The surprising death of Father Emmanuel de Floris

In 1969, Father Emmanuel de Floris, a monk at En Calcat Abbey, asked to go and found a hermitage at Montmorin, in the Hautes-Alpes. He had never considered himself a saint. When young monks asked him, "Did you become a hermit in the mountains of Montmorin in search of Christ?", he jokingly replied, "No, it was to escape from my brother, who was the father abbot of my Benedictine abbey." And yet, his death on 19 March 1992 was a festival of miracles, and those who might have doubted his holiness, so publicly did he confess his weaknesses, began to wonder whether he had died a saint.

Father Emmanuel de Floris / © ESB.

Les raisons d'y croire :

The life and death of Father Emmanuel de Floris are still remembered today by people who knew him personally.

Father Emmanuel de Floris announced to his hermit brothers the date of his death a year before it occurred: it would take place on 19 March of the following year, the feast of Saint Joseph, whom he loved very much. On that predicted day, Father Emmanuel, who was eighty-three at the time, did not look at all unwell. As a joke, his hermit brothers organised a festive occasion. But Father Emmanuel died suddenly that day, very discreetly, in the evening.

The next day, all those present recognised that the body gave off a strange scent of roses and violets. Symbolically, the rose signifies intense love, and the violet, a small, sober flower, profound humility. These traits were often attributed to the deceased by those who knew him.

Attested as far back as Christian antiquity, the odor of sanctity is a phenomenon that is still very much with us today, even in the case of ordinary people who lived a saintly life.

Synthèse :

The story of Father Emmanuel de Floris began in the early 20th century. As a young man from an ancient noble family, he became a monk at the same time as his brother at the Benedictine abbey of En Calcat, in the south of France.

His adventures during the Second World War are well worth recounting. For example, he bought a whole hillside in the garrigue to grow potatoes so that the monastery could feed Jewish refugees and British airmen on their way to Spain.

But that's not the heart of the matter. In his eighties, Father Emmanuel received young brothers in religious formation at his hermitage in Montmorin, in the Alps. Surprisingly, some of these novices (rare ones) did not respect him. For example, when he heard confessions, he might exclaim with humour: "You commit that sin too? Me too!" Or say to a scrupulous young penitent: "Those aren't sins!First go sin, then confess your sins". Some therefore despised him, believing that a priest must have external restraint. But others, on the contrary, were amazed by his kindness, his humility, his lack of concern for himself, and the admirable consideration he showed towards others.

But how did God judge him? Well, the manner of his death might give the answer. First of all, Fr. Emmanuel announced it a year before to his hermit brothers: it would take place on 19 March of the following year, the feast of Saint Joseph', whom he loved very much. On that day, the hermit brothers who lived around him decided to organise a big party, because he didn't seem to be dying at all. But late that evening, they found him dead. He had simply gone, very quietly.

The next day, his body began to exhale that strange scent of roses and violets known as the "odor of sanctity". The symbolism of the flowers is clear. The rose signifies "the intensity of love", and the violet, a small, discreet flower, "the depth of humility". It is clear that, through this extraordinary mystical phenomenon, God was siding with the religious who appreciated Father Emmanuel de Floris: the Almighty was pleased with his humility.

We often wonder what holiness is. Some ancient doctors emphasise the greatness of ascetic feats. They are certainly important. You have to subdue your body so that it doesn't drag your soul down with it. But, clearly, Saint Paul is also right: "If I give my body to the flames, but have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity is long-suffering; charity is helpful; it is not envious; charity does not boast or puff itself up; it does nothing improper, does not seek its own interests, is not angry, does not take account of evil " (1 Corinthians 13:3-5).

Arnaud Dumouch holds a degree in religious studies from Belgium. In 2015, he and Father Henri Ganty founded the Institut Docteur Angélique, which offers a full online course in Catholic philosophy and theology, in line with Benedict XVI's hermeneutics of continuity.

Au-delà des raisons d'y croire :

To recognise a saint, the Catholic Church takes the "odor of sanctity" into account of course, but only to a degree. Instead, the canonisation process focuses on the whole life of the person to determine her holiness, which must be confirmed by one or more post-mortem significant miracles, where God confirms in a powerful way his will to set the person up as a model and intercessor.

Aller plus loin :

A video testimony on the life of Father Emmanuel de Floris. The conversation is also available in writing: "Tribute to Father Emmanuel de Floris, the watchman of Montmorin, the light of solitaries, the saint of the desert".

En savoir plus :

Arnaud Dumouch's video: "Le père Emmanuel de Floris, la sainteté par la simplicité (1909 - 1992)" (his accounts of the spiritual life, supernatural phenomena, his example of life, and his saintly death).