J&P 1,c: Brothers and Sisters
1. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
2. Antoninus of Florence (1389-1459)
3. Martin de Porres (1579 - 1639)
4. Marie Poussepin (1653-1744)
5. Francisco de Vitoria (1483-1546
6. Marie Jean Joseph Lataste (1832-1869)
7. Louis Joseph Lebret (1897-1966)
8. Giorgio La Pira (1904-1977)
9. Tito de Alenca Lima (1945-1974)
In this appendix we will present the main elements of the experience of certain
brothers and sisters whose religious life was structured by the Justice and Peace
dimension. These are therefore not full biographies. More work might need to be
done with the information contained here by taking into account the reason you
may want to use this: a spiritual retreat, a session during initial formation, a group doing some research on the Order...
1. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
Catherine Benincasa was born into a middle-class family in Siena, Italy. She felt
drawn to the Dominican Order in her childhood. She became a member of the
Fraternity of the Mantellate (a Third-Order group) around 1363. She chose this
rather than go to a monastery for she felt that she had the vocation of a "preacher".
She worked tirelessly for the poor and visited and took care of the sick After a
period of three years of prayer and solitude she felt once more called to an intense
life of charity, in service to the poorest.
Catherine had a great influence on the youth of her town. She gathered around her
a group of important men and women, some of whom were already involved in
religious life or the priesthood. This group, which called itself her "family",
gathered around Catherine and became involved in doing major charitable works.
Catherine would always keep these two dimensions linked: a strong spiritual life
(of great mystic intensity) and service to the sick and the poor. She wrote texts of
a profound spiritual nature (The Dialogue around 1377 and her Prayers) and yet
will not hesitate to simultaneously care for lepers (for example, the old woman
Tecca who was mean to her) or to accompany to their deaths men who were so
condemned (Niccolo di Toldo).
God would have told Catherine: "I will not separate you from me, but rather I
want to bring you closer to me through your love of neighbor. Remember that I
gave you two commandments of love: love of God and love of neighbor. It is the
righteousness of both commandments that I want to fulfill. You will walk on the
path that I will show you with both feet..." (Raymond of Capua)
Around 1372, Catherine was asked to mediate a conflict between some Italian
cities. Her commitment brought her to the frontiers of political life and she would
always attempt to influence the mighty of this world so that they might establish
peace and take their responsibilities seriously in respect to the little ones. Catherine
was a woman of peace, who knew when to take risks (she met mercenaries,
military commanders: she wrote petitions and denounced false and violent
behavior...) and she invited people to make peace. Such a political role was rare
for a woman of that time.
In 1374, she had to submit to a full interrogation by the brothers who were
meeting in a General Chapter, since some of them were afraid of her and doubted
her orthodoxy. She finally convinced them but they required that she take a
confessor and a guide (a controller?), named Raymond of Capua.
Catherine was highly sensitive to the question of unity within the Church and
accepted to go to Avignon in France to bring back Pope Gregory XI who had
taken refuge in that city. She would also support Pope Urban VI and offer up her
constant prayer as well as all her energy to unite a broken Church. Her love for the
Church led her to criticize the faults that were evident among the clergy and the
papacy.
Catherine died in a state of exhaustion on the 29th of April, 1380. She was
canonized in 1461. Paul VI granted her the title of Doctor of the Church in 1970
(she is the only woman along with Theresa of Avila to hold such a title).
Catherine was present on all the frontiers of her time: that of the Church, that of
misery and death but also on the frontier of political life and violence. She
experienced a passionate love for God and for humanity: in the name of that love
she would go to the limit.
"You cannot give me the kind of love that I am asking for. That is why I placed
you in the midst of your brothers: thus you will be able to do for them that which
you could not do for me, that is to love them without expecting any thanks and
without seeking any benefits. And all that you do for them, I will consider done for
me. (Dialogue #64)
Beyond the works of Catherine herself you may want to read the little book
written by Mary O'Driscoll, o.p., on Catherine of Siena (Signe Pub.).
