New-York tribune., 1900-12-23

OF his own motion he set 20 work TO assisr fn
the war against the Albigensian beliefs both BY
preaching and by the example Of an austere life
The next step was to associate himself with
eight other Spaniards. seven Frenchmen and one
Englishman. They cO-Operated enthusiastically
with Simon de MontfOrt. the leader OF the English
barons in their struggle for constitutional rights
against the early Plantagenets. who was then
the Church's arm Of the flesh in Aquitaine-
Before many years Pope HOnOrius was brought
10 recognize the value Of this new and novel
order. and. consistently with Roman precedent.
he stamped the Order OF Preachers with his
approval by giving it's members a constitution
and a code Of rules for the regulation Of their
lives The latter was the code Of the Angus
tinian Order. OF which Dominic had been men,
ber. which rule has been modified In the sue
ceeding six hundred years only TO adapt il to
the needs of men whose first duty is to preach
to the people. in contrast with the more con-
templatiye life of the monks AS TO diet and
regimen the Dominican rule was made extreme
Iy severe the use OF flesh meat being forbid
den except on Sundays. feast days and during
the season between Easter and Whitsunday- At
the same time the FTiar Preachers were obliged
to the performance OF the divine Office, both by
day and by night. This. combined with diet Of
| fish and vegetables and the obligation of con-
stant preaching made the life OF DOTninicar
conyent-not mOnastery-an exceedingly hard
| one.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME BLACK FRIARs
With Dominic, and Francis also. began the
new institution of religious mendicancy in the
Church The mOnasteries had until then been
/ property holding corporations. the revenues OF
| their lands supplying their members with food
and clothing The Dominican VOW OF poverty
II al
could own nothing, and were Obliged by their
constitution to support their converts by asking
/ aims of those to whom they spiritually min
istered. Another variation from the original
| Augustinian rule was made in the lifetime OF
| the founder, when the flowing black robe was
| abandoned for the white and black which have
| ever since bi6n the insignia of the Dominicans.
In obedienceS 70 command of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, made to him in vision, Dominic ordained
that his spiritual subjects should wear within
their converts a white wOOlIen tunic reaching to
| the heels girded with cord. and garment
| of the same color and material covering the
shoulders and falling to the feet before and be-
! hind but open at the sides, called a scapular.
For preaching, and whenever they go out, their
I rule is to wear the ample black cloak and hood
! which procured for them in medieval England
the name of Black Friars.
| AT the time when the order of Preachers
formed its nucleus at Lyons wide divergence
in ritual was recognized in different countries
within the Catholic Church. The Sarum Rite,
much more elaborate than that now practised
in Roman Catholic churches, was observed
through the southern half of England York
! and Paris had each it's own strongly marked
ceremonial pecuIiarities. The ceremonial, es-
peciaTy the liturgy of the Dominican order fol-
lowed the usage OF Lyons When after the
| Protestant Reformation Plus V and other Su-
preme Pontiffs abolished these local rites as
| they were called the Domncans were allowed
| TO retain much that peculiar to their order.
| Hence TO this day the attendants at high mass
| in a Dominican church find many practices
I which are not TO be seen elsewhere. Notably
! there is the primitive way of wearing The amice.
or linen hood, drawn over the head of the cele-
brant, and the once universal custom Of separat-
ing the sanctuary from the body OF the church
| by a curtain during a part of the liturgy.