Controversial Doctrine

A “sign of contradiction” in his own time, even as the Crucified Master he served, he remains today a centre of controversy both among Christians and non-Christians. This storm of opposition lashes continually, not so much at his own person, as against his spiritual doctrine of the “True Devotion.” The violence of the tempest has, in fact, completely obscured the valuable witness of his life, so even his friends see only a confused outline of the saint they acclaim as “Tutor of the Legion of Mary,,” “Apostle of Mary,” and “Missionary of the Blessed Virgin.”

This short biography is an attempt to give at least a glimpse of the remarkable man who was Founder, Missionary, Doctor, Theologian, and the spiritual father of a multitude of Marian disciples. Some acquaintance with the saint and his time is an indispensable preliminary for an understanding of the full significance of his teaching. Perhaps, by way of introduction, the principal objections to de Montfort’s spirituality should be addressed at the outset.