Thomas Merton. Good or bad role model for Catholics?

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So I have recently noticed a resurgence among some young Catholics in the writings of Thomas Merton. I know he is very well respected in interfaith history. However I have also heard some of his views were controversial.
With that I also notice someone with his prominence in Catholic history isn’t even being discussed in the Church for canonization. What is it that he did that has some criticizing his views?
 
I really liked his book, which of his views are considered controversial?
 
I suppose we have to ask ourselves what makes a good Catholic role model?

Can it only be one popular with Church authorities, especially those involved with the Canonisation process?

Does one need to at least be a baptised Catholic and an admitted sinner?
If yes, what makes such sinners special enough to be promoted as a public role model?

Can one still follow a role model who is not (yet) publicly promoted?

I don’t know the answer to these questions myself.

What I do know is that he was ahead of his time and his highly controversial views of the time are now not so controversial for many people.

Was he much of his life arrogant, wilful, very hard for his superiors to handle and hard for his non-comprehending community to live with?
Yes he was.
He was a very difficult personality, but he clearly loved God and seemed to seek him to the best of his rather anti-social abilities.

So your call.
 
Why do you think the titles of all his books are not included? I have never seen that before. 🤔
 
Merton was a mystic, and a political one at that. He could see the common mystical threads of other traditions (even non-Christian) and respected them for it.
 
Yah. I mean that’s respectable but is it good for Catholics in all occasions?
I just seem to notice young people seem to really be drawn to his writings, along with C.S. Lewis.
 
I think it depends on how well defined, neat and traditional one needs his or her faith to be. He opened doors and for some that is threatening.
 
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