Saint Dominic

Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic
Confessor
Born	1170 in Calaruega, Province of Burgos, Kingdom of Castile (now modern-day Castile-Leon, Spain)
Died	August 6, 1221 in Bologna, Province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Canonized	1234
Major shrine	San Domenico, Bologna
Feast	August 8 August 4 (Traditional Roman Catholics)
Attributes	Confessor; Chaplet, dog, star
Patronage	Astronomers; astronomy; Dominican Republic; falsely accused people; Santo Domingo Indian Pueblo; scientists

Saint Dominic (Spanish: Domingo), often called Dominic de Guzmán (1170 – August 6, 1221) was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers (OP), which became famous for its role in the Inquisition.

Witnessing the success of the Cathar movement in southern France, Dominic urged those in charge of combating the "heresy" to practice a more exemplary standard of spiritual life. He eventually took this mission on himself, living an ascetic life and debating the Cathars in public disputes. He also supported the military campaigns against the Cathars during the early stages of the Albigensian Crusade.

The Order of Preachers were formally established in 1216 to combat the spread of heresy and preach in conquered Cathar territory. Dominic's role, if any, the Iquistion is a subject of debate. His friend and protector, the future Pope Gregory IX, would place the papal Inquisition under Dominican supervision a few years after Dominic's death, and any personal involvement by Dominic himself would have been at the local level in southern France.

The Dominican Order would go on to play a major role in the Catholic intellectual tradition, in which it is still active today. Dominic is the patron saint of astronomers, the falsely accused, and the Dominican Republic. His feast day in the Catholic Church is August 8.

Biography

Birth and education

Born in Caleruega, half-way between Osma and Aranda in Old Castile, Spain Dominic was named after Saint Dominic of Silos, the patron saint of hopeful mothers. The Benedictine Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos lay a few miles north of his birthplace.

In the earliest sources, Dominic's parents are not named, but story is told that before his birth his mother dreamed that a dog leaped from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth, and "seemed to set the earth on fire." This reference, however is is thought be critical scholars to be a later interpolation, as the Latin name of his order, Dominicanus is a pun on "Domini Canus," the "Lord's Hound." Dominic was reportedly brought up by his parents and a maternal uncle who was an archbishop. A later source, still of the [thirteenth century]], gives the names of Dominic's mother and father as Juana de Aza and Felix. Dominic's was reportedly "an honored and wealthy man in his village," a claim which fits with the idea that his uncle was an archbishop.

Dominic was educated in the schools of Palencia, which later became a university. He reportedly devoted six years to the arts and four to theology. In 1191, when Spain was desolated by a famine, Dominic was just finishing his theological studies. He is said to have given away money, even selling his clothes, furniture, and valuable manuscripts, in order to relieve the distress of those affected. When his companions expressed astonishment that he should sell his books, Dominic replied: "Would you have me study off these dead skins, when men are dying of hunger?" This utterance belongs to the few of Dominic's personal sayings that have passed to posterity.

In 1194, around 25 years old, Dominic became a Praemonstratensian priest in the canonry of Osma, following the monastic rule of Saint Augustine.

Encounter with heresy

In 1203 or 1204 he accompanied Diego de Acebo, the bishop of Osma, on a diplomatic mission to Denmark on behalf of King Alfonso VIII Castile], in order to secure a Danish bride for crown prince Ferdinand. The mission made its way to Denmark via the south of France, and when they crossed the Pyrenees, Dominic and Diego encountered the Cathars, also known as the Albigensians. The country was filled with preachers of unfamiliar doctrines. Dominic was shocked not only by what he considered to be the heretical teachings of the Cathars, but also at their lack of respect for the Catholic Church and the pope, let only Bishop Diego and Dominic himself. The experiences of this journey kindled in Dominic a passion to work for extermination of the "heresy" which had infected a large portion of the population of southern France. He was also deeply impressed by the fact that the Cathar preachers were not ignorant fanatics, but well-trained and cultured men, whose communities seemed to be motivated by a desire for knowledge and for righteousness. Dominic perceived that only well educated preachers capable of advancing reasonable arguments, could effectively combat the Cathar heresy.

Traveling again to Denmark about a year later and finding that their prince's intended bride had died, Diego and Dominic returned by way of Rome. The purpose of this trip was to enable Diego to resign his bishopric that he might devote himself to the conversion of unbelievers in distant lands. Innocent III, however, refused to approve this project and instead sent the bishop and his companion to Languedoc to join forces with the Cistercians, to whom he had entrusted the crusade against the Albigensians.

The scene that confronted them on their arrival in Languedoc was by no means an encouraging one. The Cistercians, on account of their worldly manner of living, had made little or no headway against the Albigensians. They had entered upon their work with considerable pomp, attended by a brilliant retinue, and well provided with the comforts of life. The Cathar leaders, themselves, on the other hand, adhered to a strict asceticism which commanded the respect and admiration of their followers. Diego and Dominic quickly saw that the failure of the Cistercian mission was due to the monks' indulgent habits, and prevailed upon them to adopt a more austere manner of life. This change apparently did increase the effectiveness of efforts to convert some of the Cathars to accept Catholicism.

