Saint Raymond de Peñafort
Maître général des Dominicains (✝ 1275)
Ce Catalan est professeur de philosophie à l'Université de Barcelone et décide de se rendre à Bologne, la plus grande université de droit de son temps, pour y étudier puis enseigner le droit civil et canonique. Le pape Grégoire IX qui savait détecter les gens intelligents, lui confie la rédaction d'une "Somme des cas pénitentiaux", puis celle des "Décrétales" qui serviront de Code de Droit canonique à l'Eglise Catholique romaine jusqu'en 1917. Il rencontre alors saint Dominique de passage à Bologne et, dès son retour à Barcelone, il entre dans l'ordre des Dominicains à 47 ans. Il en deviendra le Maître Général et encourage l'apostolat de ses frères auprès des Juifs et des Musulmans qui sont en Espagne. Préoccupé par l'Islam, il encourage saint Thomas d'Aquin à écrire "la Somme contre les Gentils" et fonde simultanément l'ordre de Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci pour la libération des chrétiens captifs des Sarrasins. C'est un esprit indépendant, et l'on raconte même que le roi ayant voulu le retenir dans l'île de Majorque, saint Raymond étendra son manteau sur la mer et la traversera ainsi jusqu'à Barcelone (cette légende fait de lui le saint patron des véliplanchistes). Prétextant son grand âge, il demande à être relevé de la charge de Maître de l'Ordre, ce qui ne l'empêchera pas de mourir centenaire.
Site des dominicains (en anglais)
Mémoire de saint Raymond de Penyafort, prêtre de l'Ordre des Prêcheurs. Célèbre
par sa science du droit canonique, il écrivit une Somme très utile sur le
sacrement de pénitence, et, élu maître général de son Ordre, il rédigea de
nouvelles Constitutions. Il s'endormit dans le Seigneur à Barcelone, le 6
janvier 1275, en une grande vieillesse.
Martyrologe romain
Vous n'ignorez pas que les chemins qui conduisent au
ciel sont différents selon les vocations... Quand le ciel a montré la voie, il
ne faut pas s'en écarter.
Lettre de saint Raymond à saint
Pierre Nolasque
Raimondo
de Penafort, serie dei Quaranta domenicani illustri, ex convento di San
Niccolò, Sala del Capitolo, Treviso, 1352 (altezza di ciascun ritratto 150 cm
circa)
Saint Raymond de Penyafort
Saint Raymond vint
au monde l'an 1175, au château de Penyafort (Peñafort) en Espagne. Ce Catalan
est professeur de philosophie à l'Université de Barcelone et décide de se
rendre à Bologne, la plus grande Université de Droit de son temps, pour y
étudier puis enseigner le droit civil et canonique.
Le Pape Grégoire IX qui
savait détecter les gens intelligents, lui confie la rédaction d'une
"Somme des cas pénitentiaux", puis celle des "Décrétales"
qui serviront de Code de Droit canonique à l'Eglise Catholique romaine jusqu'en
1917. Il rencontre alors saint Dominique de passage à Bologne et, dès son
retour à Barcelone, il entre dans l'Ordre des Dominicains à 47 ans. Il en
deviendra le Maître Général et encourage l'apostolat de ses frères auprès des
Juifs et des Musulmans qui sont en Espagne.
Préoccupé par l'Islam, il
encourage saint Thomas d'Aquin à écrire "la Somme contre les Gentils"
et fonde simultanément l'Ordre de Notre-Dame de la Merci pour la Libération des
chrétiens captifs des Sarrasins. C'est un esprit indépendant, et l'on raconte
même que le roi ayant voulut le retenir dans l'île de Majorque, saint Raymond
étendra son manteau sur la mer et la traversera ainsi jusqu'à Barcelone.
Prétextant son grand âge,
il demande à être relevé de la charge de Maître de l'Ordre, ce qui ne
l'empêchera pas de mourir centenaire. Il employa les trente-cinq dernières
années de sa vie à se préparer plus spécialement à la mort.
SOURCE : http://forumdeprieres.forumsactifs.com/t3378-saint-raymond-de-penyafort
Alfons X el Savi, Ramon Berenguer IV, Sant Ramon de Penyafort, Sant Oleguer
(Jaume Duran). C. Mallorca, 283 - c. Roger de Llúria, 113, Palau Casades
(Barcelona)
Saint Raymond de Penyafor
Né près de Barcelone,
dans le château familial de Villafranca de Penades, probablement vers 1175,
Raymond de Penyafort était apparenté aux comtes de Barcelone et aux rois
d'Aragon. Il étudia à l'école cathédrale de Barcelone où, à peine âgé de vingt
ans, il enseigna la rhétorique et la logique. En 1210, il partit étudier le
droit civil et le droit canonique à Bologne. En compagnie de Pierre Ruber, il
fit la route à pied, par Arles et Turin ; ils s’arrêtèrent quelques jours à
Briançon pour constater un miracle que venait d’opérer Notre-Dame de Delbeza
qui rendit les yeux et les mains à un jeune homme mutilé par des brigands.
Après avoir été reçu docteur (1216), il resta à Bologne où, pendant trois ans,
il enseigna le droit canonique avec tant de succès que les Bolonais lui
offrirent des appointements prélevés sur les ressources de la ville ; après
avoir donné le dixième de son salaire au clergé de sa paroisse, il distribuait
le reste aux pauvres, ne gardant pour lui que le strict nécessaire.
L'évêque de Barcelone,
Bérenguer de Palou1, qui passait par Bologne, au retour d’un pèlerinage à Rome,
entendit si fort chanter les louanges de Raymond de Penyafort qu'il le recruta
pour le séminaire qu'il voulait fonder dans son diocèse, et l'emmena avec lui
(1219). A Viterbe où résidait le pape Honorius III, ils rencontrèrent saint
Dominique qui leur donna quelques uns de ses frères. Raymond de Penyafort fut
nommé chanoine de la cathédrale de Barcelone, puis prévôt du chapitre,
archidiacre, grand vicaire et official (1220) ; outre qu'il fit donner une
grande solennité à l'Ascension, il travailla fort au soin des pauvres qu'il
nommait ses créanciers.
Le Vendredi Saint 1222,
il quittait le clergé séculier pour les Dominicains, sans perdre pour autant
son influence sur l'évêque et le diocèse de Barcelone. Voyant que ses
supérieurs ne le traitaient pas comme les autres novices, le frère Raymond de
Penyafort demanda qu’on lui imposât une pénitence particulière pour les fautes
commises pendant sa vie séculière ; c’est pour répondre à sa demande que le
provincial lui ordonna d’écrire la « Summa de pænitentia », premier ouvrage du
genre, qui rassemble les cas de conscience à l'usage des confesseurs.
Lorsque Pierre Nolasque2,
ancien marchand, fonda l'Ordre de la Bienheureuse Vierge Marie de la Merci pour
la rédemption des captifs (1223)3, pour le rachat des prisonniers faits par les
Musulmans, c'est Raymond de Penyafort qui, dans la cathédrale de Barcelone, en
présence de l'évêque et du roi Jacques I° d'Aragon4, donna l'habit et le
scapulaire aux premiers mercédaires ; il rédigera aussi la règle de ce nouvel
ordre pour laquelle il obtiendra l'approbation du pape Grégoire IX (1235).
