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JUSTICE AND PEACE: AN APOSTOLIC PRIORITY OF DOMINICAN
PREACHING
INDEX
1: Justice and Peace, a priority of our apostolate
Since 1977, all the General Chapters of the Order have underlined the
importance of the option for the poor, of the concern to promote justice
and peace as an essential dimension of the gospel which lies at the
heart of our life and preaching.
- The foundation: the gospel preference for the poor:
«True to the charism which the Church acknowledges to be ours,
we must take care to preach the gospel in all its fullness, taking
especial note of the gospel's implications in the sphere of justice
at the heart of the human community. Following the example of the
Word made flesh, we ought to take particular care of the little ones,
the poor, those who are oppressed, isolated or frustrated. It is with
these we ought to establish a fundamental solidarity according to
the gospel spirit.»
(Quezon City, 1977, N° 19.4)
- The prophetic dimension of our preaching depends on this:
«The finest tradition of our Order indicates that our preaching
was always prophetic. ... In the past, our preaching was effective
when the Order knew how to read the signs of the times at troublesome
periods of history. In order to discern the signs of the times, we
must hear the cry of the poor, the oppressed, the outcasts, the sick,
of those who have suffered persecution on account of their racial
or religious identity, or on account of their action against injustice.
It is in their cry that God speaks to us...»
(Walberberg, 1980, N° 17.1)
- This poses questions for our style of life:
«As in the life of St Dominic, so too in our Order preaching
and poverty are intimately linked... How can we hope that those who
are poor will accept our preaching seriously if we ourselves are not
close to their way of life... In conformity with the spirit of St
Dominic, our preaching must be based upon compassion.»
(Walberberg, 1980, N° 17.2)
- Such an option won't work without a necessary conversion of our communities:
«It seemed clear that some of the brothers considered such
questions to belong to a field reserved for specialists, or as a fashionable
slogan. ... Let them be truly converted! Let them hear Christ in their
hearts, calling them with the voice of the poor.»
(Rome, 1983, N° 234, A(a) & C)
- A number of different avenues are proposed by the General Chapters:
- a Promoter of and/or a Commission for Justice & Peace at the
level of the Order and indeed of each province;
- the awakening our brothers, from the novitiate onward, to a critical
consciousness of the socio-economic realities;
- the establishment of communities in working-class or even marginalised
districts (Avila, 1986);
- an effective solidarity with those who are most deprived;
- presence among the ONG of Human Rights (Caleruega, 1995);
- etc.
- The apostolic Dominican sisters have in many cases gone further down
the road of daily solidarity with those who are poorest:
«The Chapter reaffirmed that the effort to build a world that
is more just and fraternal forms an essential part of our Dominican
life...; that it does not so much consist in specific or supplementary
projects to be undertaken as in a spirit which ought to impinge on
all aspects of our life, a spirit which enables us to look with gospel
vision upon events and upon human relations.»
(General Chapter of the Dominican Sisters of Monteils, 1995)
2. A choice for the poor, a constant feature of Dominican tradition
St Dominic (1170-1221), a preacher by word and example
All of Spain was in the grip of severe famine while Dominic was studying
at Palencia. Jordan of Saxony would later write of him: «Moved
by the distress of the poor and consumed by compassion, he sold the
books he had - indispensable though they were - and all his goods. Thus
constituting a "foundation", he rid himself of his goods,
giving them to the poor.»
At the beginning of his preaching mission in opposition to the Cathars,
in Toulouse, he chose to live, and to preach, in poverty, "like
the apostles". Forsaking horses and goods, he travelled the roads
on foot, with his brothers, thereby impressing the heretics by the strength
of his witness.
The example of Dominic underlines the priority of compassion in all
aspects of Dominican life.
St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), "a mystic who got involved"
Living as she was in a time of great upheaval - a situation which did
not spare the Church - Catherine of Siena dedicated herself resolutely
to the cause of restoring peace, interceding with the Pope and with
(other) political authorities. Having been chosen as mediator in a number
of conflicts afflicting Italy, she was able all her life to link a strong
spirituality with this temporal involvement. Her service of the poor
and sick was such that "mercy" is the word which best sums
up her life.
