The Bishops From the Order of Friars Preachers in the 13th Century

Abstract

The observations here are a result of the poll research on the participation of Dominicans in the hierarchy of the Church. There are many problems connected with this issue. Here we have dealt mainly with the chronology and geography of that phenomenon. The author has included within the range of his interest all the Dominican bishops preconized until 1304.
The first bishops from the Order of Preachers appeared here as early as the 1220s. In the following years of the pontificate of Gregory IX (1227-1241), the great protector of the order, the number of nominations for Domi­nicans is more and more increasing. Simultaneously, starting from the reign of the general Jordan of Saxony (1222-1237) one may observe some attempts on the part of the order's authorities to counteract the friars joining the epi­scopate. In like manner the authorities wanted to keep the most able people, the elite of the Dominican fellowship, within the order. There were also actions designed to normalize the relationship between the ever increasing number of Dominican bishops and the order. The most important decisions were made by the general chapter in 1247, 1252, 1254 and 1255.
In the second half of the 13th century the number of friars within the hierarchy is still increasing. This, however, spelt losses for the order, but also indubitable gains, as for instance the defence of the mendicant orders at the Council in Lyon in 1274 in which over thirty Dominican bishops were invol­ved. In that period Dominicans sit on many prestige metropolitan capitals in Europe, they are more and more active in the missionary area, especially the friars from the Italian, French and English provinces.
After 1304 ten Dominicans became members of the cardinal collegium, and two − Peter Tarentasia (Innocent V) and Nicholas Boccasino (Benedict XI) sit on the papal throne.
In total, in the period under research at least 244 bishops from the Order of Preachers were preconized, including forty two archbishops and eight patriarchs. The largest number of those bishops presided in capitals in Italy (109), France (24), Spain (19) and Ireland (13). In the remaining European countries the number did not, in general, extend five. Most often Domini­cans took bishoprics in the peripheral territories of western Christianity, they ofte­ner presided in poor capitals than in the well-endowed bishoprics of the central part of the continent or in England. The problem is shown on the enclosed map.