Dominican Order: foundation, history of creation, influence, symbolism and charter of the order

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The Dominican Order (lat. Ordo fratrum praedicatorum) is Catholic and belongs to one of the brotherhoods that preach the rejection of material we alth and life for the glory of God. Founded by Domingo de Guzman, a monk of Spanish origin, in the 13th century. Another name - the Order of Brothers Preachers - was given to him by the Pope.

Franciscan and Dominican orders

The era of the emergence of mendicant orders came at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century. At this time, the Catholic Church needed dogmatists who would wage a constant uncompromising struggle against heresies and heretics.

The story about the orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans should begin with the fact that in this era there was a need for priests who would not be engaged in secular affairs and lead a luxurious life, but, on the contrary, despised the blessings and were able to demonstrate their purity to ordinary people faith by example. Both orders became known for their strictness and categorical denial andrenunciation of worldly goods.

The Franciscan order was founded in 1209 by the son of a we althy Assisi merchant, Giovanni Bernardone, who, being an itinerant preacher, united his like-minded people and followers around him in Italy near the city of Assisi. He received the nickname "Francis" for the use of French words in his sermons.

The founder of the Franciscans opposed the acquisitiveness of representatives of the Catholic Church, the sale of positions and indulgences. Because of this, he was at one time forbidden to preach, but in 1210 he was allowed to. The Charter of the Order was based on obedience, chastity and a beggarly existence, it was approved by Pope Innocent III. The monks' traditional attire was a loose brown robe with a hood.

The popularity of the Franciscans is evidenced by data on the widespread distribution of monasteries: by 1264 there were 8 thousand of them, and the number of monks reached 200 thousand. By the beginning of the 18th century. The order consisted of 1700 monasteries and 25 thousand brothers. The Franciscans created a system of theological education, they were actively engaged in missionary work and research.

Both orders - the Franciscans and the Dominicans - were endowed by the Pope with the functions of inquisitorial activities, which were actively carried out in European countries for many years, using executions and torture. But basically their activities were aimed at missionary and preaching work, the development of education and science.

Life of St. Dominic

Founder of the Order of Dominican Friarsbecame the Spaniard Domingo de Guzman, who was born in 1170 in the Spanish city of Calerega. His mother was a famous philanthropist who helped the poor. Father - nobleman Felix de Guzman, his older sons followed their brother and also joined the Order, later 2 nephews followed suit.

On the eve of the founding of the Order, Mother Domingo had a prophetic dream: a dog came out of her womb, holding a burning torch in her mouth, which was to “ignite” the whole world, and she saw a star in her son’s forehead.

For training, the boy was sent to his uncle, who served as a parish priest, where he spent 7 years. Already in those years, he showed ascetic inclinations, refused a comfortable night's sleep in bed and preferred to sleep on the floor.

At the age of 14, he entered the University of Palencia (Leon Kingdom). These were the years when famine raged in Europe. And the future founder of the order sold his property and books to help poor people with alms. For 6 years he studied philosophy, culture and art, music and singing.

In 1190, Dominic was appointed gunner at Osma, near Callerega, where he continued his theological studies. He was ordained a priest and served here for 9 years. All the years he read a lot, living in holiness.

In 1203, he accompanied Bishop Diego on a trip to Languedoc to help organize the king's wedding. On this trip, Dominic was outraged by the large number of heretics in France and therefore joined the Albigensians in his convictions, where hewas named "Brother Dominic". The Cistercians moved from city to city, preaching modesty and nobility. In one city, judges conducted a "trial by fire" in an attempt to destroy manuscripts written by Dominic and his opponents. And miraculously, his texts three times flew untouched from the flames. The same miracle happened in Montreal.

The Albigensians adhered to strict rules, but Dominic surpassed them with his desire for sacrifice. He ate mainly dried fish, bread and soup, and diluted his wine with water. He wore a stiff hair shirt and a chain around his waist, slept very little and only on the floor. At the same time, he was benevolent and showed condescension towards other people.

In 1206, after a vision on the feast of St. Magdalene in the town of Pruyle, St. Dominic realized that he should create a convent here, for which he was able to gather 8 young nuns in the near future. The first Dominican convent opened on December 27, 1206, with Mary Magdalene as their patron.

In 1207, after the death of Bishop Diego, Dominic gathered around him a small group of preachers who joined the monastery at Pruille. Bishop of Toulouse Folkes and St. Dominic petitioned the Pope to form a new community of preachers.

History of the Order

In 1214, in the southern French city of Toulouse, a community of like-minded people gathered around the monk St. Dominic, whose goal was to preach the Gospel and bring people to God through personal example. The initial purpose of the founding was a campaign against the Albigensians. These activities have extendedsubsequently for 20 years and led to the destruction of several thousand people declared heretics.

In 1215 St. Dominic in Rome met with Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order. They found much in common in the faith and love for God, which the Franciscans and Dominicans preached, leading a beggarly and ascetic life. The brothers of both orders carried the word of God to ordinary people, contributed to the spread of the Christian faith and opposed heresy.

