Why should I trust Louis de Montfort?

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jwinch2 said:
I understand what you are saying Holly, but I think we have to be a bit careful.

To my understanding, the most we can say with confidence regarding one who has been canonized is that he/she achieved a level personal holiness by the end of their life that we are secure in the fact that they are experiencing the beatific vision in Heaven with our blessed Lord.

However, canonization does not mean that a person’s writings are now automatically to be taken as accurate or truthful, let alone as part of the deposit of faith. As I am sure you are well aware, many saints taught things which were later condemned as heresy or at the least, which have not been adopted as part of the deposit of faith. I am not necessarily suggesting that de Montfort’s teachings will someday fall into this category, merely illustrating a point.

I am confident that you know all of this so my comments are really more of a preventive for others who might be confused by your original statement.

Peace of Christ,
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Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Lasting peace is how you know.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
Here is the procedure:

Step 1: The Holy Father says, “Hesychios is a Doctor of the Church.”
Step 2: There is no step 2

Here is the relevant canon.
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. l I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19-19)
😃

-Tim-
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Well, that’s great.

So, am I a candidate? 🙂 Have you just named me a candidate?

When will I find out?
 
Hesychios said:
How does one become a candidate for that?

Is there a petition drive, or nominating procedure?

If you can, please list the relevant canons which explain all this, and what part of the process has been completed.

Thanks
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It appears that a petition from prelates begins the process of a saint becoming a candidate for Doctor of the Church. Read here: 3op.org/stlouis.php
 
Pius X echoes the teachings of St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe

vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_02021904_ad-diem-illum-laetissimum_en.html

Bl. John Paul II praised St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe’s works!

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_19970621_montfort_en.html
  1. Dear brothers and sisters of the great Montfortian Family, in this year of prayer and reflection on the precious heritage of St Louis-Marie, I encourage you: make this treasure bear fruit; it must not remain hidden. The teaching of your founder and master coincides with the themes that the whole Church meditates on at the approach of the Great Jubilee; it marks out for us the path of true wisdom that must be laid open to so many young people who search for meaning in their lives and for an art of living
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I would caution anyone who wishes to deny Mary and Her role in our Salvation, if anyone questions it read paragraph 15 on my first link of Pope Pius X.
 
fix said:
Because they are true.
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!
Perhaps I should ask “how do we know what he claims is true”?

I approach Scripture with absolute trust (understanding that not all of it is going to be easy to understand nor expected to be straight-forward to a 21st century American anglophile) and writings that come thereafter - whether through bishops, scholars or saints - with a higher degree of scrutiny. I insist on being able to see the logic in what is being exhorted, which I don’t think is unreasonable. We certainly have an excellent history of such scholarship in our Church.

I also understand that some of what is revealed is through visions or apparitions. Again, I take these with some scrutiny, as does the Church, though I’m grateful to have the Church’s investigation to rely upon (hence why I see considerable wonder in Fatima and Guadelupe though not so much for the Snows in June).

So Montfort is a mystery - without access to the precursor works (which I’m grateful that they appear to be available) I really struggle in accepting what he writes, in particular where what he writes appears to contradict what the Church teaches. The passage that comes to mind currently is one in “The Secret of Mary” to the effect that praying directly to God is possible but ineffective.
jwinch2 said:
To my understanding, the most we can say with confidence regarding one who has been canonized is that he/she achieved a level personal holiness by the end of their life that we are secure in the fact that they are experiencing the beatific vision in Heaven with our blessed Lord.

However, canonization does not mean that a person’s writings are now automatically to be taken as accurate or truthful, let alone as part of the deposit of faith.
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Emphasis mine. I do have to wonder as well whether even the popes who enjoyed Montfort’s writings did not have some difficulty with them - even rejecting parts of them as being in error, misstated, or at least poetic rather than literal. No less than Augustine has been debated through the ages, so I see no reason to think that Montfort’s writings should be held to less scrutiny.
robwar said:
Reading his books as a protestant with your background will be difficult.
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I’m actually Catholic. “Evangelical Catholic” is the name of the program of New Evangelization at the Diocese of Milwaukee. I know some Lutherans use the term as well. I use the term because my personal practice of the faith is not that practiced by those Catholics I know who describe themselves as Traditionalist, and I’ve found that there are other Catholics whose practice is similar.
 
ready said:
It appears that a petition from prelates begins the process of a saint becoming a candidate for Doctor of the Church. Read here: 3op.org/stlouis.php
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Thank you. I read the link. 🙂

Now no where I can find (I am still looking) is there a mention of a procedure which is to be followed for a person to be a candidate. What we have were is a selection of bishops who have asked a Pope at one time to consider it.

