The Rosary is really a weapon
Founder of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican
Order; born at Calaroga, in Old Castile, c. 1170; died 6 August, 1221.
His parents, Felix Guzman and Joanna of Aza, undoubtedly belonged to the
nobility of Spain, though probably neither was connected with the
reigning house of Castile, as some of the saint’s biographers assert. Of
Felix Guzman, personally, little is known, except that he was in every
sense the worthy head of a family of saints.
To nobility of blood Joanna
of Aza added a nobility of soul which so enshrined her in the popular
veneration that in 1828 she was solemnly beatified by Leo XII. The
example of such parents was not without its effect upon their children.
Not only Saint Dominic but also his brothers, Antonio and Manes, were
distinguished for their extraordinary sanctity. Antonio, the eldest,
became a secular priest and, having distributed his patrimony to the
poor, entered a hospital where he spent his life minis ministering to
the sick. Manes, following in the footsteps of Dominic, became a Friar
Preacher, and was beatified by Gregory XVI.
The birth and infancy of the saint were attended by many marvels
forecasting his heroic sanctity and great achievements in the cause of
religion. From his seventh to his fourteenth year he pursued his
elementary studies tinder the tutelage of his maternal uncle, the
archpriest of Gumiel d’lzan, not far distant from Calaroga. In 1184
Saint Dominic entered the University of Palencia. Here he remained for
ten years prosecuting his studies with such ardour and success that
throughout the ephemeral existence of that institution he was held up to
the admiration of its scholars as all that a student should be. Amid
the frivolities and dissipations of a university city, the life of the
future saint was characterized by seriousness of purpose and an
austerity of manner which singled him out as one from whom great things
might be expected in the future. But more than once he proved that under
this austere exterior he carried a heart as tender as a woman’s. On one
occasion he sold his books, annotated with his own hand, to relieve the
starving poor of Palencia. His biographer and contemporary, Bartholomew
of Trent, states that twice he tried to sell himself into slavery to
obtain money for the liberation of those who were held in captivity by
the Moors. These facts are worthy of mention in view of the cynical and
saturnine character which some non-Catholic writers have endeavoured to
foist upon one of the most charitable of men. Concerning the date of his
ordination his biographers are silent; nor is there anything from which
that date can be inferred with any degree of certainty. According to
the deposition of Brother Stephen, Prior Provincial of Lombardy, given
in the process of canonization, Dominic was still a student at Palencia
when Don Martin de Bazan, the Bishop of Osma, called him to membership
in the cathedral chapter for the purpose If assisting in its reform. The
bishop realized the importance to his plan of reform of having
constantly before his canons the example of one of Dominic’s eminent
holiness. Nor was he disappointed in the result. In recognition of the
part he had taken in converting its members into canons regular, Dominic
was appointed sub-prior of the reformed chapter. On the accession of
Don Diego d’Azevedo to the Bishopric of Osma in 1201, Dominic became
superior of the chapter with the title of prior. As a canon of Osma, he
spent nine years of his life hidden in God and rapt in contemplation,
scarcely passing beyond the confines of the chapter house.
Spanish
painting from the 1400s by Pedro Berruguete showing the miracle of
Fanjeaux. The books of the heretical Albigensian and those of the
Catholics were thrown together into the fire before Saint Dominic. The
Catholic books were miraculously preserved, being rejected three times
by the flames, while the heretical ones burned.
In 1203 Alfonso IX, King of Castile, deputed the Bishop of Osma to
demand from the Lord of the Marches, presumably a Danish prince, the
hand of his daughter on behalf of the king’s son, Prince Ferdinand. For
his companion on this embassy Don Diego chose Saint Dominic. Passing
through Toulouse in the pursuit of their mission, they beheld with
amazement and sorrow the work of spiritual ruin wrought by the
Albigensian heresy. It was in the contemplation of this scene that
Dominic first conceived the idea of founding an order for the purpose of
combating heresy and spreading the light of the Gospel by preaching to
the ends of the then known world. Their mission having ended
successfully, Diego and Dominic were dispatched on a second embassy,
accompanied by a splendid retinue, to escort the betrothed princess to
Castile. This mission, however, was brought to a sudden close by the
death of the young woman in question. The two ecclesiastics were now
free to go where they would, and they set out for Rome, arriving there
towards the end of 1204. The purpose of this 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 Albigenses. 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 Albigenses. They had entered upon their
work with considerable pomp, attended by a brilliant retinue, and well
provided with the comforts of life. To this display of worldliness the
leaders of the heretics opposed a rigid asceticism which commanded the
respect and admiration of their followers. Diego and Dominic quickly saw
that the failure of the Cistercian apostolate was due to the monks’
indulgent habits, and finally prevailed upon them to adopt a more
austere manner of life. The result was at once apparent in a greatly
increased number of converts. Theological disputations played a
prominent part in the propaganda of the heretics.