2. Antoninus of Florence (1389-1459)
Having entered the Order in 1405, Antoninus participated in the Dominican reform
spear-heading the return of the observances. He rapidly assumed responsibilities in
the Order and in particular was Prior of the Fra Angelico Convent in Florence. His
activities as a Dominican consisted in being a confessor and a director of
conscience, but his fame was especially due to his concern for the extreme poverty
of the most deprived. He was a generous minister of charity in many ways, but
especially through a brotherhood that he set up, called the Buenomini di San
Martino. This brotherhood gathered donations and redistributed them to those in
need and to the young women who had no dowry.
He became Archbishop of Florence against his will but was a different kind of
archbishop due to his life of charity to the point of dispossession (he gave away
two thirds of his resources) and due to his refusal to accept any form of
ecclesiastical pomp. According to his biographer (F. Castiglione) he would have
said: "It is not proper for a prelate to spend the goods of the poor to feed animals
or to maintain extraordinary levels of luxury." Antoninus was constantly concerned
by the poor of Florence and committed himself personally to help them, to care for
them. He was very popular among the ordinary people.
His constant concern for the poor led him not only to do works of charity but it
also became the basis for his theological activities. Antoninus was a judge and an
apostolic commissioner mandated by the Holy See to examine cases of usury -
cases involving interests rates that were so high that they ruined the poor. In his
treatises on Confession and Moral Theology he fought against interest on loans
and against fraudulent exchange rates.
To his sense of charity -- active and reflective --, Antoninus also added his concern
for justice. He was a well-known lawyer and administered justice impartially, to
the point of scandalizing the wealthy of Florence. He knew how to make himself
available to all, to listen to them and to establish the truth in the "affairs" of the
time. All the regions of Italy asked for his advice: thus his nickname of "Antoninus
the advisor".
In his quest for equity and truth, Antoninus opposed the politicians of his city who
had cheated during the elections. They tried to intimidate him through violence but
did not, succeed. Antoninus' life was woven into a commitment to truth that went
hand in hand with a concern for justice and charity. Beyond his numerous activities
as pastor (and administrator of his Archdiocese), Antoninus maintained a fervent
life of prayer and found time to write manuals for confessors, manuals on practical
ethics, a series of historical chronicles and a "Summa moralis", i.e. a treatise of
practical and moral theology dealing with all the questions of the society of his
time (the Renaissance).
Antoninus can therefore be a model for all the Dominican men and women who
seek to integrate the different dimensions of Dominican life in promoting the
salvation -- material and spiritual -- of their brothers and sisters.
3. Martin de Porres (1579 - 1639)
The product of a Guatemalan mother and a Spanish father, Martin had to bear very
early on the humiliation of being both a bastard and a half-breed. He entered the
Order in Lima (Peru) after becoming a male nurse. He asked to be received as a
"resident oblate" for he considered being a lay brother too honorable a state for
him. After nine years he finally accepted the status of lay brother.
In the convent of Lima, Martin did the humblest tasks. He lived a life of deep
prayer, austerity and charity. He took care of the sick brothers with great affection
and efficiency, all while remaining very humble. Martin is a great example of
humility and a sign of hope for all those who are humiliated because of ethnic or
racial discrimination.
His kindness knew no bounds; he distributed alms to the poor and took care of
them. The demands on him were so great that he had to open up a clinic in his
sister's house. He also took care of animals. He talked to them and asked them not
to harm humans. He had an enormous love for all of creation. Martin is an
inspiration for all those who commit themselves to protect creation and promote
life in all its forms.
Martin created an institution for needy children so that they could get a complete
education and learn a trade. He also established an open garden with fig trees in it
that was accessible to all the needy. His charity was therefore both imaginative
and boundless and he remains a model of proximity to the poor and of advocacy
on their behalf.
Martin did not hesitate to share his small cell with those who were unhappy, nor to
involve his convent in his struggle against misery... This caused difficulties between
himself and his superiors who saw their house flooded with destitute people, who
were often living very dramatic situations. For Martin, charity was more important
than any other value in religious life and one was never to refuse to help another.
He is reported to have said concerning a very dirty poor man to whom he had
given his bed to lie on: "Compassion is preferable to cleanliness: with a little bit of
soap I can clean my bed, but think of the flood of tears I would require to clean
from my soul the stain that harshness against this unfortunate would leave.''
