St. Raymond of Penyafort
Posted on January 12, 2019 by admin No comments
Born: ca. 1175 Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia, Crown of Aragon
Died: 6 January 1275 (age 100) Barcelona, Crown of Aragon
Venerated: in Roman Catholic Church
Beatified: 1542, Rome by Pope Paul III
Canonized: 29 April 1601, Rome by Pope Clement VIII
Major shrine: Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Feast: 7 January 23 January (on local calendars and pre-1970 General Roman Calendar)
Patronage: canon lawyers; all types of lawyers (Spain)
Raymond of Penyafort, O.P. (Catalan: Sant Ramon de Penyafort, Spanish: San Raimundo de Peñafort; c. 1175 – 6 January 1275), was a Spanish Dominican friar in the 13th century, who compiled the Decretals of Gregory IX, a collection of canon laws that remained a major part of Church law until the 20th century. He is honored as a saint in the Catholic Church and is the patron saint of lawyers, especially canon lawyers.
Life
Raymond of Penyafort was born in Vilafranca del Penedès, a small town near Barcelona, Catalonia, around 1175. Descended from a noble family with ties to the royal house of Aragon, he was educated in Barcelona and at the University of Bologna, where he received doctorates in both civil and canon law. From 1195 to 1210, he taught canon law. In 1210, he moved to Bologna, where he remained until 1222, including three years occupying the Chair of canon law at the university. He came to know the newly founded Dominican Order there. 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, in the Dominican Convent of Barcelona, to which he had returned from Italy in 1222.
Mercedarians
Raymond was instrumental in the founding of the Mercedarian friars. 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 oriental languages was affirmed by the General Chapter of the Dominican Order in Paris in 1236. 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.
Most famous miracle
Raymond of Penyafort served as the confessor for King James I of Aragon, who was a loyal son of the Church but allowed his lustful desires to shackle him. While on the island of Majorca to initiate a campaign to help convert the Moors living there, the king brought his mistress with him. Raymond reproved the king and asked him repeatedly to dismiss his concubine. This the king refused to do. 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. Saint Raymond then said to his Dominican companion, “Soon you will see how the King of heaven will confound the wicked deeds of this early king and provide me with a ship!” They then 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 miraculously 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 renounced his evil ways, made penance, and thereafter led a good life.
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 capital of the Kingdom of Aragon, but declined.
Raymond returned to Barcelona in 1236. Not long able to remain in seclusion, however, he was elected the Master of the Order of Preachers by the 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.
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. “…The 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.” Raymond approved of conjugal visits for those imprisoned so that the spouse should not be exposed to the risk of possible adultery.
Feast day
St. Raymond of Peñafort’s feast day was inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1671 for celebration on 23 January. In 1969 it was moved to 7 January, the day after that of his death. He is the patron saint of canon lawyers, specifically, and lawyers, in general.
Influence and tribute
The St. Raymond Peñafort Building in the University of Santo Tomas which houses the College of Commerce and Business Administration and the Faculty of Arts and Letters is named in his honor. St. Raymond’s Church and cemetery, both located in the New York City borough of the Bronx were also named in his honor.
Prayer to St. Raymond of Penyafort
O God, You Who chose blessed Raymond to be a renowned minister of the sacrament of Penance, and miraculously brought him through the waves of the sea, grant that by his intercession we may produce good results from our penitence and reach the heaven of eternal salvation. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Prayer to St. Raymond of Penyafort
O redeemer of captive slaves,those enslaved to sin and those enslaved by the clutches of the world –preach to us this day the freedom found under the Cross of Christ and in the repentance of heart blessed by the grace upon the Church.Teach us well the path to Heaven,which is wrought not in comfort and peace but in struggle against sin,in the laying down of our lives before our persecutors.Ransom us from wayward thoughts and actions,and from the snares of the adversary who waits for our misstep.In Christ alone may we find our rest. Amen.
Litany and Prayer to St. Raymond of Penyafort
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy, Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
St. Raymond of Peñafort, pray for us.
Master of Preachers, …
Patron of Lawyers, …
Father of Confessors, …
Counselor of Penitents, …
Apostle to Gentiles, …
Evangelist to Israelites, …
Ransomer of Captives, …
Teacher of the Learned and the Ignorant, …
Friend of Princes and Paupers, …
Protector of Sailors, …
Comforter of the Aged, ….
Defender of Marriage, …
Champion of Religious Rights, …
Advocate of Reason, …
Guardian of Justice, …
Promoter of Freedom, …
Worker of Miracles, …
Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary, …
Son of St. Dominic, …
Son of the Church, …
Holy Priest of Jesus Christ, …
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
Let us pray
Glorious Saint Raymond of Peñafort, wise and holy patron, come to the aid of those entrusted to your care, and all who flee to your protection.
Intercede for us in our need, and help us through your prayers, example, and teaching, to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to all we meet. And when we have reached the fullness of our years, we beseech you to guide us home to heaven, to live in peace with you, Our Mother Mary, and Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.