During the life of Innocent the 3rd, Dominic, having prepared the charter of the Order of the Dominicans, went to Rome for papal confirmation. However, upon arrival it turned out that Innokenty had died. And only the next Pope approved the charter of the Dominican Order in January 1216 and took it under his protection. At that time, there were 16 brothers in it.

Dominic, he initially left the post of theological adviser in the papal palace, who also de alt with the censorship of books. In the same year, St. Dominic made a pilgrimage to the great Christian shrines. While in St. Peter's Basilica, he received a vision in which the apostles Peter and Paul handed him a book and commanded him to preach the word of God as one chosen for this work.

Sowing the seeds of the word of God…

When Pope Honorius III allowed Dominic to return to Toulouse in May 1217, he was reunited with his brothers in the Order. Its founder presented the Order of the Dominicans as an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the whole world in order to find and join all new of theirfollowers.

Before the start of the big campaign, all members of the Order gathered in the Church of the Virgin, where St. Dominic stunned all the parishioners with an extraordinary sermon. That is why his image is often painted in the paintings of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The prophecy of the apostles was fully fulfilled: the brothers did not disperse around the world, but increased their number. Quite quickly, the monasteries of the mendicant brothers-preachers began to appear in France, Spain and Italy, and then in other countries of Medieval Europe.

For the members of his order, St. Dominic has always been a role model. He still practiced mortification and scourged himself bloody three times every night: once for his salvation, the second for sinners, and the third for departed souls. Other Dominicans also do this. In his prayers, the founder of the order always turned to God, mourning sinners.

Traveling in Italy

By the decision of Dominic, all the brothers were sent to various regions of Europe to expand the activities of the Order: 7 people went to the University of Paris, 2 - to Saint-Romain, 4 - to Spain. In October 1217, Dominic and his escort went to Rome on foot: they walked barefoot, ate alms, spent the night in the houses of pious residents, telling everyone about brotherhood and God. As they advanced, they began to be joined by those wishing to join the Dominican Order, the number of followers of which increased rapidly.

After coming to Rome, with the permission of the PopeHonorius brotherhood was given the ancient church of St. Sixtus on the Appian Way, along with buildings. With donations from believers, the territory of the brotherhood was expanded so that the monks could live here. The monastery at San Sisto grew rapidly, and in 1220 it was headed by Mother Blanche, and the brothers in the Order moved to the old Basilica of Santa Sabina, which had been donated to them by the Pope. Since then, the management of the Order for many centuries has been carried out from there. The first General Assembly of the Order of the Dominicans gathered here, the second took place a year later in Bologna. At them it was decided that all members of the brotherhood should give up their property and live only on alms.

Following years, St. Dominic actively preached his ideas, traveling through Italy, France and Spain. He was engaged in the founding of new monasteries and visiting already existing ones, actively preaching his views and denouncing heretics. In every town and village, he confessed to everyone and explained the "Word of God". The nights passed in prayer, and he always slept on the bare floor. Gradually, his he alth deteriorated.

Last years of life

By this time, the glory and efforts of the preachers of the monastic Order of the Dominicans were crowned with great success: their monasteries appeared in 8 provinces of Europe. In the summer of 1221, on the way between Venice and Bologna, Dominic caught a severe fever due to hot and humid weather and fell ill. The last days he was in the premises of the St. Nicholas Convention among his brothers and like-minded people.

In the last hours of his life, St. Dominic bequeathedit is holy for his brothers to believe in God, to observe the rules of voluntary poverty, giving alms to all the poor. He promised to become useful to the Order even after death and to help the cause even more effectively than in life. Dominic expressed his desire to be buried "under the feet" of his brothers. On Friday, August 6, 1221, at 6 pm, at the age of 51, he died with his hands stretched out to heaven with the words of faith on his lips.

Since then, on this day, believers celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration. After the death of Dominic, a strange event occurred. In 1233, it was decided to transport his relics, after lifting the stone lid of the coffin, a delicate sweet aroma spread in the air, which was considered a miracle. A year after that, Dominic was canonized by the church as a Saint, his feast day is celebrated on August 8.

Coat of arms and charter of the Order of Preachers

There are several versions of the coat of arms of the Dominican Order: one is black and white, where the motto is located around the cross: “Praise, bless, preach!” (lat. Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare). The other depicts a dog carrying a lit torch in its mouth, which symbolizes the dual purpose of the order: to bring enlightenment to the world through the preaching of Divine Truth and to protect the faith of the Catholic Church from heresy. Thanks to this, the second unofficial name of the order appeared: “Dogs of the Lord” (lat. Domini Cane).

The Pope approved the charter of the Dominican Order in January 1216 and gave it the second name of the "Order of Preachers". It was headed by the general master elected for life,however, a fixed term was later adopted for it. A provincial prior and a dormitory for monks were also established in each country. A general meeting was to be held every 3 years.

