigars, but there’s hope for the likes of me yet!

DaveBj

 

[GeorgeSword]

Canonizing Chesterton - it’s taken long enough
Let’s hope it moves on. I’m sure he’s in heaven, and his wonderful services to the Church sure have brought in alot of converts.

 

[sabriner]

Canonizing Chesterton - it’s taken long enough
Let’s hope it moves on. I’m sure he’s in heaven, and his wonderful services to the Church sure have brought in alot of converts.

amen to that! (as me being one of those people!)

 

[Shaken]

I certainly have enjoyed reading his books.

 

[Maranatha]

What about the charges that he was a anti-Semite.

newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/07/080707fa_fact_gopnik

 

[GeorgeSword]

Chesterton was friends with a Jewish writer who’s name I can’t recall right now. I don’t think that he was really racist or seriously anti-semetic, though he may have made some comments that would appear as such today. But only if we understand them in the context of today. Many words we consider vulgar or offensive today were considered perfectly acceptable sixty years ago, and I think that seeing Chesterton as being anti-semetic is a case of this. He was no worse than any person of his time, and I don’t think we can condemn him for this.