Nowadays we would speak of a mystic who got involved.
St Martin de Porres (1579-1639), a brother of those most deprived
This humble porter at the Lima priory of Santo Domingo, Martin knew
all the humiliation of a creole. Given the most menial tasks in the
priory, he drew to himself so many who were poor or unhappy that he
ran into trouble with his superiors, who were shocked to see the priory
orerrun by the poor. Martin remains a very popular model for all the
lowly people of the Latin American continent.
Martin de Porres underlines that everyone can be involved in the cause
of justice.
Bartolomé de Las Casas (1474-1566), precursor of Human Rights
Following Antonio de Montesinos, the first preacher to denounce the
unworthy treatment of the Indians by the Spanish colonisers, Bartolomé
de Las Casas spent his long life promoting their rights. Interceding
with the viceroy of the Indies, and then at the Spanish Court, he ably
and vigorously pleaded that their dignity as human beings be recognised
and respected.
As a follow-up, the Dominican school at Salamanca set its foundations
based on the theory of Human Rights and international public law.
Marie Poussepin (1653-1744), promoter of woman's living conditions
Moved by the poverty of those living in the countryside at the dawn
of the Industrial Revolution, Marie enabled many young people to leave
that misery behind and assisted them in gaining employment. Subsequently
she founded a Dominican Confraternity, whose purpose was to ensure that
a regular religious life would not exclude concrete poverty. Out of
this gesture the Dominican Congregation of Sisters of Charity would
later be born, as well as the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation
(Tours), still active today from Latin America to the Middle East.
Louis-Joseph Lebret (1897-1966), a recognised expert on the Third
World
A marine officer who became a friar preacher, Father Lebret addressed
social questions in the interests of the small fisherfolk of Brittany,
who suffered as a result of the economic crisis of the 1930s. He devoted
himself not merely to helping them, but also to reflecting on what might
be a humane economy, an economy at the service of the human being. Mindful
of the rigourous methods of analysis of social reality, he founded,
"Économie et Humanisme". Later, as a recognised expert
in Third World matters, he was an advisor to Paul VI and the inspiror
of the encyclical, Populorum Progressio.
The life of Lebret shows how real familiarity with the social and economic
facets of life can form a precious tool in the hands of those who would
"change the world".
Many other people also illustrate how rich Dominican tradition is in
this Justice and Peace domain:
- Antoninus of Florence (1389-1459): an early example of one
reflecting on interest rates, Antoninus was a bishop whose advice
enlightened many of his contemporaries.
- Marie-Joseph Lataste (1832-1869): a preacher of mercy in
the world of prostitutes, he founded the Congregation of Dominican
Sisters of Bethany.
- Dominique Pire (1910-1969): founder of the "European
villages" for refugees, Dominique received the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Tito de Alencar (1945-1974): young Brazilian Dominican friar,
who died as a result of his opposition to torture in his native land.
A fine family photograph album, which must be extended to include many
brothers and sisters who are still living witnesses of compassion.
3. Dominican Activities for Justice and Peace
- In each province, a Promoter of Justice and Peace is appointed at
the Provincial Chapter, in order to animate and support both the reflection
and the activity of his brothers. Often he is supported by a Justice
and Peace Commission. The General Chapter at Caleruega decreed that
there be a budget for his work.
- In each continent, two regional Promoters (a brother and a sister)
coordinate activities in their continent, and they constitute an International
Justice and Peace Commission. Furthermore they take charge of initiatives
like regional conferences.
The International Dominican Justice and Peace Commission
This Commission is made up of a dozen or so brothers and sisters, representing
five continents. They are appointed by the Master of the Order for a
period of three years, renewable. The Commission's role is to be animator
for the entire Order and to be advisor to the Promoter General for Justice
and Peace, who makes sure the animation takes place. It meets once every
eighteen months, in Rome.
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