Letter to the Dominican Family

FRATRES ORDINIS PRAEDICATORUM
Curia Generalitia

Rome, 26 march 2019

Prot. 50-19-211 Varia Europe

Dear brothers and sisters of the Dominican Family in Europe,

During my recent meetings with you, you have sometimes expressed your concern for the current development within the European society. In the places where Christ sends you to preach, in the stories entrusted to you by those you meet, through the news you receive in the media, you are witnesses to situations that appear to you to be contrary to the message of the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church. This context worries and questions you. The colloquium on the Order’s preaching, which took place in Cologne last October, was entitled Holy Preaching: Our Challenge in a Fragile Europe. Our dear brothers in Ukraine are living today in a context of serious conflict. All this leads you to worry about peace and justice on the European continent.
Our Dominican tradition is rich in personalities who in various ways have carried the evangelical message of peace and justice in their apostolate. It suffices to mention here the names of Bartolom de las Casas, Jean-Joseph Lataste, Giorgio La Pira, Vincent McNabb, Louis-Joseph Lebret, Laure Sabs, Patrik Kuela, Aurelius Arkenau, Mikul Lexmann, Dominique Pire, Michal Czartoryski, Hijacint Bokovic, Anna Abrikosova and many others. During her short life, Catherine of Siena also tried to bring a message of peace, both within the Church and in society. It is therefore no surprise that she was chosen as one of the co-patrons of Europe, a continent whose history is marked by so many tears and conflicts between peoples.

In response to these concerns and to the Order’s commitment to justice and peace, and at this time in history when Europe appears to suffer divisions, Dominican brothers and sisters have taken two initiatives that I want to support by this letter. On the one hand, European promoters of Justice and Peace have published a text to raise our awareness to the challenges for society in Europe. On the other hand, a group of brothers and sisters prepared a prayer for Europe, entrusting the inhabitants of our continent to God through the intercession of Saint Catherine of Siena. You will find these two documents attached to this message as well as on www.op.org. I invite you to spread them, if needed by translating them into your local language, and to use them as widely as possible, among the communities of the Dominican family, among all those who attend our churches, chaplaincies, schools and among those you encounter in your activities. I also invite you to publish them on your respective websites. I especially call you to pray this Prayer for Europe on or around the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena on 29 April.

Allow me to repeat here the hearts call which our brother Ludwik Wisniewski made during his tribute to Pawel Adamowicz, mayor of Gdansk, murdered on January 14th2019: We must stop with hate speech, contempt, unfounded accusations. We will no longer be indifferent to the poison of hatred that is rampant in the streets, in the media, on the internet, in schools, in Parliament, but also in the churches. Those who speak the language of hatred and make a career out of lies cannot exercise high responsibilities.These words call each of us to conversion and to responsibility so that individually and as a Dominican family, we may be worthy messengers of the Prince of Peace.

In union of prayer, I wish you a joyful journey towards Easter,
Your brother in Saint Dominic,

Bruno Cador OP
Master of the Order of Preachers

Invitacin de Fr. Alain Arnould (Video Eng)

• Version: ITALIAN
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