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The Failed Providential Role of Louis XIV
When St. Marguerite Marie Alacoque, a humble nun from the Visitation Convent of Paray-le-Monial in France received the gentle confidences of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the King was Louis XIV, famous for the title Roi Soleil – the Sun King – and admired by the entire civilized world.
This epithet corresponded to reality. Cardinal Mazarin, the chief minister of Queen Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV and Regent during his minor years, knew him well, and used to say that in him there was the raw material for five kings. Both from the physical and moral points of view, he represented the classic King of legend that enchants the imaginations of children.
His virile and majestic handsomeness, accentuated by a perfect nobility in bearing and gestures, as well as an admirably well-chosen attire, made of him the model for the gentlemen of his time. His intelligence and character accentuated this magnificent appearance. His intelligence was clear, broad, methodical and ideally balanced. His will was gifted with an imperative force that overcame any obstacle.
He had a sovereign dominium over himself, not allowing extreme manifestations of anger, pleasure or sorrow. On the contrary, every circumstance found him equally serene, great and haughty. His natural inclinations had conformed themselves to his role in such way that protocol became connatural to him, even in his most trivial actions, which revealed the lofty notion he had of his dignity and his duties.
The Jesuits who educated Voltaire, seeing the extraordinary gifts he had, affirmed that he would be a saint or a devil. This is because when God gives someone singular natural qualities, whatever type they may be, He implicitly imposes on him heavy responsibilities.
Louis XIV was one of these privileged souls whom God calls to great achievements; for this very reason, such souls run the strong risk of falling into the most profound abysses should they not correspond to their vocations.
If Louis XIV had been a new St. Louis IX, it is probable that the French Revolution would not had exploded and that the Protestant Pseudo-Reformation would have suffered an irreparable disaster so that the course of History, instead of moving toward the precipices where it finds itself now, would have taken an entirely different orientation.
But Louis XIV did not want to be a new St. Louis. Instead, he followed a different route, becoming sensual, eager for pleasures, extremely ambitious and vain to the point of sacrificing the time, means and prestige that God had given him to his lust and supposed glory. He depraved the Kingdom of France by his bad example, provoked wars with the sole goal of enlarging his states, alienated the Catholic nations then threatened by Protestantism, and allied himself with Muslims against the Holy Empire. By doing so, he failed in his most elementary duties as King and in his own time deserved the censure of all truly French Catholics, even those who were more dedicated to him.
Justice demands, however, that we must add that the life of this great King had its ups and downs. For if, on one hand he gravely failed to his duties regarding the Church, on the other hand he provide remarkable services to her, among which stands out his wise revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 [giving liberty of worship to Protestants]. …
Nonetheless, it is certain that the King did not accomplish that providential mission to which God had called him.
Toward this end, the humble nun of the Visitation Convent of Paray-le-Monial, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, intervened. In a revelation on June 17,1689, the Divine Redeemer told her to command the King to consecrate himself as well as the Kingdom of France to the Sacred Heart. The communication was made in an imperative tone, to show the Monarch that his refusal would bring severe suffering for himself and for France.
Obviously, the Sacred Heart of Jesus did not want a pro-forma consecration, but a real consecration that would imply the renunciation of all sins and errors of the King.
St. Margaret Mary sent Our Lord’s message to the King by means of a noble whom she knew. The King did not give it any importance, however, and the consecration was not made.
Thus refused that providential source of graces, the Kingdom sunk to the abysses of impiety and licentiousness until, when the cup of those evils overflowed – that is, the French Revolution – the Throne of the Bourbons was dashed to the ground, and the whole world caught fire from that diabolical torch of rebellion.
We do not know whether the memory of St. Margaret Mary’s message continued to live in the Bourbon Family or if was due to a personal movement of piety of Louis XVI, but it is certain that among the papers of Louis XVI found later in the horrible prison of the Temple, a note was found in which the unfortunate Monarch promised to God that he would solemnly consecrate all of France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a public act should he recover his liberty as King. He made the consecration in a private condition in the prison with the hope that God would prevent France from the horrors of the Revolution.
The pious Monarch, then, made in prison the act that his powerful predecessor had refused to do in the splendors of Versailles. But it seems that the hour of mercy had passed, and that it was already too late to stop the course of Divine Justice.
Louis XVI was rewarded by receiving the grace to die in an edifying way, to the point that some affirm he was a martyr. It is said that before he mounted the steps to the scaffold a guard advanced to tie his hands with ropes and the King strongly protested. It seemed a physical struggle would break out between the two.
Then, the King turned to his confessor the Abbé Edgeworth for counsel. The answer of the priest was: ““Suffer this outrage, as a last resemblance to that God who is about to be your reward.” Immediately the resistance of the victim ended. Shortly afterwards, the head of the King fell under the blade of the guillotine. The Abbé exclaimed: “Son of St. Louis, ascend to Heaven!”
It is possible that the hour of mercy truly had passed, but not in an definitive way. Since then, France has had too many Saints for us to affirm that the hour of mercy absolutely passed for it. Even today, when France is divided [this article was written in 1940 when France was dominated by Nazi Germany] and plunged in a profound mourning with half of children not recognizing the other half, we can affirm that there are Saints. True Saints. Authentic Saints, living in the twilight of the French prestige, and preparing by their penances, prayers and works the great France of tomorrow. Not the liberal France of yesterday, nor the totalitarian France of Vichy, but the Catholic France of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
While in Europe the legislators reform (?) the institutions, the military reform (?) the borders, the bankers reform (?) the economy to accommodate today’s heresies, in the twilight of her past glory the Saints reform souls and – by authentically reforming souls – they will destroy the false reform of institutions and economy.
