"Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies." 

- The Blessed Virgin Mary

Most of my life growing up as Catholic, and even later as a Traditional Catholic, I never ceased to meditate on Our Lady's promises of the Rosary, I usually ponder on reasons why those who pray the Rosary, Popes and even entire Religious Communities including those in the Traditional movement fall into heresy, disobedience and error. In fact, as a consequence of the promises of Our Blessed Mother to devotees of the Holy Rosary, we have firm adherents to these promises who thus believe they will never go astray. In addition, St. Louis Marie de Montfort goes on to say: "Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray by the devil."

It never occurred to me that there are degrees of heretical positions, not until I read the timeless classic, "Secret of the Rosary" did I come to the realisation that a heretic can be materially or formally so. A formal heretic is one who willfully and obstinately holds on to a position contrary to a solemnly defined doctrine inspite of prior knowledge of the truth. That would be questioning the Sacred Magisterium and believing novelties and perverted doctrines, for instance the rejection of the Dogma "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus" - Outside the Church there is no salvation, which was solemnly defined at the Council of Florence (1431-1449) and upheld by subsequent Councils, taught by the Pontiffs and had been previously taught by Fathers and Doctors of the Church over the centuries. Its origin is attributed to the first century writings of Cyprain of Carthage in his Letter LXXII, and Origen upheld this teaching as well. 

It is certain that anyone who disregards the teaching authority of the Catholic Church and her dogmas even though he does not reject it outrightly, is at least a material heretic. This is why we have heretics amongst our ranks today. Most of these Catholics are certainly material heretics, because we really cannot judge their intention should it be out of ignorance or malice. Consequently, all the post Councilliar Popes are considered at least material heretics since no man has the jurisdiction to judge the Supreme Pontiff nor capacity to judge his intentions. It gets yet more worrisome... two of the three post concilliar Popes that have left this world have been connonized. Typically a cannonized saint must have lived heroic virtue and so can and should be emulated. Where they spoke and acted in ways that contradict the constant teachings of Holy Mother Church, the faithful find themselves in the most uncomfortable position of having to decide which Saint not to emulate. 

A formal heretic at the time of death will definitely be condemned to hell, there is no doubt about that. This is what St. Louis Marie de Montfort means, therefore we must not think objectively that devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is licence to do as we like and believe what we want, total abandonment to Divine Providence is essential to obtaining the promises. Otherwise, such would be a presumptuous devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary as St. Louis Marie de Montfort states, and our very own Fr. Peter Scott says as much - such a person doesn't know his Catechism. 

The Pope of the Rosary, St. Pius V, who canonized the Mass in July 1570, when seeking to convert the people of Rome, enforced the study of the Roman Catechism... and they were converted. 

We must actively seek Truth and always have the intention to adhere to Truth, irrespective of our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary because heresy wounds the Immaculate Heart of Mary and reminds her of the Prophecy of Simon (her first Sorrow), "A sign of contradiction". She promised to destroy heresies, material or formal, heresies are scandalous and lead souls to hell. 

May the Blessed Virgin Mary obtain for us the means to purify our body enlighten our intellect, strengthen our will and snactify our soul, that as we remain devoted to her Holy Rosary, we may never misunderstand Truth, who is her Son Jesus Christ. 

All to Jesus through Mary.

Ave Cor Mariae