FR. EMMANUEL SUAREZ, the Master General of the Dominican Order, supreme head of the Dominicans throughout the world, was killed early on Wednesday in a car accident at Perpignan, France, near the Spanish
border.
Fr. Martinez, 0.P., secretary to the Master General, was also killed. Bishop Bernard of Perpignan was called to the scene of the accident and confirmed their identity.
Fr, Suarez, who was 59, had been head of the order for eight years. He was also the Church's best-know,' and most competent expert in Canoil Law, and he held many Vatican appointments of the first importance
He was Professor and Master of Sacred Theology, an unusual distinction, and a Doctor of Carlon Law and Civil Law.
Among his Vatican posts were those of Consultor in Rome for the Holy Office. the Sacred Congregation of the Eastern Churches, and the Canon Law Commission. He was an advocate of the Roman Rota and a judge of the Roman Tribunal.
Imprisoned
In Spain, where he was born in a small town in the Asturias, he was a member of the Supreme Commission for Scientific Research.
Fr. Suarez was in his homeland when the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936. He was imprisoned by the Communists for a long period and subjected to torture, His treatment whilst in prison permanently affected his health,
When the civil war ended he returned to Rome, where he had spent his early priesthood, as a student and profesior of Canon Law, after entering the Dominican Order in 1913.
He was elected Master General of the Dominicans in September, 1946. for 12 years, at the unusually early age of 51. Since his election he has visited all the provinces of the Order and most of its foreign missions.
He had a reputation throughout the Order for the phenomena! amount of work he would get through. He slept only five hours a night. and .did most of his constant travelling 11,), aircraft, working en route with the portable typewriter he always had with him Visited Britain Fr, Suarez has twice visited Britain as Master General. The lust of these visits was in October and November of last year.
Fr. Suarez recently came prominently into the world news in connection with the Roman decisions about priest-workers in France. The association of some leading French Dominican writers with the aposto; late of this movement led to changes within the Hierarchy of the Order which it was the duty of the Master General to carry out in France.
The Provincial of the English Dominicans, Pr, Hilary Carpenter, 0.P., told THE CATHOLIC HERM_ "This is an almost unbelievable loss He bad quite extraordinary ability in every way, He was a man of outstanding personality. with great breadth of vision," The 79th successor of St. Dominic. Fr. Suarez went to Mexico two years ago to reorganise his order there.
Fr. M rtincz. 0.P.. the other Dominican killed in the accident. was a young Spanish priest who had been the Master Generals secretary for a comparatively short time.