René Laurentin facts for kids
René Laurentin (born October 19, 1917 – died September 10, 2017) was a French priest and scholar. He was known as a leading expert on Mariology, which is the study of the Virgin Mary. He wrote many books and articles about topics like Marian apparitions, such as those reported at Lourdes and Medjugorje. He also studied the lives of visionaries and mystics like Bernadette Soubirous and Thérèse de Lisieux.
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Early Life and Education
René Laurentin was born in Tours, France, on October 19, 1917. His father, Maurice Laurentin, was an architect. René went to high school at Sainte-Marie de Cholet. In 1934, he began studying at the Catholic University of Paris.
He studied philosophy and literature at the Sorbonne. By 1938, he had earned two degrees. One was in philosophy, focusing on the ideas of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The other was in literature and philosophy from the Sorbonne.
War and Priesthood
During World War II, René Laurentin served in the French army. In May 1940, he was captured in Belgium and became a prisoner of war. He spent five years in a prison camp in Germany.
After the war, he returned home and became a priest on December 8, 1946. He continued his studies, earning a doctorate in literature from the Sorbonne in 1952. He also received a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of Paris in 1953.
Teaching and Research Work
In 1955, Laurentin was chosen to be part of the Pontifical International Marian Academy. This is an important group that studies the Virgin Mary. In the same year, he became a professor of theology at the Catholic University of Angers.
In the early 1960s, he helped prepare for the Second Vatican Council. This was a very important meeting for the Catholic Church. He also wrote articles about the council for a French newspaper called Le Figaro.
Studies of Apparitions
Laurentin spent many years researching reported apparitions and mystics. In 1981, the Vatican asked him to study the writings of Yvonne Aimée de Malestroit. She was a mystic whose life was being considered for sainthood.
He taught at several universities in Europe and North America, including the University of Florence and the University of Milan. For many years, he taught courses at the International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton. He also served as Vice President of the French Mariological Society for a long time.
Laurentin was a strong supporter of the reported apparitions at Medjugorje. He also supported Vassula Ryden. His 1995 book, An Appeal from Mary in Argentina, described reported appearances of the Virgin Mary to Gladys Quiroga de Motta in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Argentina. These appearances were later declared "worthy of belief" by the local bishop in 2016.
René Laurentin passed away on September 10, 2017, in Évry, France. He was 99 years old.
Awards and Honors
René Laurentin received many awards and honors for his work. Some of these include:
- The Marian Award from the University of Dayton (1964)
- The Wlodzimierz Pietrzak Literary Award (1974)
- Italy's National Catholic Culture Award (1996)
- Officer of the Legion of Honour (2002), which is a very high French award.
He received many other awards for his writing and his contributions to Catholicism and the study of Mariology.
See also
In Spanish: René Laurentin para niños