Already by 1221, the Dominicans had 70 monasteries, and by 1256 the number of monks in the order had reached 7,000. Rigid begging rules lasted 200 years, and only in 1425 did Pope Martin the 5th abolish the rules of the Order of Preachers on renunciation of property.

Traditional attire of Dominican monks: a white tunic, a leather belt with a hanging rosary, a white cape with a hood, a black cloak was worn on top. After joining the Order, all members are called brothers, taking a vow of poverty. This vow means the complete renunciation of any property, after which the Dominican had to conduct an active religious activity in the world, and could only exist on the alms of good people. The duties of the brothers included preaching, confession and missionary work.

In the era of prosperity in the Dominican Order, there were about 150 thousand members in 45 provinces of Europe and Asia. The main task of the brothers was missionary work among unbelievers. Much attention was paid to church sermons and theology.

The Order of the Dominicans in terms of pedagogy

From the first hostel of monks in Toulouse, Dominic paid great attention to the education of his brothers. The territory had its own library, consisting mainly of books donated by the bishop. All new members of the brotherhood began to study at the diocesanschool headed by A. Stavensby, the future Archbishop of Canterbury.

At the same time, much attention was paid to the spiritual life of the brothers: theological, theological and linguistic education, contemplation and apostolic activity. Dominic believed that all brothers should get a bachelor's degree.

Starting from the 13th century, when a wide missionary activity was launched to create monasteries, the Order decided that a teacher should be involved in teaching in each of them. Thanks to this rule, the brothers were considered the most educated among the monks, drawing knowledge from famous professors and among students.

The Order of the Dominicans from the point of view of pedagogy played a big role, giving education to everyone who wanted to join this brotherhood. An extensive network of schools of several levels was created at the monasteries, which made it possible to prepare preachers from their own ranks, regardless of universities. There were "intermediate" schools for elementary and "higher" schools for completing education. The emphasis on learning has become an integral part of Dominican education. Over time, some professors and scientists joined the Order.

Special educational institutions for Dominicans were established in many European cities: Cologne, Bologna, Oxford, etc. Beginning in 1256, Pope Alexander 4 allowed representatives of the Franciscan Order to teach at the universities. This policy continued with respect to other brotherhoods. Over time, many Dominicans and Franciscans became teachers and philosophers in educational institutions in Europe, some headed departmentstheology at major universities in Paris, Prague and Padua.

In 1232, the Pope handed over the Inquisition to the Order of the Dominicans precisely because of the excellent education of its members and wide erudition.

Famous scientists and public figures who have passed all stages of training in the Order: Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, Girolamo Savonarola, Tauler and others. Among the Dominicans were famous artists: Fra Angelico (1400-1455) and Fra Bartolomeo (1469-1517), as well as the Spanish inquisitor T. Torquemada, the creator of the work "Hammer of the Witches" J. Sprenger.

Missionary activity

The main goal of the Dominican Order was to preach their ideas and increase the number of followers, the foundation of new monasteries and monasteries. Among the Slavic peoples, the Dominicans appeared under the leadership of Hyacinth Odrovonzh, who later headed the Polish province of the Order. The first monasteries of the brothers were founded in Kyiv in the 1240s, and then appeared in the Czech Republic and Prussia.

Gradually, the Dominican Order launched missionary activities not only in Europe, but also in Asia and the Far East. After the discovery of the New World by Columbus, Dominican missionaries preached the Good News to the American Indians, protecting them from the actions of the colonialists. The most famous of them were Bartolomeo de Las Casas and St. Louis Bertrand.

Female branch of the Dominicans

Church history literature also uses the name"Second Order" for the female branch of the Dominicans. Convents for Dominican women were founded by St. Dominic at the beginning of the 13th century. The sisters' clothes are traditional white with a black cloak, the main occupation is needlework (sewing, embroidery, etc.). Already in 1259, the "Second Order" adopted a strict charter, but later its conditions were softened.

Among the Dominicans, the most famous was Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), who carried out active peacemaking and political activities, and was engaged in writing essays. The most famous of them is the Dialogues on the Providence of God.

Dominicans in 20-21st

In the 20th century, a reorganization took place in the ranks of the Order: the Constitution and rules, the liturgical side of life were revised. Missionary work and preaching remain their main activities, their monasteries are located in 40 countries of the world, and the Dominican G. Pir received the Nobel Prize in 1958 for humanitarian work among refugees.

According to modern data, the Dominican Order has about 6 thousand male monks and 3700 nuns, as well as 47 provinces and 10 vicariates. After 8 centuries of existence of the brotherhood, its followers, in imitation of the holy apostles, live in communities, observing vows of poverty, obedience and chastity.

Enlightening everyone and teaching love and mutual responsibility, members of the Order preach the Gospel in the world and try to resist errors, improving the ability to separate truth and falsehood.