rom
the foundation of the Order until today, there has always
been a superior general called "The Master",
"The Master General", "The Master of
the Order", or simply "The General".
As
one can see, this is a long dynasty. (In monarchical
terminology one might say that we are one of the "oldest
houses" of Europe). It is a unitary dynasty. There
have never been division in the Order, or times of vacancy
or inter-regnum. Of course, during the Western Schism,
with the Pope in Rome and "another Pope" in
Avignon (1380-1418), even the highest authorities of
the Order were two-headed, with one Master in Rome and
another leading the Order in the regions faithful to
the anti-Pope, but these latter were never recognised
as legitimate successors of St. Dominic. It is a democratic
dynasty, since from its very beginnings the Order has
always elected its Masters during General Chapters by
democratic and representative vote (by delegates, as
we should say today: Provincials and Diffinitors with
their respective socii).
It
also an international dynasty as is seen from the following
list drawn up according to size:
Italians,
38: (6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,
35, 36, 38, 40, 41, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51,
53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 61, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72),
French,
24: (5, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26,
27, 28, 29, 37, 42, 60, 63, 73, 76, 79, 83).
Spanish,
15: (1, 3, 7, 39, 44, 52, 58, 62, 64, 65, 67, 74, 78,
80, 82).
German,
2: (2, 4). Irish, 2: (81, 84). Austrian, 1: (75). Dutch,
1: (77). English, 1: (85). Mexican, 1: (59).
In
reality, there have been 86 Masters of the Order, since
one of them, Marcial Auribelli (the 296h) was elected
twice and he governed the Order during two Generalates:
1453-1462 and 1465-1473.
A
simple arithmetical operation shows us that each Master
General has ruled on average for a period of 9.2 years.
Obviously, their terms were not all equal. For example
Alberto Chiavari (10) governed the Order for only three
months, while Gerardo de Adaunario (17), Pierrer Rochin
(27). Guido Flamochet (28), Barnaba Sansoni (34) and
John Clerée (37) all died in the year of their
election. On the other hand Antoine Cloche (20) holds
the record for governing the Order for 34 years. In
the period from 1686 to 1819 (i.e. 133 years) there
were 7 Masters General, which gives un average of 19
years of government to each. In our own day, Fr. Gillet
(79) comes close to this average with his 17 years of
generalate 1929-1946.
With
regard to the age of the Master of the Order, one has
to admit that they were not all called to govern at
an age one might call "acceptable". Thus,
to cite some extremes, Jordan of Saxony, first successor
to St. Dominic and the one to complete his work, was
elected when only 32 years old, dying at the age of
46 in a shipwreck off Syria during a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land after having governed the Order for 15 years.
On the other hand, Fr. Cormier (78) was elected at 72
and governed the Order for 12 years. It is probable
that the elector of Thomas Ripoll (62) then aged 73,
thought they were electing a transitional General. If
this is so, they were seriously mistaken, because he
lived to be 95 and governed for 22 years (1725-1747)!
Only St. Raymond of Peñafort lived longer, because
he reached the age of 100 years, although he served
only two years as Master General.
Relations
with the Holy See were not always as cordial as could
be hoped. The Masters of the Order Munio de Zamora (7),
Nicola Radolfi (55) and Sisto Fabri (50) were deposed
from their administration by the Popes. Others, Raymond
of Peñafort (30), Humbert of Romans (5), Aimerico
Placentinus (12), Simon Lingoniensis (21), Conrado de
Asti (30), Vincenzo Ajello (72) and García de
Paredes (78) resigned more or less spontaneously.
The
human, intellectual and spiritual quality of the men
who have ruled the Order can be appreciated from the
following data: two are saints (1, 3); five have been
beatified (2, 6, 9, 23, 76); two hold the title of Venerable
from time immemorial; at the present time two have open
cases of beatifications (76, 78). One of the Master,
Nicola Boccasini (9) was elected Pope with the name
of Benedict XI. 14 others were named Cardinals, some
of them very famous, such as Cardinals Cajetan (38),
García de Loaysa (39), Vincenzo Giustiniano (47),
Jerónimo Xavierre (52), Augustino Pipia (61),
Juan Tomás de Boxadors (64), Andreas Früwirth
(75) and Michael Browne (81). Nine others became bishops,
archbishops, patriarchs or pontifical legates, etc.