St. Dominic
Dominic and his companion, therefore, lost no time in engaging their
opponents in this kind of theological exposition. Whenever the
opportunity offered, they accepted the gage of battle. The thorough
training that the saint had received at Palencia now proved of
inestimable value to him in his encounters with the heretics. Unable to
refute his arguments or counteract the influence of his preaching, they
visited their hatred upon him by means of repeated insults and threats
of physical violence. With Prouille for his head-quarters, he laboured
by turns in Fanjeaux, Montpellier, Servian, Béziers, and Carcassonne.
Early in his apostolate around Prouille the saint realized the necessity
of an institution that would protect the women of that country from the
influence of the heretics. Many of them had already embraced
Albigensianism and were its most active propagandists. These women
erected convents, to which the children of the Catholic nobility were
often sent-for want of something better-to receive an education, and, in
effect, if not on purpose, to be tainted with the spirit of heresy. It
was needful, too, that women converted from heresy should be safeguarded
against the evil influence of their own homes. To supply these
deficiencies, Saint Dominic, with the permission of Foulques, Bishop of
Toulouse, established a convent at Prouille in 1206. To this community,
and afterwards to that of Saint Sixtus, at Rome, he gave the rule and
constitutions which have ever since guided the nuns of the Second Order
of Saint Dominic.
A statue of Simon de Montfort on the Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower in Leicester, England.
The year 1208 opens a new epoch in the eventful life of the founder.
On 15 January of that year Pierre de Castelnau, one of the Cistercian
legates, was assassinated. This abominable crime precipitated the
crusade under Simon de Montfort, which led to the temporary subjugation
of the heretics. Saint Dominic participated in the stirring scenes that
followed, but always on the side of mercy, wielding the arms of the
spirit while others wrought death and desolation with the sword. Some
historians assert that during the sack of Béziers, Dominic appeared in
the streets of that city, cross in hand, interceding for the lives of
the women and children, the aged and the infirm. This testimony,
however, is based upon documents which Touron regards as certainly
apocryphal. The testimony of the most reliable historians tends to prove
that the saint was neither in the city nor in its vicinity when Béziers
was sacked by the crusaders. We find him generally during this period
following the Catholic army, reviving religion and reconciling heretics
in the cities that had capitulated to, or had been taken by, the
victorious de Montfort.
The
Charles Bridge which crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech
Republic. Completed in 1402, the bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10
meters wide and decorated by 30 statues, including this one of Our
Lady, St. Dominic & St. Thomas.
It was probably 1 September, 1209, that Saint Dominic first came in
contact with Simon de Montfort and formed with him that intimate
friendship which was to last till the death of the brave crusader under
the walls of Toulouse (25 June, 1218). We find him by the side of de
Montfort at the siege of Lavaur in 121 1, and again in 1212, at the
capture of La Penne d’Ajen. In the latter part of 1212 he was at Pamiers
labouring, at the invitation of de Montfort, for the restoration of
religion and morality. Lastly, just before the battle of Muret, 12
September, 1213, the saint is again found in the council that preceded
the battle. During the progress of the conflict, he knelt before the
altar in the church of Saint-Jacques, praying for the triumph of the
Catholic arms. So remarkable was the victory of the crusaders at Muret
that Simon de Montfort regarded it as altogether miraculous, and piously
attributed it to the prayers of Saint Dominic. In gratitude to God for
this decisive victory, the crusader erected a chapel in the church of
Saint-Jacques, which he dedicated, it is said, to Our Lady of the
Rosary. It would appear, therefore, that the devotion of the Rosary,
which tradition says was revealed to Saint Dominic, had come into
general use about this time. To this period, too, has been ascribed the
foundation of the Inquisition by Saint Dominic, and his appointment as
the first Inquisitor. As both these much controverted questions will
receive special treatment elsewhere in this work, it will suffice for
our present purpose to note that the Inquisition was in operation in
1198, or seven years before the saint took part in the apostolate in
Languedoc, and while he was still an obscure canon regular at Osma. If
he was for a certain time identified with the operations of the
Inquisition, it was only in the capacity of a theologian passing upon
the orthodoxy of the accused. Whatever influence he may have had with
the judges of that much maligned institution was always employed on the
side of mercy and forbearance, as witness the classic case of Ponce
Roger.