Quelques années plus tard
(1229), le cardinal de Sainte-Sabine, Jean d'Abbeville5, fut envoyé comme légat
en Espagne pour prêcher la Croisade6 contre les Maures, et mettre en
application les décrets du quatrième concile du Latran7 ; il devait aussi
déclarer nul le mariage de Jacques I° d’Aragon avec Eléonore de Castille. Le
légat s'adjoignit Raymond de Penyafort qui le précéda dans toutes ses visites
canoniques et prit part à tous les actes importants de la légation. Le cardinal
de Sainte-Sabine en rendant compte de sa mission au Pape (Pérouse le 25
novembre 1229), mit en avant la coopération efficace de Raymond de Penyafort
qui, le 28 novembre, fut chargé par Grégoire IX8 de prêcher dans les provinces
d'Arles et de Narbonne la Croisade dirigée par Jacques I° d’Aragon pour chasser
les Maures de Majorque.
L'année suivante,
Grégoire IX l'appela à la cour pontificale et en fit son confesseur, puis son
chapelain ; nommé pénitencier (1230), il fit instaurer l'Inquisition en Aragon,
révisa les décrétales et en fit établir la nouvelle collection promulguée par la
bulle « Rex pacificus » (5 septembre 1234). Après que le Pape eut accepté qu'il
refusât l'archevêché de Tarragone pourvu qu'il en désignât lui-même le
titulaire (1234), exténué de fatigue et brisé de maladie, Raymond de Penyafort
quitta Rome (avril 1236) pour rentrer en Espagne où il arriva par mer au début
de l’été.
Lorsque Raymond de
Penyafort débarqua au port catalan de Zossa, on le conduisit près d’un malade
appelé Barcelon du Fare ; le pauvre homme qui était à toute extrémité, avait
perdu l’usage de ses sens, et ses parents se morfondait qu’il ne pût se
confesser avant de mourir. Raymond de Penyafort pria longtemps près de
l’agonisant puis lui demanda s’il voulait se confesser, mais il n’obtint aucune
réponse. Il fit alors mettre en prière tous ceux qui se trouvaient là. Au bout
d’une longue prière collective, Raymond de Penyafort reposa la question ; cette
fois, le malade parut sortir d’un profond sommeil et dit : « Mais oui, je veux
me confesser et j’en ai un vif désir. » Raymond de Penyafort fit sortir les
assistants, entendit le malade qui, l’absolution dite, rendit paisiblement
l’âme.
Le 15 octobre, il
participa aux Cortès où Jacques I° d’Aragon prépara l’expédition contre le
royaume maure de Valence. Le 5 février 1537, Grégoire IX le chargea d’absoudre
Jacques I° d'Aragon de l’excommunication qu’il avait encourue pour avoir
quelque peu fait malmener à Huesca l'évêque élu de Saragosse qui s’en allait se
faire sacrer à Tarragone. Il dut quitter un moment Barcelone puisqu’on le voit
exercer les fonctions de pénitencier en 1237.
Après la mort en mer du
bienheureux Jourdain de Saxe9 (12 février 1237), le chapitre général de son
Ordre qui se réunit à Bologne à la Pentecôte 1238, l'élit Raymond de Penyafort
comme maître général bien qu’il fût resté à Barcelone. Il résista aussi
longtemps que possible à son élection puis finit par l’accepter, convaincu par
les avis pressants de plusieurs provinciaux venus à Barcelonne, dont celui de
France, Hugues de Saint-Cher10.
Soucieux de conserver la
régulière observance, dès le chapitre général de Paris (1239), Raymond de
Penyafort fit établir de nouvelles constitutions (approuvées en 1240,
confirmées en 1241) qui restèrent en usage jusqu'en 1924. Il demanda à saint
Thomas d'Aquin de rédiger la « Somme contre les gentils. »
Raymond de Penyafort se
démit de sa charge de maître général (1240) et retourna dans son couvent de
Barcelone d'où il partit souvent pour de nombreuses prédications et pour
conseiller le roi Jacques I° d'Aragon. Il avait pour Jacques I° d’Aragon une
très forte affection mais il était parfaitement lucide sur les faiblesses du
Roi qu’il n’excusait pas. Vers la fin du règne de Jacques I°, Raymond de
Penyafort accompagna le roi dans l'île de Majorque qu’il fallait remettre en
ordre. Or, après qu’il eut débarqué, Raymond de Penyafort s’aperçu que le roi
entrenait des relations coupables avec une dame de la cour ; comme, malgré ses
objurgations, Jacques I° ne se décidait pas à rompre, le dominicain résolut de
retourner à Barcelone, ce que voulut empêcher le roi qui fit défense à tout
vaisseau de l’embarquer. Aucun marin n’ayant osé désobéir au roi, Raymond de
Penyafort s'avança sur les rochers que baigne la mer, et dit au frère qui
l’accompagnait : « Puisque les hommes n’ont point de bateau à nous offrir, tu
va voir comment Dieu va nous en fabriquer un » ; ce disant, il étendit sur
l'eau son manteau, et en redressa un coin avec son bâton pour en faire une
voile ; il monta sur le manteau qui surnagea et s'avança rapide sous les yeux
stupéfaits du compagnon qui, demeuré timidement sur le bord, le vit disparaître
à l'horizon. Ce fut assez pour que Jacques I° cessa ses désordres.
Raymond de Penyafort fit
beaucoup l’apostolat auprès des Juifs et des Musulmans ; il fut aussi un
adversaire efficace de l’hérésie en Catalogne et en Espagne, obtenant que
Jacques I° introduisît l’Inquisition en ses Etats. Pour former les
missionnaires, il fonda quelques écoles de langues orientales comme l'école
arabe de Tunis (1245) et l'école d'hébreu de Murcie (1266).
Outre la « Summa de
pænitentia », Raymond de Penyafort a laissé une œuvre écrite considérable dont
la plupart des ouvrages servirent longtemps de référence chez les Dominicains
et à l’Université de Paris. Il s’agit moins de traités théoriques que de
réponses pratiques à des questions concrètes ; Raymond de Penyafort que ses
contemporains ont appelé le « Doctor humanus », donne des jugements et des
conseils où il se montre plus soucieux du bien des pénitents que du juste
équilibre d'un traité de Droit canon ; il est toujours nuancé, désireux de
sauvegarder la bonne foi des autres, surtout des simples, alors qu'on pourrait
les juger proches des courants hétérodoxes. Son mérite principal est de
réaliser un ensemble équilibré de divers courants de pensée quant au renouveau
de la vie chrétienne de son temps, singulièrement à propos de la formation des
ministres sacrés en matière de vie morale, de doctrine et de prédication.
Raymond de Penyafort qui,
depuis sa démission de la maîtrise générale des Dominicains, s’était chaque
jour préparé à la mort, accueillit avec joie sa dernière maladie. Entouré des
rois d'Aragon et de Castille, il mourut à Barcelone le 6 janvier 1275, jour de
l’Epiphanie, sur les dix heures du matin. En 1279, le concile de Tarragone
demanda au pape Nicolas IV la canonisation de Raymond de Penyafort pour sa «
sainteté au service de la justice », mais il ne fut béatifié que par Paul III,
en 1542, et canonisé par Clément VIII, le 29 avril 1601.
1 Berenguer de Palou fut
évêque de Barcelone, de 1212 à sa mort, le 23 août 1241.