This is the significance of the great Saint Therese Neumann, who Providence planted as a flower of hope and consolation in the overwhelming sadness that with its shadowy mantle covers Germany today. Souls like Therese Neumann are the great conquerors over men like Hitler. Certainly, Therese Neumann is not the only such soul in Germany, and France also does not lack souls like hers…
Louis XIV, gifted & majestic from his youth
His virile and majestic handsomeness, accentuated by a perfect nobility in bearing and gestures, as well as an admirably well-chosen attire, made of him the model for the gentlemen of his time. His intelligence and character accentuated this magnificent appearance. His intelligence was clear, broad, methodical and ideally balanced. His will was gifted with an imperative force that overcame any obstacle.
He had a sovereign dominium over himself, not allowing extreme manifestations of anger, pleasure or sorrow. On the contrary, every circumstance found him equally serene, great and haughty. His natural inclinations had conformed themselves to his role in such way that protocol became connatural to him, even in his most trivial actions, which revealed the lofty notion he had of his dignity and his duties.
The Jesuits who educated Voltaire, seeing the extraordinary gifts he had, affirmed that he would be a saint or a devil. This is because when God gives someone singular natural qualities, whatever type they may be, He implicitly imposes on him heavy responsibilities.
Always imposing, sadly with time the great King Louis XIV ceded to vanity & wordly pleasures
If Louis XIV had been a new St. Louis IX, it is probable that the French Revolution would not had exploded and that the Protestant Pseudo-Reformation would have suffered an irreparable disaster so that the course of History, instead of moving toward the precipices where it finds itself now, would have taken an entirely different orientation.
But Louis XIV did not want to be a new St. Louis. Instead, he followed a different route, becoming sensual, eager for pleasures, extremely ambitious and vain to the point of sacrificing the time, means and prestige that God had given him to his lust and supposed glory. He depraved the Kingdom of France by his bad example, provoked wars with the sole goal of enlarging his states, alienated the Catholic nations then threatened by Protestantism, and allied himself with Muslims against the Holy Empire. By doing so, he failed in his most elementary duties as King and in his own time deserved the censure of all truly French Catholics, even those who were more dedicated to him.
Justice demands, however, that we must add that the life of this great King had its ups and downs. For if, on one hand he gravely failed to his duties regarding the Church, on the other hand he provide remarkable services to her, among which stands out his wise revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 [giving liberty of worship to Protestants]. …
Nonetheless, it is certain that the King did not accomplish that providential mission to which God had called him.
Our Lord gave a message for the humble Visitation nun to deliver to the King
Obviously, the Sacred Heart of Jesus did not want a pro-forma consecration, but a real consecration that would imply the renunciation of all sins and errors of the King.
St. Margaret Mary sent Our Lord’s message to the King by means of a noble whom she knew. The King did not give it any importance, however, and the consecration was not made.
Thus refused that providential source of graces, the Kingdom sunk to the abysses of impiety and licentiousness until, when the cup of those evils overflowed – that is, the French Revolution – the Throne of the Bourbons was dashed to the ground, and the whole world caught fire from that diabolical torch of rebellion.
We do not know whether the memory of St. Margaret Mary’s message continued to live in the Bourbon Family or if was due to a personal movement of piety of Louis XVI, but it is certain that among the papers of Louis XVI found later in the horrible prison of the Temple, a note was found in which the unfortunate Monarch promised to God that he would solemnly consecrate all of France to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a public act should he recover his liberty as King. He made the consecration in a private condition in the prison with the hope that God would prevent France from the horrors of the Revolution.
The pious Monarch, then, made in prison the act that his powerful predecessor had refused to do in the splendors of Versailles. But it seems that the hour of mercy had passed, and that it was already too late to stop the course of Divine Justice.
Louis XVI was rewarded by receiving the grace to die in an edifying way, to the point that some affirm he was a martyr. It is said that before he mounted the steps to the scaffold a guard advanced to tie his hands with ropes and the King strongly protested. It seemed a physical struggle would break out between the two.
Fr. Edgeworth: ‘Son of St. Louis, ascend to Heaven!’
It is possible that the hour of mercy truly had passed, but not in an definitive way. Since then, France has had too many Saints for us to affirm that the hour of mercy absolutely passed for it. Even today, when France is divided [this article was written in 1940 when France was dominated by Nazi Germany] and plunged in a profound mourning with half of children not recognizing the other half, we can affirm that there are Saints. True Saints. Authentic Saints, living in the twilight of the French prestige, and preparing by their penances, prayers and works the great France of tomorrow. Not the liberal France of yesterday, nor the totalitarian France of Vichy, but the Catholic France of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
While in Europe the legislators reform (?) the institutions, the military reform (?) the borders, the bankers reform (?) the economy to accommodate today’s heresies, in the twilight of her past glory the Saints reform souls and – by authentically reforming souls – they will destroy the false reform of institutions and economy.
This is the significance of the great Saint Therese Neumann, who Providence planted as a flower of hope and consolation in the overwhelming sadness that with its shadowy mantle covers Germany today. Souls like Therese Neumann are the great conquerors over men like Hitler. Certainly, Therese Neumann is not the only such soul in Germany, and France also does not lack souls like hers…
Taken from Legionario, n.423, October, 20, 1940
Posted September 21, 2026
Posted September 21, 2026
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