Should Hilaire Belloc be canonized?

[Johann_du_Toit]

I have only started reading Belloc’s books, and I am beginning to think he was akin to a modern day prophet, both for his insight and wisdom and his unapologetic defence of the Catholic Faith (both of whom I am beginning to think were divinely inspired)

In his book Europe and the Faith, he outlined how the Catholic Church shaped modern civilization and laid the foundation for law and morality in the modern age;

In his book The Great Heresies, he predicted there would be a great conflict between the Islamic societies of the Middle East and the West;

In The Servile State, he came to the conclusion that laizze faire capitalism and state socialism were merely 2 sides of the same coin, and that both ultimately resulted in the majority of people being reduced to servants in an economic system run to the benefit of a tiny elite- if you look at it, isn’t it ironic how entwined big government and big business have become, to the point you can’t tell the difference anymore?;

In The Free Press, he predicted that the freedom of the press would be undermined by the concentration of media ownership in too few hands (long before Rupert Murdoch was even born!)

Should Belloc, in your opinion, be beatified for his contribution to the faith and to Catholic philosophy and apologetics? If not, is there a serious deficiency in his work or character that should preclude his case (and which I may have missed)?

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Belloc was a brilliant and honorable man. As to whether he should be beatified, I say yes, but only if G.K. Chesterton is beatified first! Or they should be beatified at the same time since they appear to be intellectually and spiritually joined at the hips.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

I have only started reading Belloc’s books, and I am beginning to think he was akin to a modern day prophet, both for his insight and wisdom and his unapologetic defence of the Catholic Faith (both of whom I am beginning to think were divinely inspired)

In his book Europe and the Faith, he outlined how the Catholic Church shaped modern civilization and laid the foundation for law and morality in the modern age;

In his book The Great Heresies, he predicted there would be a great conflict between the Islamic societies of the Middle East and the West;

In The Servile State, he came to the conclusion that laizze faire capitalism and state socialism were merely 2 sides of the same coin, and that both ultimately resulted in the majority of people being reduced to servants in an economic system run to the benefit of a tiny elite- if you look at it, isn’t it ironic how entwined big government and big business have become, to the point you can’t tell the difference anymore?;

In The Free Press, he predicted that the freedom of the press would be undermined by the concentration of media ownership in too few hands (long before Rupert Murdoch was even born!)

Should Belloc, in your opinion, be beatified for his contribution to the faith and to Catholic philosophy and apologetics? If not, is there a serious deficiency in his work or character that should preclude his case (and which I may have missed)?

Belloc lived in an age of really great Catholics. Wish we had more like him today. If you like history don’t forget Christopher Dawson. Linus2nd

 

[snarflemike]

Belloc was a brilliant and honorable man. As to whether he should be beatified, I say yes, but only if G.K. Chesterton is beatified first! Or they should be beatified at the same time since they appear to be intellectually and spiritually joined at the hips.

The Chesterbelloc.

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

Chesterton was another brilliant servant of God whose books I would love to read in more detail (especially Orthodoxy and Heretics) . As for Dawson, I will be on the lookout for his books as well, thanks.

 

[aspirant]

I have only started reading Belloc’s books, and I am beginning to think he was akin to a modern day prophet, both for his insight and wisdom and his unapologetic defence of the Catholic Faith… Should Belloc, in your opinion, be beatified for his contribution to the faith and to Catholic philosophy and apologetics?

What do we know about his heroic virtue and local cult?

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

What do we know about his heroic virtue and local cult?

In regard to his virtue:
He attended mass every day and also prayed the rosary on a daily basis.He was a loving husband and father. One of the reasons he took up writing and history was to challenge the officially endorsed “protestant” version of history (i.e the Church was corrupt, the Reformation was good, England became a great nation when it broke away from Rome, etc). He stood up against bigotry and intolerance against his fellow Catholics (like his famous rebuke to an anti-catholic heckler when he ran for a seat in parliament). He ran for parliament to fight against corruption and as a journalist never hesitated to tell the truth no matter how unpopular it was. Apart from his nonfiction books, his poetry and children’s stories also reflect his love of God and the Church. He was admired and respected by his contemporaries (Chesterton converted to Catholicism at least partly due to his influence).

I don’t know anything about his local cult, however.