2 Saint Pierre Nolasque,
issu de la noble famille des Nolasco, apparenté par sa mère aux comtes de
Toulouse et aux rois d’Aragon, naquit vers 1189 au mas des Saintes-Puelles
(diocèse de Saint-Papoul). Après avoir renoncé au mariage pour se consacrer à
Dieu, il rejoignit les armées de Simon de Montfort. A la bataille de Muret où
le roi Pierre d’Aragon fut tué, son fils, Jacques, âgé de six ans, fut fait
prisonnier ; Simon de Monfort confia l’enfant à Pierre Nolasque, puis les
envoya tous deux en Espagne. Loin de la cour, Pierre Nolasque enseigna son
royal élève et lui montra l’exemple de sa piété et de sa charité.
3 Dans la nuit du 1er
août 1218, fête de Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, la vierge Marie, accompagnée d’anges
et de saints, apparut à Pierre Nolasque : « Mon fils, je suis la Mère du Fils
de Dieu qui, pour le salut et la liberté du genre humain, répandit tout son
sang en souffrant la mort cruelle de la Croix ; je viens ici chercher des hommes
qui veuillent, à l’exemple de mon Fils, donner leur vie pour le salut et la
liberté de leurs frères captifs. C’est un sacrifice qui lui sera très agréable.
Je désire donc que l’on fonde en mon honneur un Ordre dont les religieux, avec
une foi vive et une vraie charité, rachètent les esclaves chrétiens de la
puissance et de la tyrannie des Turcs, se donnant même en gage, s’il est
nécessaire, pour ceux qu’ils ne pourront racheter autrement. Telle est, mon
fils, ma volonté ; car, lorsque dans l’oraison tu me priais avec des larmes de
porter remède à leurs souffrances, je présentais tes vœux à mon Fils qui, pour
ta consolation et pour l’établissement de cet Ordre sous mon nom, m’a envoyée
du ciel vers toi. » Pierre répondit : « Je crois d’une foi vive que vous êtes
la Mère du Dieu vivant et que vous êtes venue en ce monde pour le soulagement
des pauvres chrétiens qui souffrent dans une barbare servitude. Mais que
suis-je, moi, pour accomplir une œuvre si difficile au milieu des ennemis de
votre divin Fils et pour tirer ses enfants de leurs cruelles mains ? »
Notre-Dame lui dit : « Ne crains rien, Pierre, je t’assisterai dans toute cette
affaire et, pour que tu aies foi en ma parole, tu verras bientôt l’exécution de
ce que je t’ai annoncé et mes fils et mes filles de cet Ordre se glorifieront
de porter des habits blancs comme ceux dont tu me vois revêtue. » Pierre
Nolasque, après avoir passé la nuit en prière, rejoignit Raymond de Penyafort
qui lui dit : « J’ai eu cette nuit la même vision que vous : j’ai été aussi
favorisé de la visite de la Reine des anges et j’ai entendu de sa bouche
l’ordre qu’elle me donnait de travailler de toutes mes forces à l’établissement
de cette religion et d’encourager dans mes sermons les catholiques fidèles à
venir en aide à une œuvre de charité si parfaite. C’est pour remercier Dieu et
la très sainte Vierge que j’étais venu si matin à la cathédrale. » Le Roi entra
alors dans la cathédrale et leur dit : « La glorieuse Reine des anges m’est
apparue cette nuit, avec une beauté et une majesté incomparables, m’ordonnant
d’instituer, pour la rédemption des captifs, un Ordre qui porterait le nom de
Sainte-Marie de la Merci ou de la Miséricorde ; et, comme je connais en toi,
Pierre Nolasque, un grand désir de racheter les esclaves, c’est toi que je
charge de l’exécution de cette œuvre. Pour toi, Raymond, dont je sais la vertu
et la science, tu seras le soutien de l’Ordre par tes prédications. »
4 Jacques I° d’Aragon,
dit le Conquérant, fils de Pierre II, né à Montpellier en 1206, est l’enfant
prisonnier remis par Simon de Montfort à Pierre Nolasque. Allié au roi de
Castille dont il épouse la fille (1221), il conquiert une partie du royaume
musulman de Valence (1225) qu’il prendra tout entier (1253). Il conquiert les
Baléares (1229-1235). Au profit du comte Thibault de Champagne, il renonce au
royaume de Navarre que lui a laissé Sanche VII. Au traité de Corbeil (1256),
saint Louis renonce en sa faveur aux comtés de Barcelone et de Roussillon ainsi
qu’à Montpellier. En 1262, il partage ses Etats entre ses deux fils : Pierre a
l’Aragon, la Catalogne et Valence ; Jacques a Majorque, le Roussillon, la
Cerdagne et Montpellier. Il meurt en 1276.
5 Jean Halgrin
d'Abbeville, d’abord maître régent à la faculté de théologie de Paris, fut
archevêque de Besançon (1225), patriarche latin de Constantinople (1226),
cardinal-évêque de Sabine (1227). Il fut légat en Espagne (1228-1229) puis
auprès de l’empereur Frédéric II (1230-1234). Il mourut en 1237.
6 Le décret sur la
Croisade concluait le IV° concile du Latran qui ordonnait sa prédication dans
toute la chrétienté ; il étendait le bénéfice de l'indulgence plénière à ceux
qui contribuaient à la construction des navires croisés, dans les mêmes conditions
que pour ceux qui allaient combattre en Terre Sainte. Le décret conciliaire
frappa d'un impôt du vingtième les revenus ecclésiastiques et du dixième les
biens du pape et des cardinaux, pendant trois ans. L'excommunication était
portée contre tous ceux qui commerçaient avec les infidèles. Ainsi le décret se
proposait, non seulement de susciter une nouvelle croisade (et ce sera la
cinquième), mais en outre de mettre l'idéal de la croisade à la portée de tout
l'Occident chrétien en permettant à ceux qui ne pouvaient pas partir de
bénéficier de tous ses avantages spirituels. C'était une manière d'associer aux
combattants toute la grande masse des chrétiens restée sur place : il leur
suffisait d'aider financièrement à l'organisation de la croisade, de regretter
leurs fautes et de s'en confesser, pour bénéficier des indulgences réservées
jusqu'alors aux croisés.
7 Le IV° concile du
Latran qui fut réuni par Innocent III les 11, 20 et 30 novembre 1215, laissa
soixante-dix canons disciplinaires et dogmatiques et un décret sur la Croisade.
Comme le premier but de ce concile était de condamner l’hérésie cathare et
d’organiser sa répression, il établit l’Inquisition (canon 3), dépouilla le
comte de Toulouse et donna à la Croisade contre les hérétiques les mêmes privilèges
qu’à celle contre les Musulmans. Le canon 21 de Latran IV qui est toujours en
vigueur, oblige tous les fidèles parvenus à l’âge de raison à se confesser une
fois par an et à communier à Pâques (décret utriusque sexus).
8 Grégoire IX, élu le 19
mars 1227, mourut le 22 août 1241.
9 Jourdain de Saxe fut le
premier successeur de saint Dominique. Né vers 1185, à Burgberg (Westphalie),
il fut à Paris maître ès arts puis bachelier en théologie. A cette activité
scolaire se rattachent son Commentaire in Priscianum minorem et ses Postilles
sur l'Apocalypse. Entré en relation avec saint Dominique, il prit l'habit des
Frères prêcheurs à Saint-Jacques (Paris), le 12 février 1220. Deux mois après,
son couvent le délégua au premier chapitre général de l'Ordre, à Bologne. En
1221, lorsque saint Dominique fit organiser les provinces dominicaines,
Jourdain fut choisi comme premier provincial de Lombardie ; le 22 mai 1222, au
chapitre général de Paris, il fut élu à la succession de saint Dominique.