St Dominic Resurrects a Boy, Painted by Pedro Berruguete
In the meantime, the saint’s increasing reputation for heroic
sanctity, apostolic zeal, and profound learning caused him to be much
sought after as a candidate for various bishoprics. Three distinct
efforts were made to miss him to the episcopate. In July, 1212, the
chapter of Béziers chose him for their bishop. Again, the canons of
Saint-Lizier wished him to succeed Garcias de l’Orte as Bishop of
Comminges. Lastly, in 1215 an effort was made by Garcias de l’Orte
himself, who had been transferred from Comminges to Auch, to make him
Bishop of Navarre. But Saint Dominic absolutely refused all episcopal
honours, saying that he would rather take flight in the night, with
nothing but his staff, than accept the episcopate. From Muret, Dominic
returned to Carcassonne, where he resumed his preaching with unqualified
success. It was not until 1214 that he returned to Toulouse. In the
meantime the influence of his preaching and the eminent holiness of his
life had drawn around him a little band of devoted disciples eager to
follow wherever he might lead.
Saint
Dominic had never for a moment forgotten his purpose, formed eleven
years before, of founding a religious order to combat heresy and
propagate religious truth. The time now seemed opportune for the
realization of his plan. With the approval of Bishop Foulques of
Toulouse, he began the organization of his little band of followers.
That Dominic and his companions might possess a fixed source of revenue
Foulques made him chaplain of Fanjeaux and in July, 1215, canonically
established the community as a religious congregation of his diocese,
whose mission was the propagation of true doctrine and good morals, and
the extirpation of heresy. During this same year Pierre Seilan, a
wealthy citizen of Toulouse, who had placed himself under the direction
of Saint Dominic, put at their disposal his own commodious dwelling. In
this way the first convent of the Order of Preachers was founded on 25
April, 1215. But they dwelt here only a year when Foulques established
them in the church of Saint Romanus.
Though the little community had proved amply the need of its mission
and the efficiency of its service to the Church, it was far from
satisfying the full purpose of its founder. It was at best but a
diocesan congregation, and Saint Dominic had dreamed Of a world-order
that would carry its apostolate to the ends of the earth. But, unknown
to the saint, events were shaping themselves for the realization of his
hopes. In November, 1215, an ecumenical council was to meet at Rome “to
deliberate on the improvement of morals, the extinction of heresy, and
the strengthening of the faith”. This was identically the mission Saint
Dominic had determined on for his order. With the Bishop of Toulouse, he
was present at the deliberations of this council. From the very first
session it seemed that events conspired to bring his plans to a
successful issue. The council bitterly arraigned the bishops for their
neglect of preaching.
Our Lady of Las Lajas extending a Rosary to St. Dominic and the Infant Jesus a Franciscan cord to St. Francis.
In canon X they were directed to delegate capable men to preach the
word of God to the people. Under these circumstances, it would
reasonably appear that Dominic’s request for confirmation of an order
designed to carry out the mandates of the council would be joyfully
granted. But while the council was anxious that these reforms should be
put into effect as speedily as possible, it was at the same time opposed
to the institution of any new religious orders, and had legislated to
that effect in no uncertain terms. Moreover, preaching had always been
looked upon as primarily a function of the episcopate. To bestow this
office on an unknown and untried body of simple priests s seemed too
original and too bold in its conception to appeal to the conservative
prelates who influenced the deliberations of the council. When,
therefore, his petition for the approbation of his infant institute was
refused, it could not have been wholly unexpected by Saint Dominic.
