The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-09-05

VERY REV. T. F. CONLON, o. P oatlas and blasphemies. Perjury and robbery were common. One Peter Bruys in open contempt burnt Q pile of crosses on Good Friday and roasted meat in the flames but his impiety so infur- lated the people that he was lynched for his blasphemy.
 General Council
 To combat the forces of irrelig- ion the church convoked a Gen. eral council at Lyons in 1274. Acting on the recommendations of the council the reigning pontiff addressed a letter to John of Ver- celli, the master general of the Dominicans and that document was the beginning of the Holy Name movement.
 Gregory, Bishop, servant of the servants of God, to our beloved son, master general of the Order of Preachers, health and apostolic benedict1on:
 Recently in the Council of Lyons, we have judged it meet to order the frequenting of the church with humility and devo- ton, and that there should be de- livered pious instructions, calcu- lated to please God, and to teach man and to nouriSh their souls. We have enjoined on the faith full who would there assemble, to revere in particular manner that name which is above all names-the only name under the heaven by which those who believe in 1t can be Saved- the name of Jesus Christ, who has purchased His people from their sins. And as it is written that every knee should bend at the name of Jesus, we have recommended to each one to fulfill this precept, and that, when they celebrate the sacred mysteries, they would give some honor to that glorious name by bending the knee of their hearts and by proving their devotion by the inclination of their heads. For this purpose we pray and earnest ly eXhort your charity, and we en- join on you by our apostolic au- thority, that, when you and the brothers of your order announce the word of God, you will en- deavor to lead the people by the most efficacious discourses to per- form what we have said, in order that you may receive the reward in the day of eternal remuner- ation.
 Given at Lyons on the 12 Kal- ends of october, the third year Of our pontificate.
 Pope's Letter
 Pope Gregory's letter was dated the 18th Kalends of October which was the 20th of September accord- ing to our calendar of the birth day of the movement. This year the anniversary is the date set for the general assembly that is to close the national convention. The commission had been sent to the master general of the Or- der of Preachers, a comparatively new institute at that time. Dom- inic de Guzman accompanying his bishop to Rome journeyed through southern France where he found heresy and vice rampant. While in Rome Dominic asked permission to stop in that territory rather than return home in order to preach Christian doctrine. In the course of time this jealous Span iard attracted a few others to him and in 12l6 his band was approved as the Order of Friars Preachers. The order conceived by Dominic was different from all existing monastic orders for while he wanted his followers to live in communities he wanted those prories near the cities and univer- sities where the friars could preach. Dominic lived only five years after he founded the order but his followers multiplied until the white habit and the black mantle were known throughout Christendom. In England they were called Blackfriars and every where they were called Domin- jeans.
 John of Vercelli, the successor of St. Dominic, addressed Q letter to the provincials of the order in which he advised them of the