Remarquable directeur spirituel et grand prédicateur, Jourdain était
particulièrement apprécié des étudiants qu’il rencontrait au fur et à mesure de
ses perpétuels voyages entre les chapitres généraux qui, à la Pentecôte, le
ramenaient régulièrement une année à Paris, une année à Bologne. Soucieux que
l'Ordre des Prêcheurs reste fidèle aux volontés du fondateur Jourdain de Saxe
entreprit de relater les conditions dans lesquelles saint Dominique conçut
l'idée d'un Ordre « qui s'appellerait et serait réellement de Prêcheurs », et
selon quelles étapes il le réalisa. Après la canonisation de Dominique (3
juillet 1234), il raconta en outre, les événements de la solennelle translation
du corps, dont il fut témoin à Bologne. Au retour d’un voyage en Terre Sainte,
Jourdain de Saxe périt (12 février 1237), dans un naufrage au large des côtes
syriennes ; son corps rejeté par la mer fut enterré au couvent dominicain de
Saint-Jean-d’Acre.
10 Hugues de Saint-Cher,
né à Saint-Cher (Isère) à la fin du XII° siècle, d’abord élève à l’abbaye de
Saint-Cher, fit à Paris des études de philosophie, de théologie et de droit,
puis fut un professeur de droit renommé. Il reçut l’habit dominicain au couvent
parisien Saint-Jacques (22 février 1226), et fut nommé provincial de France
pour trois ans (1227-1230), après quoi il termina ses études de théologie, et
se consacra à l’enseignement. Régent de l’école Saint-Jacques puis prieur du
couvent, il fut de nouveau provincial en 1238. Après la démission de Raymond de
Penyafort et avant l’élection de Jean le Teutonique (20 mai 1241), Hugues de
Saint-Cher, nommé vicaire général, gouverna l’ordre dominicain. Honoré de la
confiance d’Innocent IV pour ses talents administratifs, il fut créé cardinal
de Sainte-Sabine (28 mai 1244). Il fut fort lié au gouvernement d’Innocent IV,
singulièrement pendant le concile de Lyon (1245) ; il fit beaucoup pour
l’institution de la Fête-Dieu pendant qu’il était légat en Allemagne
(1250-1253). Alexandre IV et Urbain IV le gardèrent près d’eux. Il mourut à
Orvieto le 19 mars 1263 ; son corps fut porté dans l’église des Dominicains de
Lyon.
SOURCE : http://missel.free.fr/Sanctoral/01/07.php
Pietro
Ricchi detto il lucches, San Raimondo di Penafort, 1641, retusche, Santi
Bartolomeo e Stefano (Bergamo)
Raimund von Penyafort verlässt
Mallorca auf seinem Mantel segelnd in Richtung Barcelona, nachdem der König ihn
nicht weglassen wollte
Saint Raymond de
Pennafort
Dominicain, Archevêque
(1175-1275)
Saint Raymond vint au monde l'an 1175, au château de Pennafort, en Espagne, et
brilla non moins par sa vaste science que par ses vertus; il se fit même, dans
l'enseignement du droit ecclésiastique, une réputation extraordinaire. Chargé
par le souverain Pontife des plus hautes missions apostoliques et
scientifiques, il dépassa partout les espérances qu'on avait conçues de lui.
Raymond étant entré dans l'Ordre de Saint-Dominique peu après la mort du saint
fondateur; il devint général de cet Ordre. Dieu confirma par des miracles ses
éclatantes vertus.
Dans une nécessité pressante, il fit cinquante-trois lieues marines sur
l'Océan, n'ayant pour navire que son manteau. Appelant Dieu à son aide, il
étendit, en effet, son manteau sur les flots, prit son bourdon à la main, fit
le signe de la Croix, posa résolument le pied sur son frêle radeau et pria son
compagnon de venir le rejoindre, après avoir fait un nouveau signe de Croix;
mais celui-ci sentit sa foi défaillir et préféra la sécurité du port aux
hasards d'une telle embarcation. Le Saint releva en haut la moitié du manteau
en guise de voile et l'attacha au noeud de son bâton, comme au mât d'un navire.
Un vent favorable ne tarda pas à se lever et le poussa en pleine mer, pendant
que les matelots sur le rivage se regardaient muets de stupeur.
Six heures après, Raymond débarqua dans le port de Barcelone, se revêtit de son
manteau aussi sec que s'il l'eût tiré de l'armoire, et, reprenant son bourdon,
se dirigea droit vers le couvent. Les portes en étaient fermées; néanmoins il
entra, apparut soudain au milieu de ses frères et se jeta aux pieds du prieur
pour lui demander sa bénédiction. Ce prodige inouï se répandit bientôt dans
toute la ville, car plusieurs personnes avaient été témoins de son
débarquement.
La prière du saint religieux était continuelle et presque toujours accompagnée
d'abondantes larmes. Notre-Seigneur lui avait donné pour familier un de Ses
anges qui le réveillait à propos, pour lui permettre de vaquer à l'oraison. Il
ne montait jamais à l'autel sans avoir confessé ses plus légères fragilités. Il
disait souvent: "Les jours où de graves empêchements m'ont privé de la
sainte Messe ont toujours été pour moi des jours de deuil et
d'affliction."
Il employa les trente-cinq dernières années de sa vie à se préparer plus
spécialement à la mort.
Abbé L. Jaud, Vie des Saints pour tous les jours de l'année, Tours, Mame,
1950
SOURCE : http://magnificat.ca/cal/fr/saints/saint_raymond_de_pennafort.html
Orazio Samacchini (1532–1577), La Vierge et l'Enfant, Sainte Barbe, Saint Raymond de Penyafort et un ange, huile sur cuivre, musée des Beaux-Arts de Chartres (don Justin Courtois, 1888, inv. 5639).
St Raymond de Pegnafort,
confesseur
Mort en 1275, canonisé en
1601, fête en 1671.
Leçons des Matines avant
1960
AU DEUXIÈME NOCTURNE.
Quatrième leçon. Le bienheureux Raymond, né à Barcelone, de la noble
maison de Pegnafort, fut, encore enfant, instruit des éléments de la religion
chrétienne, et dès lors il faisait présager quelque chose de grand par ses
rares qualités d’esprit et de corps. Fort jeune il professa les humanités dans
sa patrie, puis se rendit à Bologne, où il s’appliqua avec zèle aux devoirs de
la piété et à l’étude du droit canonique et civil ; il y reçut le bonnet de
Docteur, et y expliqua les saints Canons à l’admiration de tous. La réputation
de ses vertus se répandant au loin, Bérenger, Évêque de Barcelone, qui
retournait de Rome à son Église, passa par Bologne pour le voir, et obtint
enfin à force de prières qu’il revînt avec lui dans sa patrie. Bientôt Raymond
fut honoré de la dignité de chanoine et de prévôt de la même Église, où il
surpassa le peuple et tout le clergé par l’éclat de son intégrité, de sa
modestie, de sa doctrine, et par la douceur de ses mœurs. Il accrut toujours de
toutes ses forces l’honneur et le culte de la Vierge Mère de Dieu, qu’il
vénérait avec une piété et une affection singulières.
