… and the New Advent article on John Cassian who lived 360-435 AD (thanks Trishie for the link) also states that Pope Saint Gregory the Great who is one of the 33 Doctors of the Church called Cassian a saint.
And see A.M. Casiday’s “
Rehabilitating John Cassian: an evaluation of
Prosper of Aquitaine’s polemic against the ‘Semipelagians.’” In summary, Casiday’s says the most well-known attacks on Cassian are “seriously flawed.”
For Cassian’s “Conferences,” especially Conference 13, I suggest Boniface Ramsey’s English translation in the “Ancient Christian Writers” series.
The “Rule” of St. Benedict (480-543 AD ) quotes Cassian more than any other non-Scriptural source. The Benedictine monks preserved ancient knowledge and help build Europe. St. Benedict’s “Rule” urges his monks to read Cassian.
As the original poster very correctly pointed out, Cassian is called a saint in the East.
Back in the west, St. Dominic (1170-1221 AD) founder of the Dominicans – the fearless, formidable, and effective Order of Preachers whose fundamental duty is preaching the word of God correctly – loved Cassian’s “Conferences” and carried the “Conferences,” the Gospel of Matthew, and Paul’s Letters wherever he traveled.
Cassian’s “Conferences” are one of the longest ancient Christian documents – they consists of 24 conferences with 15 Egyptian Desert Fathers – and the “Conferences” brought Eastern monasticism to the early Church in the west.
For centuries the “Conferences” have guided those who seek God.
