Marie-Dominique Philippe was a Dominican philosopher and theologian. He was ordained in 1936. He was a professor of philosophy at the University of Fribourg from 1945 to 1982. While remaining a Dominican friar he founded the "Community of St. John" in 1975.
Life
Marie-Dominique Philippe was born on September 8, 1912 at Cysoing, France, the eighth of twelve children. From the age of six, Philippe read for his uncle, Dominican Father Peter Thomas Dehau, who was going blind. After having completed his secondary education with the Jesuits at Lille, he entered the Order of Preachers in November, 1930, at Amiens. He pronounced his religious vows in November, 1931, and pursued his studies in philosophy and theology at the Saulchoir in Kain from 1931 to 1938. He was ordained priest in July, 1936. Having first graduated in philosophy he went on to complete a doctorate in theology. After obtaining an additional diploma of Higher Studies, he taught philosophy and theology at the Saulchoir at Etiolles from 1939 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1962, and philosophy at the University of Fribourg from 1945 to 1982. From 1982 until two months before his death on August 26, 2006, he continued teaching philosophy and theology at the houses of studies of the Congregation of Saint John in France.
Congregation of St John
During the summer of 1975, five students began to live a communal life. Father Philippe would visit once a week to provide "spiritual direction". The students asked Philippe for assistance in forming a religious community. The brothers initially lived at the monastery of Lerins, where they drew inspiration from Pope Paul VI's "Evangelii Nuntiandi". In 1978 they took the name "Community of Saint John". Fr. Philippe drafted a rule of life based in part on the prayer of Christ in Chapter 17 of Saint John's Gospel. Two branches of nuns were also established, the contemplative in 1982, and the apostolic in 1984. Father Philippe, o.p., died peacefully on Saturday morning August 26, 2006, at the priory of Saint Jodard. He was being taken care of there since his stroke on July 20. He would have been 94 years old on September 8.
Sexual abuse allegations
The Community of St. Jean admitted in 2013 that Philippe had behaved "in ways that went against chastity" with several adult women. In June 2016, Father Philippe was accused of ongoing sexual abuse by a former Carmelite nun who received spiritual direction from him. These accusations came out as part of an investigation into similar allegations against Father Philippe's brother, Father :fr:Jean-Thomas Philippe|Thomas Philippe. In February 2019, Pope Francis spoke about a women's religious community which Pope Benedict dissolved, saying that "a certain slavery of women had crept in, slavery to the point of sexual slavery on the part of clergy or the founder." It was further clarified by the Holy See Press Office, that the Pope did not mean "sexual slavery" but rather "manipulation." Following the numerous reactions, the Community has published an official statement on its website, accompanied by a chronology of the events from 2009 to 2014, in relationship with the contemplative sisters of Saint John.