Theological disputations also played a prominent part in struggle with the heretics. Dominic and his companion, engaged the Cathars whenever the opportunity offered itself. Catholic sources portray Dominic as an invincible champion in this regard, although his efforts did not stem the tide of Cathar influence.

Dominic remained a number of years in the south of France working among the Cathars. In late 1206 or early 1207, with the help of Bishop Foulques of Toulouse and the financial support of the wealthy patrons Guillaume and Raymonde Claret, Diego and Dominic were able to set up a first monastic community at Prouille near Carcassonne, intended largely as a refuge for women who had previously lived in Cathar religious houses. Soon afterward, Diego was commanded by the pope to return to his diocese. In 1207, Dominic took part in the last large scale public debate between Cathars and Catholics, at Pamiers.

Early in 1208, Pierre de Castelnau, one of the Cistercian legates, was assassinated. This crime precipitated the Albigensian Crusade under Simon de Montfort, which led to the temporary subjugation of the Cathars. Dominic reportedly intervened on the side of mercy, though not always successfully, appealing to Montfort's forces to spare the lives of the innocent.

Foundation of the Dominicans

Depiction of a disputation between St. Dominic and the Cathars (Albigensians), in which the books of both were thrown on a fire and St. Dominic's books were supposedly preserved from the flames. Painting by Pedro Berruguete.

Rome had become increasingly concerned about the unchecked influence of the Cathars, also known as the Albigensians. In 1208 Dominic encountered papal legates returning in pomp to Rome, after having been foiled in their attempt to crush the growing sect. To this group he administered a famous rebuke: "It is not by the display of power and pomp, cavalcades of retainers, and richly-houseled palfreys, or by gorgeous apparel, that the heretics win proselytes; it is by zealous preaching, by apostolic humility, by austerity, and—by seeming, it is true—but by seeming holiness. Zeal must be met by zeal, humility by humility, false sanctity by real sanctity, preaching falsehood by preaching truth."

Determined to create a movement to put this principle into practice, Dominic gathered a small group of priests formed around himself, but they soon left him, discouraged by the rigors of his ascetic lifestyle preaching. Eventually Dominic gathered a number of men who remained faithful to his vision of active witness to the Albigensians as well as a way of preaching which combined intellectual rigor with a popular and approachable style. By departing from accepted church practices and imitating the "seeming" holiness of the Cathars, Dominic laid the ground for what would become a major tenet of the Dominican order over time: to accept truth—in this case the truth of the need to reform the ecclesiastic temptation toward luxury and corruption—no matter what its origin.

In September, 1209, Dominic met personally with the anti-Cathar crusader Simon de Montfort and formed with him an intimate friendship, which was to last until Simon's death in battle against Cathar forces at Toulouse in 1218. During the Albigensian Cruade authorized by Innocent III, Dominic followed Simon's forces and preached to the conquered Cathars, though apparently not with great success. Dominic stood with Montfort at the siege of Lavaur in 1211, and at the capture of the stronghold of La Penne d'Ajen in 1212. In September, 1213, Dominc gave advice to Simon preceding the battle of Muret. Simon regarded his victory over the Cathars there as altogether miraculous, and attributed it to the prayers of Dominic.

Nevertheless, Dominic remained convinced that, while military means were a necessary part of the struggle against Catharism, the ultimate victory must be spiritual and intellectual. In 1215, he established himself, with six followers, in a house (some say castle) provided by Pierre Seila, a rich resident of Toulouse. There, he subjected himself and his companions to strict monastic rules of prayer and penance. Bishop Foulques gave them written authority to preach throughout the territory of Toulouse. Thus the foundations for the order of Preaching Friars began to assume definite shape in Dominic's mind. He reportedly dreamed of seven stars enlightening the world, which represented himself and his six friends.

In the same year, the year of the Fourth Lateran Council, Dominic and Bishop Foulques went to Rome to secure the approval of the formation of an new monastic order devoted specifically to preaching. This was refused, but Dominic returned to Rome a year later, and was granted written authority by the new pope, Honorius III, to create "The Order of Preachers" ("Ordo Praedicatorum", or "O.P.," popularly known as the Dominican Order).

Later life

Dominic now established his headquarters at Rome, although he traveled extensively to maintain contact with his growing brotherhood of monks. At Rome he made important friends, including Cardinal Ugolino de' Conti, the future Pope Gregory IX). It was an Ugolino's home that first met William of Montferrat, who later became a key member of the Dominicans himself.