It seems to me that for a person to be a candidate for some honor like this, the Pope would have to state that he is considering it. Anyone can forward a petitions, kings and nobles have been doing that for centuries, that does not mean the Pope will take it seriously. If a Pope does take it seriously, but never acts on it, that does not mean the next Pope or any other will take it seriously.

At least with sainthood, there is a formal procedure, and one can say that a person’s cause for sainthood is/is not advancing … or even if it has been absolutely rejected. Thus we can say reasonably well whether a person is/is not a candidate for beatification. Even if the Pope passes on and another is elected, the case is in some process.

This does not seem to be the case with the honor of Doctor of the Church (unless some new information comes up, like a relevant canon) I can only assume this is at the whim of the Holy Father and his personal conviction.

So until something else comes up I think we can assume that no one is a formal candidate to be a Doctor of the Church, just that some people outside of the decision-making process have made a suggestion or two. The claim looks like an exaggeration.
 
Dear Hesychios,

I think St. Louis De Montfort is a candidate because Church prelates think his teaching is most valuable for souls and his teaching has what it takes to make him a doctor of the Church. The petition is just the first step, and this petitioning is the same way all doctors of the Church were made doctors. I am a candidate with the secular Carmelites because the OCDS Council thinks I have what it takes to become a Secular Carmelite … whether I become an actual Carmelite has yet to be decided by them, and by me. The same goes with St. Louis De Montfort. I think he would make a fine Doctor of the Church. Let’s see what happens. Peace and God bless you!🙂
 
ready said:
Dear Hesychios,

I think St. Louis De Montfort is a candidate because Church prelates think his teaching is most valuable for souls and his teaching has what it takes to make him a doctor of the Church. The petition is just the first step, and this petitioning is the same way all doctors of the Church were made doctors. I am a candidate with the secular Carmelites because the OCDS Council thinks I have what it takes to become a Secular Carmelite … whether I become an actual Carmelite has yet to be decided by them, and by me. The same goes with St. Louis De Montfort. I think he would make a fine Doctor of the Church. Let’s see what happens. Peace and God bless you!🙂
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Just to clarify then…

What you mean has nothing to do with church standard practice, it’s just what you think. right? No Pope has apparently ever stated that he is considering making St Montfort a Doctor, it was just someone else’s idea.

Would that be correct?

Thanks
 
Hesychios said:
Just to clarify then…

What you mean has nothing to do with church standard practice, it’s just what you think. right? No Pope has apparently ever stated that he is considering making St Montfort a Doctor, it was just someone else’s idea.

Would that be correct?

Thanks
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It is my understanding that the process of making a person a Doctor of the Church begins with a petition to the Vatican/Pope. After an investigation, comes the decision. If the candidate presented isnt a good candidate to begin with I would imagine there wouldn’t be need for any serious investigation. Right now I would imagine St. Louis De Montfort is being investigated. He may or may not become a Doctor of the Church under Pope Benedictt XVI depending on what the Vatican/Pope decides. Maybe 100 years from now he will become a Doctor of the Church , then again maybe never. BTW, why are you afraid to trust St. Loius De Montfort’s works? Peace be with you!
 
Hesychios said:
Can you point us to the relevant canons?

Thanks 🙂
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I don’t think a Canon would specify that a petition is absolutely necessary. It is my understanding that the Pope (or possibly a Council) just has to make the decision to declare a person a Doctor of the Church based on their knowledge of the candidate and his/her teaching contribution to the Chruch. How does a Pope or Council get this knowledge? It is my understanding that the normal way they get this knowledge is from the people who knew the candidate and his/her teaching. What I now see is that the this process probably can begin from the top down or from the bottom up. Just speculation. Sorry I can not help you with hard facts. God bless you!🙂
 
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