Dominican Order

The Order of Preachers (Latin: Ordo Prædicatorum, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by the Castilian priest Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius III via the papal bull Religiosam vitam on 22 December 1216. Members of the order, who are referred to as Dominicans, generally display the letters OP after their names, standing for Ordo Praedicatorum, meaning of "the Order of Preachers". Membership in the order includes friars, nuns, active sisters, and lay or secular Dominicans, formerly known as tertiaries. More recently, there have been a growing number of associates of the religious sisters who are unrelated to the tertiaries.

Founded to preach the gospel and to oppose heresy, the teaching activity of the order and its scholastic organisation placed it at the forefront of the intellectual life of the Middle Ages. The order is known for its intellectual tradition and for having produced many theologians and philosophers. In 2024, there were 5,369 Dominican friars, including 4,073 priests. The order is headed by the master of the order who, as of 2022, is Gerard Timoner III. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Augustine of Hippo and Francis of Assisi are the Principal Patrons of the order.