Cinquième leçon. A l’âge d’environ quarante-cinq ans, il fit profession solennelle
dans l’Ordre des Frères Prêcheurs ; alors, comme un nouveau soldat, il s’exerça
dans tous les genres de vertus, mais surtout dans la charité pour les
indigents, principalement envers ceux que les infidèles retenaient captifs. Ce
fut sur son conseil que saint Pierre Nolasque, dont il était le confesseur,
consacra ses biens à cette œuvre de pitié ; la bienheureuse Vierge,
apparaissant à Pierre ainsi qu’au bienheureux Raymond et à Jacques Ier, roi
d’Aragon leur dit qu’il serait très agréable à elle et à son Fils unique, qu’on
instituât en son honneur un Ordre de religieux à qui incomberait le soin de
délivrer les captifs de la tyrannie des infidèles. C’est pourquoi, après en
avoir conféré entre eux, ils fondèrent l’Ordre de Notre-Dame de la Merci de la Rédemption
des captifs, pour lequel Raymond statua certaines règles de vie, très bien
appropriées au but de cet institut. Quelques années après, il obtint de
Grégoire IX l’approbation de ces lois, et il créa premier Général de l’Ordre,
saint Pierre Nolasque, auquel il avait donné l’habit de ses propres mains.
Sixième leçon. Le même Grégoire IX l’appela à Rome, et ce Pontife le choisit
pour son chapelain, son pénitencier et son confesseur ; ce fut par son ordre
que Raymond rassembla en un volume appelé Décrétales, les décrets des Pontifes
romains disséminés dans les Actes de divers conciles et dans différentes
épîtres. Il refusa constamment avec fermeté l’archevêché de Tarragone qui lui
était offert par le Pontife lui-même, et se démit spontanément du généralat de
l’Ordre des Frères Prêcheurs, qu’il avait gouverné très saintement pendant deux
années. Il détermina Jacques, roi d’Aragon, à établir dans ses états le saint
office de l’Inquisition. Il fit beaucoup de miracles, parmi lesquels le plus
éclatant fut que, voulant revenir de l’île Majorque à Barcelone, il étendit son
manteau sur les eaux, fit cent soixante milles de chemin en six heures, et
entra dans son monastère, bien que les portes en fussent closes Enfin presque
centenaire, plein de vertus et de mérites, il s’endormit dans le Seigneur, l’an
du salut mil deux cent soixante-quinze. Clément VIII l’a mis au nombre des
Saints.
Dom Guéranger, l’Année Liturgique
De nombreux essaim de Martyrs qui fait la garde autour de l’Emmanuel, jusqu’au
jour de sa Présentation au Temple, entr’ouvre de temps en temps ses rangs
glorieux pour donner place aux Confesseurs que la divine Sagesse a fait briller
sur le Cycle dans cette saison. Les Martyrs y sont les plus nombreux ; mais la
gloire des Confesseurs y est noblement représentée. Après Hilaire, Paul, Maur
et Antoine, resplendit aujourd’hui Raymond de Pegnafort, l’une des gloires de
l’Ordre de saint Dominique et de l’Église, au XIIIe siècle.
Selon la parole des Prophètes, le Messie est venu pour être notre Législateur ;
il est lui-même la Loi. Sa parole sera la règle des hommes, et il laissera à
son Église le pouvoir de la législation, afin qu’elle puisse conduire les
peuples dans la sainteté et dans la justice, jusqu’à l’éternité. La sagesse de
l’Emmanuel préside à la discipline canonique, comme sa vérité à l’enseignement
de la foi. Mais l’Église, dans la compilation et la disposition de ses lois,
emprunte le secours des hommes qui lui semblent joindre à un plus haut degré la
science du Droit et l’intégrité de la morale.
Saint Raymond de Pegnafort a l’honneur d’avoir tenu la plume pour la rédaction
du code canonique qui régit aujourd’hui l’Église. Ce fut lui qui, en 1234,
compila, par ordre de Grégoire IX, les cinq livres des Décrétales ; et son nom
est associé, pour jamais, à la gloire de cette œuvre qui forme encore la base
de la discipline actuelle.
Disciple de Celui qui est descendu du ciel dans le sein d’une Vierge pour
sauver les pécheurs, en les appelant au pardon, Raymond a mérité d’être appelé
par l’Église l’insigne Ministre du Sacrement de Pénitence. Il est le premier
qui ait recueilli, en corps de doctrine, les maximes de la morale chrétienne,
qui servent à déterminer les devoirs du confesseur à l’égard des pécheurs qui
viennent lui déposer leurs péchés. La Somme des Cas Pénitentiaux a ouvert la
série de ces importants travaux, dans lesquels d’habiles et vertueux docteurs
se sont appliqués à peser les droits de la loi et les obligations de l’homme,
afin d’instruire le prêtre dans l’art de discerner , comme parle l’Écriture, la
lèpre d’avec la lèpre [1].
Enfin, lorsque la glorieuse Mère de Dieu, qui est aussi la Mère des hommes,
suscita pour opérer la Rédemption des captifs le généreux Pierre Nolasque, que
nous verrons arriver, sous quelques jours, au berceau du Rédempteur, Raymond
fut l’instrument puissant de ce grand œuvre de miséricorde ; et ce n’est pas en
vain que l’Ordre de la Merci le considère comme l’un de ses fondateurs, et que
tant de milliers de captifs, délivrés de la servitude musulmane, l’ont honoré
comme l’un des principaux auteurs de leur liberté.
Nous empruntons l’Hymne suivante au Bréviaire des Frères Prêcheurs.
HYMNE.
Prélats, Princes, peuples de la terre, célébrez le nom illustre de Raymond, de
cet homme qui eut à cœur le salut éternel de tous.
Ce qu’offre de plus admirable une piété profonde apparaît dans la pureté sans
tache de ses mœurs ; la lumière de toutes les vertus éclate en sa personne.
D’une main habile et studieuse, il recueille les Décrets épars des Souverains
Pontifes, et les sentences du Droit antique dignes d’être conservées.
Sous ses pas, les flots inconstants deviennent solides ; il parcourt, sans
navire, un espace immense : son manteau et son bâton sont la barque sur
laquelle il traverse la mer.
Donnez-nous, ô Dieu, la pureté des mœurs ; donnez-nous de passer, sans
désastre, le cours de notre vie ; donnez-nous de toucher le port de la vie
éternelle.
Amen.
Dispensateur fidèle du Mystère de la réconciliation, vous avez puisé, au sein
du Dieu incarné, cette charité qui a fait de votre cœur l’asile des pécheurs.
Vous avez aimé les hommes ; et les besoins de leurs corps, aussi bien que ceux
de leurs âmes, ont été l’objet de votre sollicitude. Éclairé des rayons du
Soleil de justice, vous nous avez aidés à discerner le bien du mal, en nous
donnant des règles pour apprécier les plaies de nos âmes. Rome a admiré votre
science des lois ; elle se fait gloire d’avoir reçu de vos mains le Code sacré
qui régit les Églises.
