Saint Dominic
- For other saints named Dominic, see the disambiguation page for Dominic
| Saint Dominic | |
|---|---|
 Oldest image of Saint Dominic by an unknown 14th century artist Priory of the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, Italy | |
| 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), also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés (1170 – August 6, 1221) was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers (OP), a Catholic religious order. Dominic is the patron saint of astronomers and the Dominican Republic.
Biography
Birth and Parentage
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.[1] A later source, still of the [thirteenth century]], gives the names of Dominic's mother and father as Juana de Aza and Felix.[2] Dominic's was reportedly "an honored and wealthy man in his village,"[3] a claim which fits with the idea that his uncle was an archbishop.
Education and early career
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. 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. 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 and Citeaux. Dominic then remained a number of years in the south of France working among the Cathars, but not finding much success in overthrowing their teaching's influence. 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.
Foundation of the Dominicans
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 1215, Dominic established himself, with six followers, in a house provided by Pierre Seila, a rich resident of Toulouse. 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 Pope, Innocent III. Dominic returned to Rome a year later, and was finally 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). This organization took as its motto "to praise, to bless, to preach," taken from the Preface of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Missal.
Later life
Dominic now made his headquarters at Rome, although he traveled extensively to maintain contact with his growing brotherhood of monks. It was in the winter of 1216–1217, at the house of Ugolino de' Conti, that he first met William of Montferrat, afterwards a close friend.
When arriving in Bologna in January 1218, he saw immediately that this university city was most convenient as his center of activity. Soon a convent was established at the Mascarella church by the Blessed Reginald of Orléans. Soon afterwards they had to move to the church of San Nicolò of the Vineyards. Dominic settled in this church and held in this church the first two General Chapters of the order. He died there on 6 August 1221 and was moved into a simple sarcophagus in 1233.
The church 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).
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 never laid aside, even in sleep. He abstained from meat and observed stated fasts and periods of silence. He selected the worst accommodations and the meanest clothes, and never allowed himself the luxury of a bed. When traveling, he beguiled the journey with spiritual instruction and prayers. As soon as he passed the limits of towns and villages, he took off his shoes, and, however sharp the stones or thorns, he trudged on his way barefooted. Rain and other discomforts elicited from his lips nothing but praises to God.
Death came at the age of fifty-one and found him exhausted with the austerities and labors of his eventful career. He had reached the convent of St Nicholas at Bologna, Italy, weary and sick with a fever. He refused the repose of a bed and made the monks lay him on some sacking stretched upon the ground. The brief time that remained to him was spent in exhorting his followers to have charity, to guard their humility, and to make their treasure out of poverty. He died at noon on 6 August 1221.
Inquisition
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What part Dominic personally had in the proceedings of the episcopal Medieval 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. This is all the more striking when we consider that several early Dominicans, including some of Dominic's first followers, did become inquisitors. In fact, the notion that Dominic had been an inquisitor only began in the 14th century through the writings of a famous Dominican inquisitor, Bernard Gui, who tried to paint his Order's founder as a participant in the Institution. One of the most difficult aspects of Catholic history has been the denial of Church that Dominic not only was a part of the Inquisition, but took an active part in it.
The Colloquy of Montréal in 1207 was the final debate in Pamiers between the Catholics (represented by Dominic Guzmán) and the Cathars (notably Benoît de Termes). Once again the the Roman Church made no progress, and if anything confirmed its role as a figure of fun and reservoir of ignorance and bigotry. When a great noblewoman, the Esclarmonde of Foix (the Count's sister), a Parfaite, tried to speak she was admonished by one of Dominic Guzmán's acolytes (Etienne de Metz): "go to your spinning madam. It is not proper for you to speak in a debate of this sort". Such attitudes voiced in front of a liberal educated audience succeeded only in confirming the extent of the gulf between the Roman Church and the general population of the Languedoc. In any case, even with God's personal help, the Roman Church once again failed to secure mass conversions, or indeed any conversions at all among the Parfaits.
Guzmán was humiliated by his failure. More vigorous action was called for. The great Bernard of Clairvaux (St Bernard) had asserted that "The Christian glories in the death of a pagan, because Christ is thereby glorified". Were not heretics even worse than pagans, even more deserving of death. Speaking on behalf of Christ, Guzmán promised the Cathars slavery and death .
In the 15th century, Dominic would be depicted as presiding at an auto da fé, later offering German Protestant critics of the Catholic Church a convenient publicity weapon against the very Order whose theologically informed preaching had proven to be a formidable opponent in the lands of the Reformation. Thus a 14th century invention soon became a part of the Black Legend.
Rosary
Some histories of the Rosary claim its origin to Saint Dominic through the Blessed Virgin Mary[5]. Our Lady of the Rosary is the title received by the Marian apparition to Saint Dominic in 1208 in the church of Prouille in which the Virgin Mary 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, and suggest that Saint Dominic had nothing to do with the Rosary[6]. There are sources trying to seek a middle ground to these two views[7]. Either way, the Rosary has for centuries been at the heart of the Dominican Order. Pope Pius XI stated that: "The Rosary of Mary is the principle and foundation on which the very Order of Saint Dominic rests for making perfect the life of its members and obtaining the salvation of others." [8]
For centuries, Dominicans have been instrumental in spreading the rosary and emphasizing the Catholic belief in the power of the rosary[9].
Patrick Cardinal Hayes of New York provided his imprimatur in support of the fifteen rosary promises attributed to Saint Dominic and Alan de Rupe[10]. In this attribution, based on some Catholic beliefs on the power of prayer the Blessed Virgin Mary reportedly made fifteen specific promises regarding the power of the rosary to Christians who pray the rosary [11]. The fifteen rosary promises range from heavenly protection from misfortune to assurance of sanctification, and to meriting a high degree of glory in heaven [12].
See also
- Santo Domingo
- Vardapet; traveling preachers of the Armenian Church
- Pattern of Urlaur
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ Jordan of Saxony, Libellus de principiis.
- ↑ Pedro Ferrando, Legenda Sancti Dominici 4. Juana is customarily rendered "Jane" in English.
- ↑ Rodrigo de Cerrato, "Vita S. Dominici"
- ↑ *Page of the painting at Prado Museum.
- ↑ Catherine Beebe, St. Dominic and the Rosary ISBN 0898705185
- ↑ Catholic Encyclopedia http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm
- ↑ History of the Rosary http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/ROSARYHS.htm
- ↑ Robert Feeney. St. Dominic and the Rosary. Catholic.net. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ↑ History of the Dominicans http://www.domcentral.org/study/ashley/ds02ital2.htm
- ↑ Rosary promises http://www.catholic.org/clife/mary/promises.php
- ↑ Dominican Fathers on the Rosary http://www.rosary-center.org/nconobl.htm
- ↑ Holyrosary.org http://www.theholyrosary.org/power.html
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
- 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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