Martin's extraordinary kindness and his love of prayer and humility brought him
many friends from all social classes making it possible for him to alleviate the
misery of many. His popularity gave rise to many legends concerning the particular
charisma that Christ seemed to have bestowed upon him... All of these charisms
were at the service of the poor and he worked tirelessly to promote their cause.
Martin was canonized in 1962. He is a very popular saint for those who feel
despised or who experience deep suffering.
4. Marie Poussepin (1653-1744)
Marie was born at Dourdan, near Paris (France). There was a great deal of misery
at that time due to poor harvests. sickness and multiple wars that left the
population in a sad state. Marie Poussepin belonged to a relatively well-off family
but her father ended up bankrupt. Marie, who was still young at the time had to
take charge of her father's business (manufacturing stockings) to meet the needs of
her family and to help keep up the financial situation of her village.
As director of the business she introduced new machinery (she was willing to use
the new technology of the time); she hired young people without having them pay
their apprenticeship training which they needed to become master tradesmen. This
was very a very innovative approach that allowed young persons to acquire a trade
(and therefore some income) even though they may have been poor and/or
orphaned... She created jobs so that these young people could overcome their
difficult situation on their own.
While assuming her responsibility as business manager, Marie Poussepin was also
involved in a Fraternity of Charity in her village, followed by her membership in a
Dominican Third Order Fraternity in 1693. As a member of these groups, Marie
found herself taking on leadership roles in visiting the sick, the widows, the
beggars... She was therefore present to both facets of charity, through her business
activities and through her compassion.
Touched by the misery she encountered in the countryside and particularly by the
status of the orphans, the widows, the sick women and generally by the condition
of the poor women of her time, Mane Poussepin set up a Dominican Fraternity in
1695 to whom she bequeathed all of her personal belongings. Set up in a small
village (Sainville), this Fraternity was very different from any other because the
members lived together according to Dominican tradition in order to radiate their
charity, but without the cloister. She thus responded to the double challenge of
combating misery and living religious life to its fullness.
In Sainville she organized a small school for girls and she visited the sick... Her
community grew and other communities were soon established to serve the poor.
the sick, the orphans... Before her death, there would be twenty such communities.
in the Parisian area alone. The bishop of Chartres caused her many problems, for
he did not want to recognize the congregation that Marie had established. He
demanded that the sisters renounce all ties with the Dominicans. Marie had no
choice but to accept. Links with the Dominicans would not be renewed until the
end of the nineteenth century, and institutionally not until the middle of the
twentieth century.
Marie Poussepin began a unique congregation (Dominican Sisters of Charity of the
Presentation of Tours) where the sisters were free to serve the poor yet earn their
own living by doing weaving. She placed charity (one would call this solidarity
today) at the heart of religious life. Work became a way of living religious poverty.
Work was a major consideration for Marie; it was seen as a true discipline and a
communal commitment to achieve the goals of the Congregation.
Marie Poussepin's successors number some 4,000 sisters today spread throughout
the world in Columbia, India, France, Spain, Burkina Faso, Iraq. She was beatified
in 1994.
To find out more: Contact the "Soeurs dominicaines de la Présentation de
Tours", (Motherhouse), 16 quai Portillon, 37100, TOURS (France).
5. Francisco de Vitoria (1483-1546
As a brother from Spain (he entered the Order in 1502), Francisco was in contact
with all the European intellectuals of the time. As a Doctor in Theology, he was
well acquainted with Thomism and taught and published Saint Thomas' works. It
was in this intellectual environment that he began listening to what was happening
in the Americas and started fine-tuning his theological and legal teaching. Vitoria
was the first person to establish the idea of human rights, the limits of colonization
and public international law. His work, entitled Lessons about the Indians and the
Rights of War (1539) helped Las Casas in his struggle to obtain respect for the
Indian cultures and the abolition of slavery.
To find out more: Ciencia tomista, v. 72, 1947.
6. Marie Jean Joseph Lataste (1832-1869)
In 1866 he founded the Dominican Congregation of Bethany. They received
women who were ex-prisoners with the same consideration as those who never
were. This Dominican understanding of mercy allows all members to enjoy a
common life that goes beyond distinctions experienced in society and gives each
sister a chance to start anew. Marie Jean Lataste? was himself a great preacher.
