he
General Chapter, which is the highest authority in the
Dominican Order, is an assembly of friars representing
the Provinces of the Order, coming together to discuss
and define matters pertaining to the good of the entire
Order. When necessary it elects the Master of the Order.
From the very beginnings of the Dominican Order, one
can distinguish two types of General Chapter: Chapters
of Provincials and Chapters of Diffinitors. To these
is added the General Chapter, comprised both of Provincials
and Diffinitors.
The
General Chapter is above all a legislative assembly.
A proposal becomes law for the whole Order only after
having had the favourable vote of the three successive
Chapters. These three Chapters thus constitute, in a
certain sense, a unity, since it is in this triad of
Chapters that, according to the spirit of the Order,
the entire legislative power resides. The mechanism
of the three successive Chapters is provided for in
Dominican legislation with an aim of: a) stopping a
new law from taking effect by way of improvisation or
as the expression of a tendency of only one assembly;
b) providing time for reflection on the opportuneness
of the new law; c) avoiding facile and frequent changes
which might create "confusion and bring ridicule
upon legislation" (Humbert of Romans).
The
Chapters of Provincials and those of Diffinitors have
equal power and equal rights. Each Chapter, independently,
has faculties of proposing a law and for approving or
not approving a law proposed by the preceding Chapter.
The two types of assembly differ only in composition:
one is formed of men of government (the Provincials)
and the other of representatives from the grass roots
(Diffinitors). The Dominican Order is the only one of
all religious Orders that enjoys such a "bicameral"
rule and the only one that has given full legislative
power to an assembly formed entirely of representatives
from the grass roots.
The
institution of Chapters formed only of Diffinitors was
suggested in order to avoid a situation where men busy
with the government of Provinces (the Provincials) would
have to undertake long journeys too often and consequently,
be too long absent from their proper headquarters. The
origins of this institution sprang from the communitarian
and democratic spirit of the Order. The Chapter of Diffinitors
allows the representatives from the grass roots to participate,
in full freedom and autonomy, in the formation of laws
of the Order and to bring to it that way of seeing things
proper to those not in government. Superior see a norm
in quite their own proper way, and people at grass roots
level see things in quite their own proper way.
The
democratic spirit present in all Dominican legislation
regarding the General Chapters is also evident in the
fact that in the Elective Chapter, for example, for
each Provincial elector, there are two or three electors
representing the grass roots of each Province. A democratic
spirit so clear and advanced as that of the Dominican
Order is unique in the history of religious legislation.
Humbert of Romans, the fourth successor of St. Dominic
in the government of the Order, attributed this to the
fact that the Order is formed of educated people.
In
addition to its primary legislative function, the General
Chapter has also had, from the very beginning, a disciplinary
function: it judges, punishes, deposes from office,
etc. The Chapters, naturally, also treat of contemporary
problem, but always with reference to the life and mission
of the Order. They also are competent to give directives
and orientations to the entire Order about the best
way of living the charism proper to the Order and to
reach the men and women of their own day in the most
fruitful way. The General Chapter, which brings together
the representatives responsible for the entire Order,
is the best way to reflect in a community way in the
apostolic ministry of the friar preacher in the social
reality in which he lives.
Present
day problems are discussed in the General Chapter, always
in reference to its specific job: legislation. The General
Chapter, for example, give orientations and suggestions
and above all harmonises the norms of the entire Order
so that all its members can live a religious life ever
more faithful to the spirit of their Founder and can
present to men and women of every era the message of
the Gospel in a more appropriate and effective way.
(Text:
Fr. A. D'Amato OP. This text was published on a special
number of IDI, April-May 1983, and of May 1992, on the
occasion of the Elective General Chapter of Rome and
of Mexico)
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