Returning to Languedoc at the close of the council in December, 1215,
the founder gathered about him his little band of followers and informed
them of the wish of the council that there should be no new rules for
religious orders. Thereupon they adopted the ancient rule of Saint
Augustine, which, on account of its generality, would easily lend itself
to any form they might wish to give it. This done, Saint Dominic again
appeared before the pope in the month of August, 1216, and again
solicited the confirmation of his order. This time he was received more
favourably, and on 22 December, 1216, the Bull of confirmation was
issued.
Pope Honorius III Approving the Rule of St Dominic in 1216. Painting by Leandro Bassano
Saint Dominic spent the following Lent preaching in various churches
in Rome, and before the pope and the papal court. It was at this time
that he received the office and title of Master of the Sacred Palace, or
Pope’s Theologian, as it is more commonly called. This office has been
held uninterruptedly by members of the order from the founder’s time to
the present day. On 15 August, 1217, he gathered the brethren about him
at Prouille to deliberate on the affairs of the order. He had determined
upon the heroic plan of dispersing his little band of seventeen
unformed followers over all Europe. The result proved the wisdom of an
act which, to the eye of human prudence at least, seemed little short of
suicidal. To facilitate the spread of the order, Honorius III, on 11
Feb., 1218, addressed a Bull to all archbishops, bishops, abbots, and
priors, requesting their favour on behalf of the Order of Preachers. By
another Bull, dated 3 Dec., 1218, Honorius III bestowed upon the order
the church of Saint Sixtus in Rome. Here, amid the tombs of the Appian
Way, was founded the first monastery of the order in Rome. Shortly after
taking possession of Saint Sixtus, at the invitation of Honorius, Saint
Dominic begin the somewhat difficult task of restoring the pristine
observance of religious discipline among the various Roman communities
of women. In a comparatively short time the work was accomplished, to
the great satisfaction of the pope.
Our Lord and Our Lady with Saint Dominic and other Dominicians.; Convent of the basilica of Saint Dominic, Bologna, Italy
His own career at the University of Palencia, and the practical use
to which he had put it in his encounters with the Albigenses, as well as
his keen appreciation of the needs of the time, convinced the saint
that to ensure the highest efficiency of the work of the apostolate, his
followers should be afforded the best educational advantages
obtainable. It was for this reason that on the dispersal of the brethren
at Prouille he dispatched Matthew of France and two companions to
Paris. A foundation was made in the vicinity of the university, and the
friars took possession in October, 1217. Matthew of France was appointed
superior, and Michael de Fabra was placed in charge of the studies with
the title of Lecturer. On 6 August of the following year, Jean de
Barastre, dean of Saint-Quentin and professor of theology, bestowed on
the community the hospice of Saint-Jaques, which he had built for his
own use. Having effected a foundation at the University of Paris, Saint
Dominic next determined upon a settlement at the University of Bologna.
Bertrand of Garrigua, who had been summoned from Paris, and John of
Navarre, set out from Rome, with letters from Pope Honorius, to make the
desired foundation. On their arrival at Bologna, the church of Santa
Maria della Mascarella was placed at their disposal. So rapidly did the
Roman community of Saint Sixtus grow that the need of more commodious
quarters soon became urgent. Honorius, who seemed to delight in
supplying every need of the order and furthering its interests to the
utmost of his power, met the emergency by bestowing on Saint Dominic the
basilica of Santa Sabina.