Réveillez dans nos cœurs, ô Raymond, cette componction sincère qui est la
condition du pardon dans le Sacrement de Pénitence. Faites-nous comprendre la
gravité du péché mortel qui sépare de Dieu pour l’éternité, et les dangers du
péché véniel qui dispose l’âme tiède au péché mortel. Obtenez-nous des hommes
pleins de charité et de science pour exercer ce sublime ministère qui guérit
les âmes. Défendez-les du double écueil d’un rigorisme désespérant et d’une
mollesse perfide. Ranimez chez nous la vraie science du Droit ecclésiastique,
sans laquelle la maison du Seigneur deviendrait bientôt le séjour du désordre
et de l’anarchie. Vous dont le cœur fut si tendre envers les captifs, consolez
tous ceux qui languissent dans les chaînes ou dans l’exil ; préparez leur
délivrance ; mais affranchissez-nous tous des liens du péché, qui retiennent
trop souvent les âmes de ceux-là mêmes dont le corps est libre.
Vous avez été, ô Raymond, le confident du cœur de notre miséricordieuse Reine
Marie ; elle vous a associé à son œuvre du rachat des captifs. Vous êtes
puissant sur ce Cœur, qui est notre espérance après celui de Jésus.
Présentez-lui nos hommages. Demandez pour nous à cette incomparable Mère de
Dieu la grâce d’aimer toujours le céleste Enfant qu’elle tient dans ses bras.
Qu’elle daigne aussi, par vos prières, être notre étoile sur cette mer du
monde, plus orageuse que celle dont vous avez bravé les flots sur votre manteau
miraculeux.
Souvenez-vous aussi de l’Espagne, votre patrie, au sein de laquelle vous avez
opéré tant d’œuvres saintes. Longtemps son illustre Église fut dans le deuil
d’avoir perdu les Ordres religieux qui faisaient sa force et sa splendeur ; une
hospitalité généreuse a commencé de réparer ces maux : que toute entrave
disparaisse enfin. Protégez l’Ordre des Frères Prêcheurs, dont vous avez honoré
l’habit et la règle. Vous l’avez gouverné avec sagesse sur la terre ; aimez-le
toujours paternellement dans le ciel. Qu’il répare ses pertes ; qu’il
refleurisse dans toute l’Église, et qu’il produise, comme aux jours anciens,
ces fruits de sainteté et de science qui en ont fait une des principales
gloires de l’Église de Jésus-Christ.
[1] Deuter. XVII, 8.
.jpg)
Sant Raimon de Penyafort, de Joan Rebull, pl. Sant Joan 2 (Vilafranca del Penedès)
Bhx Cardinal Schuster, Liber Sacramentorum
La fête de cet insigne canoniste (+ 6 janvier 1275), chapelain et pénitencier
de Grégoire IX, remonte seulement à Clément X. La messe est celle du Commun des
confesseurs non pontifes, mais la première collecte, composée par le pape
Clément VIII, est propre et fait allusion tant à la charge occupée par le saint
dans la Curie pontificale, qu’à son prodigieux voyage, alors que, comme le
rapportent quelques auteurs, il alla des îles Baléares à Barcelone, se servant,
en guise de navire, de son manteau étendu sur les eaux de la mer.
L’introït est le même que pour la fête de saint Sabbas le 5 décembre.
La collecte n’observe pas les lois du cursus, mais l’auteur, tout préoccupé,
comme les modernes en général, de mettre en évidence les particularités de
l’histoire de son héros, cherche à y arriver avec quelque habileté et non sans
élégance. Le fruit que nous devons aujourd’hui demander par, l’intercession du
saint Dominicain, pénitencier du rigide Grégoire IX, est la contrition et une
digne pénitence. Voilà le seul manteau que nous puissions jeter sur la mer de
ce monde, afin d’aborder au port de l’éternité bienheureuse : « O Dieu qui avez
choisi comme insigne ministre du sacrement de Pénitence le bienheureux Raymond,
et qui l’avez soutenu d’une façon admirable sur les ondes de la mer ;
accordez-nous, grâce à son intercession, de faire de dignes fruits de
pénitence, et d’arriver à atteindre le port du salut éternel. Par notre
Seigneur, etc. »
La lecture est tirée de l’Ecclésiastique (XXXI, 8-11) quoique à Rome tous les
livres sapientiaux soient indiqués sous la dénomination générale de « Livre de
la Sagesse ». La péricope désignée pour ce jour loue le riche qui n’a pas
trouvé d’obstacle dans ses richesses, lesquelles, trop souvent, sont pour
beaucoup une pierre d’achoppement ; au contraire, il s’en est servi pour faire
le bien. Celui-ci a amassé les véritables richesses, non pas dans des
coffres-forts, mais près du Seigneur.
Le répons et le verset alléluiatique sont comme le 3 décembre, pour la fête du
grand saint François Xavier. Après la Septuagésime, le psaume-trait est
identique à celui assigné à la messe de saint Paul ermite le 15 janvier.
La lecture évangélique est la même que pour la fête de saint Antoine, le 17
janvier.
Le verset pour l’offertoire est celui assigné au 3 décembre.
La secrète est la suivante : « Nous offrons à votre gloire, Seigneur, ces
oblations en mémoire de vos saints ; pleins d’espérance que le divin Sacrifice
non seulement éloignera de nous les maux qui maintenant nous accablent, mais
nous défendra aussi de ceux qui pourraient nous nuire à l’avenir. » : Cette
collecte a une saveur tout à fait classique. Les maux présents sont les
conséquences, ou, comme le disait saint Paul, les stipendia peccati ; les maux
futurs ne sont pas simplement les infortunes temporelles, mais surtout les
tentations et les chutes dans le péché.
Le verset chanté durant la communion du peuple est comme pour le 3 décembre.
La collecte eucharistique est identique à celle de la fête de sainte Agnès, le
21 courant. Le nom de saint Raymond est inséparablement uni aux cinq livres des
Décrétales qu’il compila par ordre de Grégoire IX. Implorons de lui un grand
zèle pour la discipline ecclésiastique, un grand amour et une abnégation sans
limite, quand il s’agit de servir la sainte Église.
Châsse
de saint Raymond à la cathédrale de Barcelone
Dom Pius Parsch, le Guide dans l’année liturgique
De dignes fruits de pénitence.
Saint Raymond. — Jour de mort : 7 janvier 1275. Tombeau : à Barcelone
(Espagne). Image : On le représente en dominicain, debout sur son manteau qui
le porte sur la mer. Sa vie : Raymond fut un canoniste remarquable qui, par sa
codification et sa rédaction des décrétales de Grégoire IX, une collection de
décisions ecclésiastiques, rendit de grands services. A l’âge de 45 ans, il
entra chez les dominicains. Il travailla à la fondation de l’Ordre de
Notre-Dame de la Merci pour le rachat des captifs et il en rédigea la règle. Il
avait le don des miracles. L’un des plus célèbres fut celui-ci : Pour revenir
des îles Baléares à Barcelone, il étendit son manteau sur la mer et parcourut
160 milles en six heures, puis il entra dans son couvent malgré les portes
fermées. Il mourut, âgé de près de cent ans, en 1275. Ce saint excellait dans
le ministère de la confession et est considéré comme le patron des confesseurs.
La messe (Os justi). — C’est la première messe du commun des confesseurs, la
plus typique pour ce groupe de saints.
L’image dominante, pendant les saints mystères, est la parabole du serviteur
vigilant qui, « les reins ceints, et une lampe allumée à la main, attend le
Seigneur » à son retour. Telle fut la vie de notre saint. Dans la nuit de la
vie terrestre, il était toujours prêt au voyage et le flambeau de son amour de
Dieu brillait toujours ; sa vie était une attente du Seigneur qui doit revenir.
