Montfort’s Loyalty to the Holy See
Fr. Roger M. Charest , SMM
In 1706, Pope Clement XI received Father de Montfort in a private audience. The Vicar commissioned him to return to his own country with the title of Missionary Apostolic. He was being sent by the Pope himself.
Montfort’s Loyalty to the Holy See
R eaders of The Queen are well aware that two of the underlying themes of our magazine are: Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary and Loyalty to the Vicar of Christ, the Holy Father ln Rome.
Of course, we know that Montfort’s Marian Spirituality, as Pope John Paul II describes it, is “Christocentric”. This Spirituality foundation is “. . . in the Mysteries of the Blessed Trinity, and the Mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption”. (Crossing the Threshold of Hope, John Paul II, 1994).
But did you know that Obedience and Loyalty to the Holy See are integral elements of Montfort Spirituality? They are also an important part of his spiritual legacy. A legacy given to his Religious Communities, the Montfort Missionaries and Daughters of Wisdom.
Obedience and Loyalty: Integral Elements of Montfort Spirituality
Montfort made a pilgrimage on-foot to Rome, in 1706, to seek guidance from Pope Clement XI, for his missionary endeavors. He begs for permission to minister in foreign Missions. After hearing him describe what he was preaching in France, the Holy Father knew that this fiery preacher and lover of the Poor was just the man France needed at the time. He told him very positively, “Father, you have in France, a large enough field for your zeal. Go nowhere else. And always work in perfect submission to the Bishops of the dioceses to which you will be called. Because of this, God will bless your labors”. (Jesus Living in Mary, #945).
The Holy Father then conferred on him the title; “Apostolic Missionary”. He graciously blessed a small ivory cross that Father Louis Marie presented to him. Montfort later attaches it to his pilgrim’s staff. The Vicar of Christ himself sends Montfort on his new mission.
Holy See, as well as Father de Montfort’s True and solid devotion to Mary was described beautifully by another Pope, Benedict XV, in 1916. It was the occasion of the bicentenary of Blessed Louis Marie de Montfort’s death. Here is how he summarized this aspect of Montfort’s spirituality. Pope Benedict did so in a hand-written letter to Father General of the Montfort Family.
“Among the reasons that make your two communities (the Company of Mary and Daughters of Wisdom) so respected, we would like to mention two that are of special importance that was left to you as a legacy by your founder; Reverence for the Apostolic See and devotion to the Virgin Mary.”
Tile mural depicting a scene of St Louis de Montfort’s Life
This mural appears immediately outside the chapel in Montfort’s Spiritual Center. The scene depicts St. Louis de Montfort’s visit to Rome to seek an audience with the pope. He receives clarification and direction for his missionary assignment and for his ministry. His journey and pilgrimage was on foot and took many months.
The mural is one of the six scenes outside the chapel.
“Father, you have a sufficiently large field in France, for the exercise of your zeal. Do not leave it and always work in perfect submission to the bishops to whose dioceses you are called. God, in this way, will bless your work.”
Love for the Holy See and the Virgin Mary
“A very definite proof of this is the fact that your members were the first to be targeted and relentlessly ill-treated by both the Gallican and Jansenist heretics for their loyalty to the Holy See; that is why they had to suffer all sorts of acts of cruelty during the French Revolution.
“Furthermore, these two elements (reverence for the Apostolic See and devotion to the Virgin Mary) are closely intertwined; the person who truly loves Mary, being incapable of not loving Jesus. Through the intermediary of the Mother, we go directly to Jesus. We must for this reason have attachment and devotion to the Vicar of Christ”. (Letter to Father A. L’houmeau, April 19, 1916).
If you wonder, dear reader, why I have selected this topic of loyalty to the Holy See, it is because Pope John Paul II’s teachings were attacked recently by a group who call themselves “Catholics of Long Island.” The reason was that Pope John Paul had invited Religious Leaders representing the great Faith Traditions of the World to an Ecumenical Inter-religious Dialogue in the Vatican (October 24-29). EWTN had televised the Closing Celebration on October 28. It was a very beautiful and moving event.
Religious Belief Inspires . . .
The Holy Father said, “The task before us is to promote a Culture of Dialogue. Individually and together, we must show how religious belief inspires peace, encourages solidarity, promotes justice and upholds liberty.”
To those “Catholics” who would refuse to accept the teaching authority of the Vicar of Christ, I would quote Vatican II: “—rel1gious submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak ex Cathedra, in such wise, indeed, that his supreme teaching authority be acknowledged with respect, and that one sincerely adhere to decisions made by him, conformably to his manifest mind and intention”. (L.G.N. 25)
To Jesus Through Mary, in the footsteps of St. Louis Marie de Montfort! With the Catholic Youth of America, we shout: John Paul II We Love You!