Other
items of interest. One of the Masters, John the Teuton
/4) was elected Master. Having been a bishop and having
renounced his diocese, he identified himself in some
documents as "Brother, Master and Bishop".
Vincenzo Giustiniano (47) continued to be Master fron
one year after being elected Cardinal. Only one Master,
as we have already said, Marcial Auribelli (29) was
elected twice. Three Masters were elected (by letter)
"per schedas" without the Capitulars coming
together in Chapter (68, 69, 74). 47 Masters died while
in office. 10 left office to be elevated to ecclesiastical
dignities. The others passed into the category of "ex
Masters" who always retained their rights in the
Order.
(Text:
Fr. Eladio Neira OP, Secretary General between 1980
and 1986. The present text was published in a special
number of IDI, April-May 1983, pp. 71-73, and in May
1992, pp. 78-81, on the occasion of the Elective General
Chapters of Rome and of Mexico).
SERIES MAGISTRORUM ORDINIS PRAEDICATORUM
1.
S. Patriarcha Dominicus (España) (1216)-1221
2. B. Iordanus de Saxonia (Deutschland) 1222-1237 3.
S. Raymundus de Peñafort (España) 1238-1240
4. Ven. Ioannes a Wildeshausen (Deutschland) 1241-1252.
5. Ven. Humbertus de Romans (France) 1254-1263 6. B.
Ioannes a Vercellis (Italia) 1264-1283 7. Fr. Munio
de Zamora (España) 1285-1291 8. Fr. Stephanus
Bisuntinus (France) 1292-1294 9. B. Nicolaus Boccasini
[Ben. XI Pp.] (Italia) 1296-1298 10. Fr. Albertus de
Chiavari (Italia) 1300-1300 11. Fr. Bernardus de Iusico
(France) 1301-1303 12. Fr. Aymericus Giliani (Italia)
1304-1311 13. Fr. Berengarius de Landora (France) 1312-1317
14. Fr. Hervaeus de Nédéllec (France)
1318-1323 15. Fr. Barbabas Cagnoli (Italia)………
. 1324-1332 16. Fr. Hugo de Vaucernain (France)……
1333-1341 17. Fr. Gerardo de Adaumario [Daumar] (France)
1342-1342 18. Fr. Petrus de Palma [Baume-les-Dames]
(France) 1343-1345 19. Fr. Garinus de Gyaco [Gy-l'Evêque]
France) 1346-1348 20. Fr. Ioannes de Moulins (France)
1349-1350 21. Fr. Simon Lingoniensis (France) 1352-1366
22. Fr. Elias Raymond (France) 1367-1380 23. B. Raymundus
de Vineis, Capuanus (Italia) 1380-1399 In oboedientia
Avenionensi: Fr. Elias Raymond (France) 1380-1389 Fr.
Nicolaus de Troia (Italia) ……. 1391-1393 Fr.
Nicolaus Vallisoletanus (España) 1394-1397 Fr.
Ioannes de Puinoix (France) 1397-1418 24. Fr. Thomas
Paccaroni (Italia) 1401-1414 25. Fr. Leonardus Dati
(Italia) 1414-1425 26. Fr. Bartholomaeus Texier (France)
1426-1449 27. Fr. Petrus Rochin (France) 1450-1450 28.
