Dominique de Guzmán

Biography

Native of Caleruega in the Old woman Castille with eighty kilometers of Burgos. It was, so that one believes, of the Famous family of Guzmán. Dominique studies the Théologie and the Philosophie with Palencia. In 1196, it enters like Clerc to the chapter of évêché of Osma.

It is characterized early by enthusiasm from its zeal and its talent for the Prédication; he taught theology with Palencia, entered in 1198 the chapter of the bishop of Osma. In 1203 it accompanies its bishop, Diego, asked by Alphonse VIII with Castille with a Ambassade near the king with Denmark in order to obtain a princess in marriage for the Infant.

Against the cathares

Crossing midday of the France, Dominique meets there the Hérésie Cathare. Some of the elements which will start the Réforme are already present at that time. Richness of the Church, in particular, made scandal in certain Christian mediums which end up alluring the ideas of the of Vaud and of the cathares.

Until the end of the 12th century, the Pape S had tried to stop the phenomenon on two plans: military campaigns carried out by bishops whose bloody victories remained without a future and of the sermons carried out with ostentation by the Cistercien S with holy Bernard at their head as it was the case with Albi in 1145. Here also without result. The Church does not know, at that time, speech with the people while the unfavourable theologists combine with their vast religious culture a style of sermon which touches the people of modest means. The heresy is finally condemned in 1184, confusing the two movements however distinct.

In its return of Denmark, after a second voyage in 1205, Dominique passes by Rome and Cîteaux, then stops in Languedoc, apparently determined to fight the heresy. To compete with a comparable institution cathare, Dominique establishes with Prouille as of 1206 the first Monastère women, by using the old church of Prouille and some dependences, of which the major part is given by Guillaume and Raymonde Claret. In 1207 Dominique will belong to the Colloque of Pamiers, also called “ conference of Montreal ” which will be the last debate between the cathares and the Catholic church.

The assassination of the papal legate, the cistercian Pierre de Castelnau, charged to Raymond VI of Toulouse, starts in 1209 the Albigensian Crusade and Dominique follows the crusaders in the conquered places seeking to obtain conversion S. In 1215 it is established with Toulouse, with some collaborators, in buildings given by Pierre Seila, and Foulques, bishop of Toulouse, collaborator of Dominique since 1206, authorizes them to preach in all the territory of Toulouse. In November, Dominique and Foulques are in Rome, the IV {{E}} council of Lateran: there, with the Innocent pope III, they project the establishment of a Ordre of the Preachers.

At the same time, Simon de Montfort, with the head of an army of Crusaders, exterminates the Albigensians by iron (1205 - 1215), Dominique operates a great number of conversions by only persuasion; it does not take any share with the war, wanting others weapons only preaching, the prayer and the good examples.

Foundation about the preaching friars

Thus, and perhaps inspired by the recent whole Order begging for François d' Assise, Dominique founds in 1216 the Ordre of the preaching friars, better known today under the name of Dominicain S who will be however, contrary to the Franciscain S invited to inform itself without slackening. It is Innocent III which equips them with a rule inspired by that of Saint Augustin, but it is its successor, Honorius III, in January 1217, which authorizes the establishment of the Order.

To the chapter of Bologna (1220), Dominique gives his first structures to the order of the preaching friars. At his head is placed a general Master to which all the preachers are subjected. A general chapter east joins together every year, working out the payments of the order and having the judicial power. The rule of the order is that of the canons of Saint Augustin. It grants a broad place to the liturgical prayer and the meditation. The order should neither have returned, nor properties, and must practice the conventual begging. Only the possession of the convent by the community and books by each brother is allowed. Each convent is transformed into house of study ( studium ) and each province has centers of biblical and theological study. The preachers fix themselves in the university towns (Bologna, Paris, Toulouse, Oxford, Cologne) where the quality of their teaching enables them to aspire to the pulpits of Faculty quickly.

It employs its last years to spread its institute, which soon counted many convents in France, in Italy, in Spain.

August 8th 1221, Dominique dies in Bologna after a long illness. He is canonized in 1234 by Gregoire IX, which fixed its festival at the August 4th - one year before the order created by Dominique is implied by the pope in a new method of fight against the heresy: the Enquiry.

Dominique and Enquiry

Some look it like the first Inquisiteur, and say that it was charged to exert these functions in the Languedoc. In its French history , Jules Michelet makes of it the “terrible founder of the Enquiry”. Dominican themselves, with the the Middle Ages, accredited this legend: Bernard GUI, one of the most famous inquisiteurs, qualifies Dominique of “first inquisitor” in a biography of the founder. A table celebrates of Pedro Berruguete, the Scene of auto-da-fe , Dominique watch in front of an auto-da-fe and ready to send heretics to roughing-hew - table undoubtedly with the glory of Dominique, the painter having carried out several tables at the request of Tomás de Torquemada. Actually, Dominique died in 1221, date on which the Enquiry was not entrusted to the brothers précheurs. The first nobody to bear the name of inquisitor, Conrad de Marbourg, receives this title in 1231.

Iconography

Saint Dominique is represented provided with a cross, a book and a terrestrial sphere. A star avoids the face to him while a black dog and white accompanies it and that lilies surround it. One associates it with qualities of eloquence and testimony.

Others

Santo Domingo (in Spanish Santo Domingo , the official designation and supplements being Santo Domingo de Guzmán ), capital of the Dominican Republic, is thus named in the honor of saint Dominique de Guzmán.

In 1963, Sister Smile, Dominican Belgian, was a world success and rose in first place of the Hit-parade in the United States with a song devoted to its saint-owner: Dominique .

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