To find out more: see J.M. Gueulette, "Le Père Lataste, prechêur de la misericorde", Cerf, France.
7. Louis Joseph Lebret (1897-1966)
As a French Dominican, he created "Économie et Humanisme'' -- a center for
research and intervention in economic theory -- as well as a great number of
associations for social and economic development throughout the world. He was
one of those who introduced, the concern for global development within the
Church, at the personal and social level.
He is the one who made it possible for both the Western world and the Church to
become more aware of the consequences of under-development and the need to be
in solidarity with the poorest countries. He was also a great spiritual man. He
showed how the spirituality of mercy implied becoming involved in the
transformation of socio-economic structures.
He published many spiritual works on the influence of spirituality as a result of
the struggle for justice and solidarity with others. He participated in the drafting of
some of the documents of Vatican II (Gaudium et Spes) and was the main
inspiration for the encyclical, Populorum Progressio.
To find out more: "Father Lebret: L'economie au service des hommes" by F.
Malley, Cerf; and "Les écrits spirituals du Père Lebret" (The spiritual
writings of Fr. Lebret) by J. C. Lavigne, Foi Vivante, 1996.
8. Giorgio La Pira (1904-1977)
Giorgio was an Italian lay Dominican, who shared the contemplative and apostolic
life of the brothers in Florence. He taught Law at the University of Florence, then
entered political life by becoming a member of Parliament, a minister and finally
the mayor of Florence (from 1951 to 1965). He was the source of inspiration for
many charitable and spiritual initiatives undertaken in favor of the marginalized. He
became National President of the Italian Saint Vincent de Paul Conferences. He
intervened in favor of the most needy at the level of housing and employment.
G. La Pira organized several peace conferences in order to bring together various
ideological blocs and promote dialogue between peoples on the theme of
disarmament (especially nuclear disarmament). He was the mediator for certain
international conflicts, among which were the Viet Nam and Algerian wars. He
was the president of the World Federation of United Cities, an international
organization promoting cooperation and understanding between the urban dwellers
of the world.
Despite his very active life he found time to publish many works on the
relationship between the Gospel and socio-economic and political life. He wrote:
"Beyond the ever-narrowing distances, and unless humanity destroys itself one day
in a monstrous cataclysm, the fact that will dominate the future is the unity of our
universe. One cause only, that of humans. One necessity only, that of world
progress and therefore of help for all those countries that need it for their
development. One duty only, that of peace. All of these make up the conditions of
survival for our species."
To find out more: "Giorgio La Pira: espérer contre toute espérance. (Hoping Beyond All Hope) by E. de Miribel, DDB and "Giorgio La Pira, sindaco" (3 volumes of letters and speeches), ed. Cultura nuova.
9. Tito de Alenca Lima (1945-1974)
Tito was Brazilian. He made profession in the Order of Preachers in 1967. He
worked as a militant within the Popular Action Movement. The overthrow of the
government in 1968 gave more power to the elite and a brutal repression was
organized against all those who resisted. Some Dominican brothers were arrested
for supporting a banned movement and for being communists, which of course
they always denied. They acknowledged only having helped certain persons flee
the police, both in the name of human rights -- which were completely stamped out
in Brazil -- and in the name of the Gospel.
Tito, one of the more vulnerable brothers, was subjected to severe physical and
psychological torture. After an attack by a commando group, he was exiled to
Europe and ended up in France. He constantly remained in a state of psychological
persecution because of his past tortures. After a long period of suffering, he put an
end to his life.
Tito is a recent example of those who placed their hope in the liberating power of
the Gospel and of the Church, yet ended up a victim of violence, dictatorship and
police repression. On his tomb are written the words of Luke 19:40: "I tell you,
even if the disciples remain silent these stones will cry out."
Tito's body was repatriated to Brazil and people who seek justice gather around
his tomb to reflect and pray. The Tito de Alencar Lima Center in Praça da Se
continues to pursue the objectives and example left by Tito.
To find out more: Tito de Alencar, "Alors les pierres crieront", Cana, 1980.
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