Throughout his life, Dominic is said to have zealously practiced rigorous self-denial. He wore a hairshirt and an iron chain around his loins, which he reportedly never laid aside, even in sleep. He abstained from meat and observed various fasts and periods of silence. He is said to have selected for himself the most humble accommodations and the simplest clothes, never allowing himself even the basic luxury of a bed. When traveling, he often took off his shoes and trudged on his way barefooted.

File:SAN DOMENICO primo piano affresco.JPG

San Domenico Guzman - Fresco in Cantarana - Denise Schenardi, 2007

When visiting Bologna in January 1218, Dominic saw immediately that this university city would be a most convenient as his center of activity for his growing order. Soon Reginald of Orléans established a religious community at the Mascarella church, which was later moved to St Nicholas of the Vineyards. Dominic settled in this church where he held the first two general chapters of the now widespread order.

At the close of the second general chapter Dominic set out for Venice to visit Cardinal Ugolino, to whom he was especially indebted for many substantial acts of kindness. He had scarcely returned to Bologna when a fatal illness attacked him. Death came at the age of 51 and found him exhausted with the austerities and labors of his eventful career. He died there on August 6, 1221 and was moved into a simple sarcophagus in 1233.

In a papal bull dated at Spoleto, July 13 , 1234, Ugolino, now Gregory IX declared Dominica a said and decreed that his cult should be obligatory throughout the Catholic Church.

Dominic's church in Bologna was later expanded and grew into the Basilica of Saint Dominic, consecrated by Pope Innocent IV in 1251. In 1267 Dominic's remains were moved to the exquisite shrine, made by Nicola Pisano and his workshop, Arnolfo di Cambio and with later additions by Niccolò dell'Arca and the young Michelangelo. At the back of this shrine, the head of Dominic is enshrined in a huge, golden reliquary, a masterpiece of the goldsmith Jacopo Roseto da Bologna (1383).

Legacy

Pedro Burruguete, St Dominic Presiding over an Auto de fe.

Although Dominic was a zealous opponent of heresy and favored military means to suppress the Cathars, what part he had personally in the proceedings of the Inquisition has been disputed for many centuries. The historical sources from Dominic's own time period tell us nothing about his involvement in the Inquisition. It is conceivable that he may have been involved in episcopal inquisitions under the guidance of local bishops. However, the papal Inquisition was initiated, by Dominic's friend and protector, Pope Gregory IX, only after Dominic's death. Appreciating Dominic's intellectual and spiritual tradition, Gregory placed the administration of the Inquisition under the Dominican Order. Several early Dominicans, including some of Dominic's first followers, thus clearly did become inquisitors.

The notion that Dominic himself had been an inquisitor first appears in the fourteenth century through the writings of a famous Dominican inquisitor, Bernard Gui, who portrayed Dominic as an enthusiastic participant. In the fifteenth century, Dominic would be depicted in Catholic art as presiding at an auto da fé, the public condemnation of heretics during the Spanish Iquisition. Since the Catholic Church during this period had no interest in correcting the impression that Dominic himself was an inquisitor, it was at pains later on, once the Inquisition had been discredited, to correct the record.

Some histories of the rosary claim this tradition, too, originated with Saint Dominic. One legend holds that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Dominic in the church of Prouille in 1208 and gave the rosary to him. However, other sources dispute this attribution and suggest that its roots were in the preaching of Alan de Rupe between 1470-1475. However, for centuries, Dominicans have been instrumental in spreading the rosary and emphasizing the Catholic belief in its power.

Dominic's greatest legacy, however, is the Dominican Order itself. Beyond the infamous role it played in investigating and prosecuting heresy during the Inquisition, the Dominicans were also noted (though not as much as the Franciscans) for attempting to reform the Catholic Church by opposing the wealth and luxury of some of its priest and bishops. Famed for its intellectual tradition, the order has produced many leading Catholic theologians and philosophers. Among hundreds of famous Dominicans are St. Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, St. Catherine of Siena, and Girolamo Savonarola. Four Dominican cardinals have become popes.

See also

• Dominicans
• Inquisition
• Albigensian Crusade
• Cathars

Bibliography

• Alfred Wesley Wishart. A Short History of Monks and Monasteries. 1900. Project Gutenberg etext
• Guy Bedouelle, "The Holy Inquisition: Dominic and the Dominicans," an article on the main Dominican website
• Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Dominic by John B. O'Conner, 1909.
• Simon Tugwell, "Early Dominicans," New York: Paulist Press, 1982.
• M.-H. Vicaire, "Saint Dominic and his Times," transl. by Kathleen Pond, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Alt Publishing, 1964.
• McGonigle, Thomas and Phyllis Zagano "The Dominican Tradition" (Spirituality in History Series) (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press) 2006.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Saint Dominic

• ORDO PRAEDICATORUM (OP) - The homepage of Dominicans (Black Friars).
• The website of Czech Dominicans.
• Bishop Foulques's authorization of 1215 (French translation)
• Founder Statue in St Peter's Basilica
• Lectures in Dominican History

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