The Final Teachings
of King St. Louis IX
Published by the Confraternity of Christ the King
https://ccregis.org

THE TEACHINGS WHICH THE PIOUS KING WROTE TO HIS
FIRSTBORN SON BEFORE DEATH, AND LEFT AS IF FOR A TESTAMENT.

O dearest son, first I teach thee, that thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength;
for without this there is no salvation.

Also:  thou must guard thyself from all which thou knowest
to displease God, namely from every mortal sin; this is so
because thou shouldst first permit thyself to be crucified
by every sort of martyrdom, rather than commit any mortal
sin.  In addition, if the Lord should permit thee to have
some trouble, thou shouldst bear it kindly and with
thanksgiving, thinking that it comes for thy good, and that
thou has perhaps merited it well.  Above this, if the Lord
has brought to thee any prosperity whatever, thou shouldst
humbly return thanks to Him, bewaring lest from it, or
through some vain glory, or in any other way thou be made
lesser; for thou shouldst not fight against God, or offend
Him from His own gifts.

Also:  I advise thee to confess frequently, and that thou
choosest honest and discerning confessors for thyself, who
know to teach thee what things thou shouldst beware of, and
what is needful for thee to do.  And thou shouldst behave
thyself to thy confessors so modestly that they and thine
other friends will dare to blame thee without trouble.

Also:  thou shouldst willingly and devoutly hear the office
of the Church, and as long as thou art in the church, beware
lest thou shouldst look around wanderingly or speak vain
things; but pray to the Lord devoutly, whether by mouth or
by meditation of heart; and attend with specially more
devotion in the rite of the Mass around the time of the
consecration of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus
Christ.

Also:  thou shouldst have a heart of piety toward the poor,
wretched, and afflicted; and according to thy power, thou
shouldst support and console them.

Also:  if thou hast some desolation of heart, tell it to
thy confessor, or to some proven man, and then thou shalt
bear it more lightly.

Also:  thou shouldst love to always have the society of good
men with you, whether religious or secular; both frequently
have conversation with them, and beware the society of the
vicious.

Also:  willingly hear sermons, whether openly or secretly,
and thou shalt willingly attend for thyself to the
indulgences of our mother the Church.

Also: thou shalt always love the good in neighbors, and
hate the evil.

Also:  do not suffer to be said before thee words which
entice to sin, nor words slandering anyone; but thou shalt
especially not suffer words of blasphemy about God or the
saints to be said by anyone, and thou shalt make vengeance
be done for it.

Also:  thou shalt so give thanks for all the benefits given by
God to thee, that thou shalt be worthy to receive greater
ones.

Also:  thou shalt so do justly to thy subjects that thou
shalt have a line of justice, falling away neither to the
right nor to the left; and thou shalt always take more the
part of the poor rather than the rich, until thou art
certain of the truth.  And if anyone have a quarrel
against thee, thou shalt stand rather for the cause of thy
adversary, until the truth is certain to thee; and thus they
who are of thy counsel will more quickly stand for justice.

Also:  if thou understandest for certain that thou hast
something of another's, whether from thy predecessor's time
or from thine own, immediately restore it.  If the thing is
uncertain, thou shouldst have the truth examined by wise
ones.

Also:  thou shouldst be diligent, that all thy subjects are
preserved in justice and peace, but especially Church and
religious persons.  It is said about King Philip, our
grandfather, that a certain one of his counselers said that
clerics were doing many harms to him by usurping his rights,
and many were marveling that he was so tolerating it.  To
him, the king responded:  “I well believe what thou hast
said; but when I think of the benefits which the Lord has
brought to me, I wish to suffer better, rather than stir up
scandal between me and the Church.”  Therefore, O son, love
the people of the Church; perserve their peace as much as
thou canst.

Also:  willingly assist poor religious in their
necessities, and especially those through whom God is most
honored in the land.

Also:  honor thy parents, and reverently keep their
commands.

Also:  give Church benefices to suitable persons on the
advice of spiritual men, and to those who do not have
another benefice.  Beware lest thou shouldst first move to
war against any Christian without the most serious advice;
and if it must be done, take care lest innocents and
churches and their things be punished without cause.  And as
quickly as thou canst, make peace from thy wars and
controversies, and even from wars which are between thy
subjects; thus did blessed Martin, who esteemed it a good
consummation of his powers if he could restore peace between
those at variance.

Also:  thou shouldst be concerned that thou hast faithful
overseers and bailiffs, and inquire diligently into how they
bear themselves.  Similarly for those of thy hospitality.

Also:  thou shouldst be devout and obedient to our mother,
the Roman Church, and to the supreme pontiff as to a
spiritual father.

Also:  work that every sin be removed from thy land, but
especially blasphemies and heresies.

Also:  recollect in memory, and give thanks to God above
all for His benefits.

Also:  attend that the expenses of thine house are made with
a purpose.

In the end, I beseech thee, O son, that if I should depart
before thee, that thou act that my soul be helped in Masses
and prayers, and that thou sendest through the holy
congregations of our kingdom that offerings of prayers be
obtained for me; and that in all good things which thou
shalt do, I have a special participation.

O dearest son, in the end I give to thee every blessing
which a faithful father can give to a son; and may the whole
Trinity, and all the saints guard thee from every evil; and
may the Lord give thee the grace of doing His Will in such a
manner that He is served and honored through thee; thus,
after this life, we may come together to that living, loving,
and praising without end.  Amen.

Behold, the testament of a faithful father to his sons.  O
testament of life and peace! The testament must not be
destroyed by any forgetfulness, or similarly changed by any
order!  A testament established not by the death of the
testator, but by attaining of immortal life!
Accordingly, the faithful father established the testament
of these things, which were truly his; and what he had
possessed in himself, he bequeathed to others.  For the
virtues which he transferred to his sons, he had complete in
himself, inasmuch as he began to do them first in himself,
and afterwards to teach others.  Dearest ones, let
us be the heirs and legatees of this holy testament of our
general father and king, for our own way; and especially the
princes and prelates.  And these things having been said
about the teaching and instruction of children should
suffice.