Imitation of Christ and not canonized, not even Venerable.
Okay, good, Jeff. Thanks.
How come?
No real idea.
It could be that for some time there was some confusion as to whether he actually wrote the book. Early manuscripts listed no author and it was only later ones within his lifetime that listed his name. He did lots of editing work so it is understandable how this confusion came about. Today though very few doubt that he was the author.
Of course though even writing such a wonderful book is not what gets you canonized. It is heroic sanctity that does. The book would give evidence to this, but would not be conclusive and it would have taken a bishop in his diocese to get the process started.
Thanks, Jeff. I'd heard years ago -- before the Internet was invented! -- that his cause was denied because of the way he "despaired" upon his death.
Now I can't even find anyone who seriously advanced the cause!
Anyway, you're right...it's a wonderful book and a terrific volume to read during a Holy Hour, or so I've found.
A bit more about the author? His name was Thomas Haemerken. You can use an "a" with an umlaut (two dots) over it, instead of the "ae." The words, "a Kempis," come from the fact that he was born in the Dutch town of Kempem.
Thomas was an Augustinian monk in the 15th Century, as Fr. Martin Luther was in the 16th. It is believe that he copied the Bible at least four times. He wrote other works, devotional and otherwise, that are still extant, but I don't know if they are available in English. He died at age 91 in 1471.
An effort was made in the late 1600s to open Thomas's cause for beatification, but the nobleman sponsoring it died, and it was never taken up again. Perhaps Thomas should be a "Blessed" or a "Saint," but all the witnesses died and the evidence was destroyed before action could be taken. I'm not sure if his native Holland was overrun by Protestant rebels during the century after his death.
There is a claim (probably unverifiable) that Thomas was accidentally buried alive. Supposedly, when his remains were disinterred, wood splinters were found under his fingernails. Yikes!
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