History made as Asian heads Dominicans for first time

Thursday, July 18th, 2019

An Asian has been elected as head of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) for the first time in history.

Father Gerard Francisco Timoner, a Filipino, was elected Master of the Order on July 13 during the Dominicans’ general chapter, which was held at a seminary some 80 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

The Order of Preachers, which was founded by Saint Dominic in 1216, had already held a general chapter in Asia once before. That was in 1977 in the Philippine capital Manila.

However, this was the first time the Domincans have gathered for an elective chapter in a country with a non-Christian tradition, and is communist to boot. Read more

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News category: New Zealand.

Tags: Dominican, Father Gerard Francisco Timoner, Order of Preachers

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