Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The missionary witness of St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Order of Preachers, known as the Dominican Friars, was underlined by Pope Benedict XVI during his General Audience on Wednesday, February 3. Born in Spain, in Caleruega, around the year 1170 into a noble family, Dominic distinguished himself with his interest in the study of Sacred Scripture and love for the poor. Ordained a priest, he was elected a canon of the cathedral chapter in his diocese of origin, Osma. The Bishop of Osma, who estimated his spiritual qualities, then brought Dominic with him into Northern Europe, to carry out several diplomatic missions. The Holy Father said: “While traveling, Dominic became aware of two great challenges for the Church of his time: the existence of people who were not yet evangelized, in the northern limits of the European continent, and the religious scourge that weakened Christian life in southern France, where the action of some heretical groups created disturbance and a falling away from the truth of the faith. Missionary work on behalf of those who do not know the light of the Gospel and the work of re-evangelization of the Christian community thus became the apostolic goals that Dominic intended to pursue.”
Dominic was entrusted by the Pope with preaching to the heretical group of the Albigensians. Dominic accepted this mission enthusiastically, which he carried out precisely with the example of his poor and austere existence, with the preaching of the Gospel and with public debates. He dedicated the rest of his life to this mission of preaching the Good News. His sons would fulfill St. Dominic's other dreams: the mission ad gentes, that is, to those who did not yet know Jesus, and the mission to those who lived in the city, especially in the universities, where new intellectual tendencies were a challenge for the faith of the well-educated.”
Benedict XVI also reflected on the urgency of the mission today: “This great saint reminds us that a missionary fire must always burn in the heart of the Church, which drives incessantly to take the first proclamation of the Gospel and, where necessary, to a new evangelization: Christ is, in fact, the most precious good that men and women of all times and all places have the right to know and to love! And it is consoling to see how also in the Church of today there are so many -- pastors and lay faithful, members of old religious orders and of new ecclesial movements -- that with joy spend their life for this supreme ideal: to proclaim and witness the Gospel!”
There were two values that Dominic considered essential to the success of his mission of evangelizing: community life in poverty and study. Dominic and the Dominicans presented themselves as beggars, that is without ownership of land to administer, which made them more disposed to study and itinerant preaching and constituted a concrete testimony to the people ... Secondly, Dominic, "with a brave approach, wanted his followers to acquire a solid theological training.” At the time of Dominic's death in 1221, in Bologna, the Order of Preachers was widespread in many countries of Europe. Dominic was canonized in 1234. Concluding his catechesis, Benedict XVI highlighted the two essential parts of Saint Dominic's apostolic action: Marian devotion and the values of the prayer of intercession for apostolic success. Finally, the Pope invoked the intercession of Dominic of Guzman, so that through him God may continue to enrich the Church with “authentic preachers of the Gospel.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 4/02/2010)