Au moment de la mort, le Seigneur a « frappé à la porte » et il lui a « ouvert
immédiatement », « le Seigneur l’a trouvé veillant », il l’a emmené au festin
céleste où il le sert lui-même. Or cet Évangile s’applique à nous aussi. Au
Saint-Sacrifice, il se réalise mystiquement. Le Seigneur frappe à la porte,
nous lui ouvrons, il nous invite au festin des noces « transiens ministrabit —
il passe et nous sert ».
C’est la meilleure expression de l’Eucharistie : le Christ passe, ce n’est pas
encore la « jouissance éternelle de sa divinité » dans le ciel. Notre tâche est
de « veiller » avec le saint, de ceindre nos reins et d’avoir un flambeau
allumé. Car le Seigneur nous fait déjà participer à l’élévation du saint
au-dessus de tous ses biens. On voit encore ici quelle forte impression fait
l’antienne de la communion, quand on la chante au moment où l’on s’approche de
la sainte Table, « quand le Seigneur vient ».
L’oraison. Comme l’Église sait bien utiliser la vie des saints pour notre
instruction morale ! La collecte d’aujourd’hui (composée par le pape Clément
VIII) le montre parfaitement (on sait que la plupart des oraisons sont
composées de trois parties : l’invocation, le motif de la prière tiré de la
fête, la prière proprement dite). Le motif fait ressortir deux traits de la vie
du saint : son zèle pour les confessions et sa marche sur les flots de la mer.
Ces motifs déterminent les deux prières suivantes : a) que nous « fassions de
dignes fruits de pénitence » et b) que nous parvenions au port du salut
éternel. Si saint Raymond est le patron des confesseurs, il peut nous obtenir
la grâce de bien user du sacrement de Pénitence. La collecte emploie les
paroles de saint Jean-Baptiste dans l’Évangile : « faites de dignes fruits de
pénitence » (conversion). La pénitence est, dans ce passage, comparée à un
arbre dont on reconnaît la bonté à ses fruits, ces dignes fruits sont la
persévérance dans la conversion. Combien de fois, hélas, avons-nous fait
nous-mêmes l’expérience que la conversion ne dure que peu de temps ! Ce n’étaient
pas de dignes fruits. Après demain (25 janvier) l’Église nous donnera un
exemple classique, en nous montrant comment saint Paul « fit de dignes fruits
de pénitence ». La seconde demande est enveloppée dans un beau symbole que la
liturgie utilise volontiers : que la barque de notre vie malgré les tempêtes et
les vagues, parvienne heureusement au port de l’éternité. Pour que se réalisent
ces deux prières, que la sainte Eucharistie nous donne grâce et force.
SOURCE : http://www.introibo.fr/23-01-St-Raymond-de-Pegnafort
Giulio Romano (1499–1546). Il papa
Gregorio IX che riceve le Decretali da Raimondo di Peñafort, 1510-1515, fresco, Apostolic Palace, fresco
Also
known as
Raymond of Rochefort
Raymond of Pegnafort
Raymond of Pennafort
Raymond of Peñafort
Raimund of…
Raymund of…
Raimundus of…
formerly 23
January
Profile
Born to the Aragonian nobility. Educated at
the cathedral school in Barcelona, Spain. Philosophy teacher around
age 20. Priest.
Graduated law school in Bologna, Italy.
Joined the Dominicans in 1218.
Summoned to Rome, Italy in 1230 by Pope Gregory
IX. Assigned to collect all official letters of the popes since 1150.
Raymond gathered and published five volumes, and helped write Church law.
Chosen master general of
the Dominicans in 1238.
Reviewed the Order‘s
Rule, made sure everything was legally correct, then resigned his position
in 1240 to
dedicate himself to parish work.
He was offered and archbishopric,
but he declined, instead returning to Spain and
the parish work
he loved. His compassion helped many people return to God through
Reconciliation.
During his years in Rome,
Raymond heard of the difficulties missionaries faced
trying to reach non-Christians of
Northern Africa and Spain.
Raymond started a school to teach the
language and culture of the people to be evangelized.
With Saint Thomas
Aquinas, he wrote a booklet to
explain the truths of faith in
a way that non-believers could understand. His great influence on Church law led
to his patronage of lawyers.
Born
1175 at
Peñafort, Catalonia, Spain
6
January 1275 at Barcelona, Spain of
natural causes
29 April 1601 by Pope Clement
VIII
–
in Spain
Writings
Summa Cassuam
Dominican using
his cloak as
a sail
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
Roman
Martyrology, 1914 edition
Saints
and Saintly Dominicans, by Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie
Cormier, O.P.
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
Short
Lives of the Dominican Saints
Stars
in Saint Dominic’s Crown, by Father Thomas
Austin Dyson
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Oxford Dictionary of Saints, by David Hugh Farmer
Saints
and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder
Some Patron Saints, by
Padraic Gregory
other
sites in english
1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian
Catholic Truth Society
images
video
webseiten
auf deutsch
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
Siervas
de los Corazones Traspasados de Jesús y María
sites
en français
Abbé
Christian-Philippe Chanut
fonti
in italiano
Congregazione
Suore Domenicane dello Spirito Santo
Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi
websites
in nederlandse
nettsteder
i norsk
spletne
strani v slovenšcini
weboldalak
a magyar
Readings
Look then on Jesus, the
author and preserver of faith: in complete sinlessness he suffered, and at the
hands of those who were his own, and was numbered among the wicked. As you
drink the cup of the Lord Jesus (how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord,
the giver of all blessings. May the God of love and peace set your hearts at
rest and speed you on your journey; may he meanwhile shelter you from
disturbance by others in the hidden recesses of his love, until he brings you
at last into that place of complete plenitude where you will repose for ever in
the vision of peace, in the security of trust, and in the restful enjoyment of
his riches. – from a letter by Saint Raymond
MLA
Citation
“Saint Raymond of
Penyafort“. CatholicSaints.Info. 16 June 2024. Web. 8 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-raymond-of-penyafort/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-raymond-of-penyafort/
Pittore
fiorentino, San Raimondo di Pennafort, xviii sec., Museo di San Marco
Roman
Missal – Raymond of Penyafort, Presbyter, Religious
Born about 1175 near
Barcelona (Spain), Raymond died there in extreme old age on 6 January 1275. He
became a canon of the cathedral but soon after joined the Dominicans,
eventually being elected their master general. He is remembered for his
knowledge of canon law, especially in its application to the sacrament of
penance, and for his scholarly apostolate to Jews and Muslims.
Lord our God, you gave
your holy priest Raymond a heart filled with compassion for sinners; grant
through his prayers that, released from slavery to sin, we may do your will in
perfect freedom. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
MLA
Citation
“Raymond of Penyafort,
Presbyter, Religious”. The Roman Missal, Revised
by Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and Published by Authority
of Pope Paul VI. CatholicSaints.Info. 25 February 2024. Web.
