Raymond of Penyafort

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Saint

Raymond of Penyafort

canon lawyers; all types of lawyers, Barcelona, Kingdom of Navarre

Raymond of Penyafort

canon lawyers
.

Life

Raymond of Penyafort was born in

Chair of canon law at the university. He came to know the newly founded Dominican Order there.[2] Raymond was attracted to the Dominican Order by the preaching of Blessed Reginald, prior of the Dominicans of Bologna, and received the habit at the age of 47,[3] in the Dominican Convent of Barcelona, to which he had returned from Italy in 1222.[4]

Mercedarians

Raymond was instrumental in the founding of the Mercedarian friars.[5] When approached by Peter Nolasco, Raymond encouraged and assisted him in obtaining the consent of King James I of Aragon for the foundation of the Order.

The need to study Semitic languages was affirmed by the General Chapter of the Dominican Order in Paris in 1236.[6] Raymond established the first school of the Studia Linguarum in Tunis, where it was known as the Studium arabicum. The objective of the schools was to help the Dominicans liberate Christian captives in Islamic lands.[7]

Summa de casibus poenitentiae

Raymond had written for confessors a book of cases, the Summa de casibus poenitentiae. More than simply a list of sins and suggested penances, it discussed pertinent doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor, and is widely considered an authoritative work on the subject.[8]

In 1229 Raymond was appointed theologian and penitentiary to the Cardinal Archbishop of Sabina, John of Abbeville, and was summoned to Rome in 1230 by Pope Gregory IX, who appointed him chaplain and grand penitentiary.[4]

Gregorian Decretals

Decretals with Glossa

Knowing Raymond's reputation in the juridical sciences, Gregory IX asked him to help in the rearranging and codifying of

canon law. Canon laws
, which were previously found scattered in many publications, were to be organized into one set of documents.

Papal

Bull directed to the doctors and students of Paris and Bologna in September 1234, commanding that the work of Raymond alone should be considered authoritative, and should alone be used in the schools. His collection of canon law, known as the Decretals of Gregory IX
, became a standard for almost 700 years. Canon law was finally fully codified by 1917.

Most famous miracle

Raymond of Penyafort served as the

concubine
. The king refused to do so. Finally, the saint told the king that he could remain with him no longer and made plans to leave for Barcelona. But the king forbade Raymond to leave the island, and threatened punishment to any ship captain who dared to take him.

Raymond and his Dominican companion went down to the seashore where Raymond took off his cappa (the long black cloak worn by Dominicans over the white tunic and scapular), and spread one end of it on the water while rigging the other end to his walking staff. Having thus formed a miniature mast, Raymond bid the other Dominican to hop on, but his companion, lacking the saint’s faith, refused to do so. Then Raymond bid him farewell, and with the sign of the cross he pushed away from the shore and sailed away on his cloak. Skirting around the very boats that had forbidden him passage, the saint was seen by scores of sailors who shouted in astonishment and urged him on. Raymond sailed the 160 miles to Barcelona in the space of six hours, where his landing was witnessed by a crowd of amazed spectators. In awe of this miracle, King James I mended his ways.[9]

Later life

Having reached his 60th year, Raymond retired to a reclusive life in Barcelona. Within the year, however, Raymond was appointed to the position of Archbishop of Tarragona, the ecclesiastical capital of the Principality of Catalonia and the Crown of Aragon, but declined.[4]

Raymond returned to

General Chapter of 1238. He immediately set out on foot to visit all the houses of friars and nuns of the Order. Even in the midst of this, he was able to draft a new set of Constitutions of the Order, in which he included a resignation clause for the Master. When it was adopted by the next General Chapter of 1240, he immediately took advantage of that option and resigned within two years.[2]

Although not an inquisitor, as an advisor to James I of Aragon he was often consulted regarding questions of law regarding the practices of the Inquisition in the king's domains. "...[T]he lawyer's deep sense of justice and equity, combined with the worthy Dominican's sense of compassion, allowed him to steer clear of the excesses that were found elsewhere in the formative years of the inquisitions into heresy."[10] Raymond approved of conjugal visits for those imprisoned so that the spouse should not be exposed to the risk of possible adultery.

Conversion of Jews and Muslims

Rejoicing to see himself again free of office, he applied himself with fresh vigor to the Christian ministry, especially working for the conversion of the Moors. To this end he encouraged Thomas Aquinas to write his work Against the Gentiles. He instituted the teaching of Arabic and Hebrew in several houses of the friars. He also founded priories in Murcia (then still ruled by Arabs) and in Tunis. Additionally he went to help establish the Church in the recently conquered island of Mallorca.

Disputation of Barcelona

Cathedral of Barcelona

He exercised great influence over King James of Aragon and succeeded in persuading him to order a public debate, concerning Judaism and Christianity, between

Jewish Sabbath following the close of the debate, the king, together with many preaching friars and other clergy, visited the synagogue.[citation needed
]

Raymond died at the age of 100 in Barcelona in 1275 and was

Cathedral of Santa Eulalia
in Barcelona.

Feast day

St. Raymond of Peñafort's feast day was inserted in the

canon lawyers
, specifically, and also of lawyers in general.

Influence and legacy

The St. Raymond Peñafort Building

The St. Raymond Peñafort Building at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, which houses the College of Commerce and Business Administration and the Faculty of Arts and Letters, is named in his honor.

See also

Citations

  1. ^ Stracke, Richard (2015-10-20). "Saint Raymond of Peñafort: The Iconography". Christian Iconography.
  2. ^ a b Foley, Leonard. "St. Raymond of Penyafort". Franciscan Media. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  3. ^ "The Feast Day of Saint Raymond of Penafort", Dominican Laity of the Province of St. Joseph, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  4. ^ a b c O'Kane, Michael. "St. Raymond of Peñafort." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 30 Jan. 2014
  5. .
  6. .
  7. .
  8. ^ Ghezzi, Bert. "Saint Raymond of Penyafort", Voices of the Saints, Loyola Press
  9. ^ This story was derived in part from Saint Raymond of Peñafort written by Michael Morris, OP, published in Magnificat, January 2004/Vol. 5, No. 12
  10. ^ "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), pp. 85 and 114

General references

External links

Religious titles
Preceded by
Master General of the Dominican Order

1238–1240
Succeeded by