LUDOVICO FRANCESCO d'ARGENTAN. - Capuchin ascetical writer of the province of Normandy, b. at Argentan on 26 April 1615, d. at Rouen on 8 July 1680. He was a lecturer in philosophy (1641), provincial minister (1665-68, 1678-80), commissary general in the Belgian regions conquered by Louis XIV (1674-75), and a tireless preacher.

From the manuscripts of his kindred spirit J. Bernières-Louvigny (v.) he composed Le chrétien intérieur (Rouen 1660; many editions and versions; Italian version Venice 1661), in which he treats of the life of union with God; later the second volume appeared, on the purgative and illuminative life (Rouen 1676).

The first, being open to Quietist interpretations, was proscribed (26 July 1689); nevertheless other editions appeared (the expurgated one [Pamiers 1781] merges the two volumes into one); the Italian version was reprinted with ecclesiastical approval (Turin 1899). The Italian edition (Genoa 1670 etc.) of Les exercices du chrétien intérieur (Paris 1664 etc.) was likewise placed on the Index (7 July 1728).

Without incident, on the other hand, there circulated in continual editions, translations, reworkings and abridgments the Conférences théologiques et spirituelles du chrétien intérieur sur les grandeurs de Dieu (Paris 1674; Italian trans. Parma 1683); Conférences... sur les grandeurs de Jésus Christ Homme-Dieu (ibid. 1676; Italian trans. Vercelli 1778); these were followed, at the urging of his friend and admirer St. John Eudes, by the Conférences... sur les grandeurs de la très sainte Vierge Marie, Mère de Dieu (Rouen 1680; Italian trans. Vercelli 1778); with a theological, apologetic and ascetical exposition illustrating in a plain and fervent manner the truths of the faith as nourishment for the spiritual and contemplative life.

Bibliography7 works

BIBL.: Edouard d'Alençon, Louis F. d'A., in DTHG, IX, col. 961 ff.; id., S. Ioannes Eudes et p. Ludovicus Franciscus Argentiniensis, in Analecta Ord. Min. Capuccinorum, 41 (1923), pp. 247-49; P. Lefèvre, L'oeuvre du p. L. F. d'A., in Etudes francisc., 49 (1937), pp. 675-95; id., La doctrine du p. L. F. d'A., ibid., 50 (1938), pp. 194-219; 51 (1939), pp. 113-32, 243-66; R. Heurtevent, L'oeuvre spirituelle de Jean de Bernières, Paris 1938, passim; Melchior a Pobladura, Historia generalis Ord. Min. Capuccinorum, part 2, I, Rome 1948, pp. 253-54, 265-66.

Ilarino da Milano

@incollection{ec7_ludovico_francesco_d_argentan, author = {Ilarino da Milano}, title = {Ludovico Francesco d'Argentan}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {1647}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/ludovico-francesco-d-argentan} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

About this entry