The Master of the Order is the successor of St Dominic and the principle of unity of the Order, to whom all the friars and nuns of the Order make profession of obedience.

It was the desire of St Dominic that he should not be called “Abbot”, but rather “Master”: that is, “teacher” of his brothers. The Rule of St Augustine reminds the Master and other superiors of the Order than he should consider himself happy serving the brothers in charity, rather than dominating with power.

Nevertheless, in serving the Order the Master is granted broad and direct authority over every brother, convent and province, and over every nun and monastery. He can assign brothers to different convents and provinces for the needs of the mission of the Order, and in the rare cases when it is necessary he can appoint and remove any superiors and officials in the Order.

Although originally elected for life, the Master is now elected for a nine-year term in an Elective General Chapter; like all the brothers he is subject to the General Chapter as the highest authority in the Order, and must obey its directions.

Much of the time of the Master is spent on the road: twice during his term of office he is required to visit the whole Order, either personally or through delegates.

The Master is assisted in his task by his socii or assistants, by vicars who represent him, and by the various officials of the General Curia of the Order.

F

ather Gerard Francisco Parco Timoner III, O.P., was elected on July 13, 2019, during the Elective General Chapter in Biên Hòa, Vietnam. He is the first Asian to lead the Order in its more than 800-year history, a son of the Dominican Province of the Philippines.

At his election, fr. Timoner expressed humble gratitude for the prayers and encouragement of the brothers, recalling the counsel shared during the Chapter: “We have prayed for the Holy Spirit. We must trust the brothers.” Trust in providence — and in the discernment of the Order — has marked his service from the beginning.

Recognizing the challenges and opportunities of the present age, fr. Timoner has emphasized the Order’s identity as a community of evangelizers:

We are preachers. It is not what we do. It is who we are… Mission is not what we do; it is who we are.

He calls the Dominican family to renewed communion, shared discernment, and courageous commitment to the mission of preaching the Gospel in today’s world: “We should do what we have set out to do.”

A native of Camarines Norte, fr. Timoner previously served as Socius of the Master for Asia-Pacific and prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines. At the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, he has held several leadership roles, including Vice-Rector for Religious Affairs and Rector of the Central Seminary. In 2014, he was appointed by Pope Francis as a member of the International Theological Commission.