Fr. Guido Flamochet [ti] Avenionensis (France) 1451-1451
29. Fr. Martialis Auribelli Avenionensis (France) 1453-1462
30. Fr. Conradus de Asti (Italia) 1462-1465 Fr. Martialis
Auribelli Avenionensis (France) 1465-1473 31. Fr. Leonardus
Mansueti (Italia) 1474-1480 32. Fr. Salvus Cassetta
(Italia) 1481-1483 33. Fr. Bartholomaeus Comazzi (Italia)
1484-1485 34. Fr. Barnabas Sansoni (Italia) 1486-1486
35. Fr. Ioachim Torriani (Italia) 1487-1500 36. Fr.
Vincentius Bandello (Italia) 1501-1506 37. Fr. Ioannes
Clérée (France) 1507-1507 38. Fr. Thomas
de Vio seu Caietanus (Italia) 1508-1518 39. Fr. García
de Loaysa (España) 1518-1524 40. Fr. Franciscus
Silvestri (Italia) 1525-1528 41. Fr. Paulus Butigella
(Italia) 1530-1531 42. Fr. Ioannes du Feynier (France)
1532-1538 43. Fr. Augustinus Recuperati (Italia) 1539-1540
44. Fr. Albertus de las Casas (España) 1542-1544
45. Fr. Franciscus Romeo (Italia) 1546-1552 46. Fr.
Stephanus Usodimare (Italia) 1553-1557 47. Fr. Vincentius
Giustiniani (Italia) 1558-1570 48. Fr. Seraphinus Cavalli
(Italia) 1571-1578 49. Fr. Paulus Constabile (Italia)
1580-1582 50. Fr. Sixtus Fabri (Italia) 1583-1589 51.
Fr. Hippolytus M. Beccaria (Italia) 1589-1600 52. Fr.
Hieronymus Xavierre (España) 1601-1607 53. Fr.
Augustinus Galamini (Italia) 1698-1612 54. Fr. Seraphinus
Secchi (Italia) 1612-1628 55. Fr. Nicolaus Ridolfi (Italia)
1629-1642 56. Fr. Thomas Turco (Italia) 1644-1649 57.
Fr. Ioannes-Bapt. Marini (Italia) 1650-1669 58. Fr.
Ioannes-Thomas de Roccaberti (España) 1670-1677
59. Fr. Antoninus de Monroy (México) 1677-1686
60. Fr.Antoninus Cloche (France) 1686-1720 61. Fr. Augustinus
Pipia (Italia) 1721-1725 62. Fr. Thomas Ripoll (España)
1725-1747 63. Fr. Antoninus Bremond (France) 1748-1755
64. Fr. Ioannes-Thomas de Boxadors (España) 1756-1777
65. Fr. Balthasar de Quiñones (España)
1777-798 66. Fr. Pius Iosephus Gaddi (Italia) ut Vic.
Gen. Ordin. (1798-1806) ut Mag. Ordin. 1806-1814 ut
Vic. Gen. Ordin. (1814-1819) 67. Fr. Ioachim Briz (España)
1825-1831) 68. Fr. Franc.-Ferdinandus Jabalot (Italia)
1832-1834 69. Fr. Bened.-Mauritius Olivieri (Italia)
1834-1835 70. Fr. Thomas-Hyac. Cipolletti (Italia) 1835-1838
71. Fr. Angelus-Dom. Ancarani (Italia) 1838-1844 72.
Fr. Vincentius Ajello (Italia) 1844-1850 73. Fr. Alex.
Vincentius Jandel (France) ut Vic. Gen. Ordin. (1850-1855)
ut Mag. Ordin. 1855-1582 Fr. Iosephus M. Sanvito (Italia),
Vic. Gen. Ordin. (1873-1879) 74. Fr. Iosephus M. Larroca
(España) 1879-1891 75. Fr. Andreas Frühwirth
(Österreich) 1891-1904 76. B. Hyacinthus M. Cormier
(France) 1904-1916 77. Fr. Ludovicus Theissling (Nederland)
1916-1925 78. S.D. Bonaventura García de Paredes
(España) 1926-1929 79. Fr. Martinus-Stanislaus
Gillet (France) 1929-1946 80. Fr. Emmanuel Suárez
(España) 1946-1954 81. Fr. Michaël Browne
(Ireland) 1955-1962 82. Fr. Anicetus Fernández
(España) 1962-1974 83. Fr. Vincentius de Couesnongle
(France)1974-1983 84. Fr. Damianus Byrne (Ireland) 1983-1992
85. Fr. Timotheus Radcliffe (England) 1992-2001 86.
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