St. Dominic
Towards the end of 1218, having appointed Reginald of Orléans his
vicar in Italy, the saint, accompanied by several of his brethren, set
out for Spain. Bologna, Prouille, Toulouse, and Fanjeaux were visited on
the way. From Prouille two of the brethren were sent to establish a
convent at Lyons. Segovia was reached just before Christmas. In February
of the following year he founded the first monastery of the order in
Spain. Turning southward, he established a convent for women at Madrid,
similar to the one at Prouille. It is quite probable that on this
journey he personally presided over the erection of a convent in
connexion with his alma mater, the University of Palencia. At the
invitation of the Bishop of Barcelona, a house of the order was
established in that city. Again bending his steps towards Rome he
recrossed the Pyrenees and visited the foundations at Toulouse and
Paris. During his stay in the latter place he caused houses to be
erected at Limoges, Metz, Reims, Poitiers, and Orléans, which in a short
time became centers of Dominican activity. From Paris he directed his
course towards Italy, arriving in Bologna in July, 1219. Here he devoted
several months to the religious formation of the brethren he found
awaiting him, and then, as at Prouille, dispersed them over Italy. Among
the foundations made at this time were those at Bergamo, Asti, Verona,
Florence, Brescia, and Faenza. From Bologna he went to Viterbo. His
arrival at the papal court was the signal for the showering of new
favours on the order. Notable among these marks of esteem were many
complimentary letters addressed by Honorius to all those who had
assisted the Fathers in their vinous foundations. In March of this same
year Honorius, through his representatives, bestowed upon the order the
church of San Eustorgio in Milan. At the same time a foundation at
Viterbo was authorized. On his return to Rome, towards the end of 1219,
Dominic sent out letters to all the convents announcing the first
general chapter of the order, to be held at Bologna on the feast of the
following Pentecost. Shortly before, Honorius III, by a special Brief,
had conferred upon the founder the title of Master General, which till
then he had held only by tacit consent. At the very first session of the
chapter in the following spring the saint startled his brethren by
offering his resignation as master general. It is needless to say the
resignation was not accepted and the founder remained at the head of the
institute till the end of his life.
Statue of St. Dominic’s Blessing (1623) in front of the Basilica of Saint Dominic, Bologna, Italy.
Soon after the close of the chapter of Bologna, Honorius III
addressed letters to the abbeys and priories of San Vittorio, Sillia,
Mansu, Floria, Vallombrosa, and Aquila, ordering that several of their
religious be deputed to begin, under the leadership of Saint Dominic, a
preaching crusade in Lombardy, where heresy had developed alarming
proportions. For some reason or other the plans of the pope were never
realized. The promised support failing, Dominic, with a little band of
his own brethren, threw himself into the field, and, as the event
proved, spent himself in an effort to bring back the heretics to their
allegiance to the Church. It is said that 100,000 unbelievers were
converted by the preaching and the miracles of the saint. According to
Lacordaire and others, it was during his preaching in Lombardy that the
saint instituted the Militia of Jesus Christ, or the third order, as it
is commonly called, consisting of men and women living in the world, to
protect the rights and property of the Church. Towards the end of 1221
Saint Dominic returned to Rome for the sixth and last time. Here he
received many new and valuable concessions for the order. In January,
February, and March of 1221 three consecutive Bulls were issued
commending the order to all the prelates of the Church-. The thirtieth
of May, 1221, found him again at Bologna presiding over the second
general chapter of the order. At the close of the chapter he 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. He died after three weeks of
sickness, the many trials of which he bore with heroic patience. In a
Bull dated at Spoleto, 13 July, 1234, Gregory IX made his cult
obligatory throughout the Church.
Called
the Ark of Saint Dominic, contains the remains of St. Dominic, in St.
Dominic’s Chapel in the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, Italy
The life of St. Dominic was one of tireless effort in the, service of
God. While he journeyed from place to place he prayed and preached
almost uninterruptedly. – His penances were of such a nature as to cause
the brethren, who accidentally discovered them. to fear the effect upon
his life. While his charity was boundless he never permitted it to
interfere with the stern sense of duty that guided every action of his
life. If he abominated heresy and laboured untiringly for its
extirpation it was because he loved truth and loved the souls of those
among whom he laboured. He never failed to distinguish between sin and
the sinner. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, if this athlete of
Christ, who had conquered himself before attempting the reformation of
others, was more than once chosen to show forth the power of God. The
failure of the fire at Fanjeaux to consume the dissertation he had
employed against the heretics, and which was thrice thrown into the
flames; the raising to life of Napoleone Orsini; the appearance of the
annals in the refectory of Saint Sixtus in response to his prayers, are
but a few of the supernatural happenings by which God was pleased to
attest the eminent holiness of His servant. We are not surprised,
therefore, that, after signing the Bull of canonization on 13 July,
1234, Gregory IX declared that he no more doubted the saintliness of
Saint Dominic than he did that of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
JOHN B. O’CONNER (Catholic Encyclopedia)