9 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/roman-missal-raymond-of-penyafort-presbyter-religious/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/roman-missal-raymond-of-penyafort-presbyter-religious/
Book of Saints
– Raymund of Pennafort
(Saint)
(January
23) (13th
century) A Spaniard of
noble birth who in middle life entered the Dominican
Order and eventually became General of the same. He co-operated
with Saint Peter
Nolasco in the Foundation of the Order of Our Lady of Ransom for the
Redemption of Captives. He was remarkable as a zealous and eloquent preacher,
austere in his own life, but considerate and kindly with others. He was in
great esteem at the Pontifical Court and the chief adviser of Pope Gregory
IX. He was one of the most learned men of his time, and his Collection of
Canons known as the “Decretals” remained the authoritative text-book of Church
Law until the promulgation of the new “Codex” in 1917. Saint Raymund
died, a centenarian, A.D. 1275.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Raymund of Pennafort”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
25 December 2016. Web. 9 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-raymund-of-pennafort/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-raymund-of-pennafort/
St. Raymond of Pennafort
Feastday: January 7
Patron: of
Canonists
St. Raymond of Pennafort,
Patron Saint of Canonists (Feast day - January 7) Born in Spain, St. Raymond
was a relative of the King of Aragon. From childhood he had a tender love and
devotion to the Blessed Mother. He finished his studies at an early age, and
became a famous teacher. He then gave up all his honors and entered the Order
of the Dominicans. St. Raymond was very humble and very close to God. He did
much penance and
was so good and
kind that he won many sinners to God. With King James of Aragon
and St.
Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom. The brave
religious of this Order devoted themselves to saving poor Christians captured
by the Moors.
Once he went with
King James to
the Island of Majorca to preach about Jesus. King James was a man of
great qualities, but he let himself be ruled by passions. There on the Island,
too, he was giving bad example. The Saint commanded him to send the woman away.
The King said he would, but he did not keep his promise. So St. Raymond decided
to leave the Island. The King declared he would punish any ship captain who
brought the Saint back to Barcelona. Putting all his trust in God, Saint
Raymond spread his cloak upon the water, tied up one corner of it to a stick
for a sail, made the Sign of the Cross, stepped onto the cloak, and sailed
along for six hours until he reached Barcelona. This miracle moved
the King. He was sorry for what he had done, and he became a true follower of
St. Raymond. St. Raymond was one hundred years old at the time of
his death.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=315
Jacopo Ligozzi, San Raimondo di Peñafort resuscita un fanciullo, 1620-1623
Jacopo
Ligozzi, San Raimondo di Peñafort resuscita un fanciullo, 1620-1623
St. Raymond of Penyafort,
Dominican, Co-founder of the Mercedarians
Saint Raymond was born in
1175 in Peñafort, Catalonia. His was a wealthy noble family. He studied
philosophy and rhetoric in Barcelona, then moved to Bologna where he
graduated in law and became a professor of Canon Law. A few years later, the
Count of Barcelona, Berenguer IV, traveling to Italy, proposed that Raymond
become professor at the seminary he wanted to establish in his diocese. So
Raymond returns to Catalonia and, four years later, in 1222, he became a
Dominican. A year later, with the help of the future saint Peter Nolasco, he
founded the Order of Mercedarians, with the aim of redeeming Christian slaves,
and wrote a guide book for confessional priests.
Pope Gregory IX entrusts
Raymond with a burdensome task
Perhaps he would have
done without it, but one cannot refuse the Pope. Gregory IX's appreciation for
Raymond’s legal acumen was so great that he decided to entrust a huge task to
him, that of collecting all the acts issued by the Popes in disciplinary and
dogmatic matters, answering questions or intervening on specific questions. The
task was to put an enormous mass of texts in order, a centuries-old set of more
or less important decisions, but Raymond succeeds in the enterprise, so much so
that Gregory IX, as a reward, offers him to become archbishop of Tarragona.
Raymond refused, however, for he was a Dominican friar and wished to remain a
simple friar. Affected by an illness, he returned to his first monastery and to
a retired life.
For Raymond it is not yet
time to rest
In 1238 his Dominican
confreres insist: they want him to be the Master General of the Order and
Raymond must accept. He is the third General of the Dominicans, after Dominic
of Guzman and Jordan of Saxony. In his new role he sets off on a journey and,
still on foot, travels all over Europe visiting one Dominican house after
another. The activity exhausted him, and, at seventy years of age, he left
office and returned to what most attracted him: prayer and study. He was then
particularly concerned with the formation of the new preachers of the Order,
which is spreading in Europe. Raymond was convinced that, as missionaries, his
confreres must be able to approach, interest and convince the people to whom
they want to proclaim Christ. The Order must therefore equip itself with all
the indispensable cultural tools: for example, texts suitable for discussion
with learned persons of other faiths were needed, and he undertook to prepare
them. It was then necessary to know closely the culture of those to whom we are
to bring the Gospel: So, Raymond established a school of Hebrew in Murcia, in
Spain, and one of Arabic in Tunis.
Death reached him, when
he was 100 years old, on 6 January 1275 in Barcelona. It is said that during
his funeral many miracles took place. He was made a saint in 1601 by Pope
Clement VIII. Today his mortal remains are kept in the cathedral of the capital
of Catalonia.
Mattia Preti (1613–1699), Saints Vincent Ferrer, Peter Martyr and Raymond of Peñafort, 306 x 207
New
Catholic Dictionary – Saint Raymond of Penafort
Confessor of the faith.
Born c.1175 near Barcelona, Spain; died on 6
January 1275 in
Barcelona. In 1195 he received the degree of Doctor of Laws and held the chair
of Law at the University of Bologna. Upon his return to Spain in 1222 he
entered the Dominican Convent at Barcelona, where be taught for six years. With
Saint Peter Nolasco he established the Order of Our Lady of Ransom. One of
the scholars of his day, he became adviser to Pope Gregory IX and was employed
in editing the Decretals, held as the authority on Canon Law until 1917.
From 1238 to 1240, he served as Superior of his Order. To aid the work of
converting the Saracens he opened schools in Tunis and Barcelona for
instruction in Oriental languages. Canonized in 1601. Patron of
canonists. Emblems:
a book, cloak,
and key. Feast,
Roman Calendar, 23
January.
MLA
Citation
“Saint Raymond of
Penafort”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info.
11 August 2018. Web. 9 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-raymond-of-penafort/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-raymond-of-penafort/
23rd
Saint Raymond of Penyafort canonized 29
April 1601 by Pope Clement VIII - 17th-century ivory statue
part of the original Intramuros procession - Grand procession of carroza with w:saints of
the Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval -
2024 Our Lady of La Naval de Manila 51st
anniversary anniversary Santo Domingo Church photos
on October 13, 2024
St. Raymond of Penyafort
The blessed Raymond was born at Barcelona, of the noble family of Peñafort.
Having been imbued with the rudiments of the Christian faith, the admirable
gifts he had received, both of mind and body, were such that even when quite a
boy he seemed to promise great things in his later life.
Whilst still young, he
taught humanities in Barcelona. Later on, he went to Bologna, where he applied
himself with much diligence to the exercises of a virtuous life, and to the
study of canon and civil law. He there received the Doctor's cap, and interpreted
the sacred canons so ably that he was the admiration of his hearers. The
holiness of his life becoming known far and wide, Berengarius, the Bishop of
Barcelona, when returning to his diocese from Rome, visited Bologna in order to
see him; and after most earnest entreaties, induced Raymond to accompany him to
Barcelona. He was shortly after made Canon and Provost of that Church, and
became a model to the clergy and people by his uprightness, modesty, learning
and meekness. His tender devotion to the Holy Mother of God was extraordinary,
and he never neglected an opportunity of zealously promoting the devotion and
honor which are due to her.
When he was about
forty-five years of age, he made his solemn profession in the Order of the
Friars Preachers. He then, as a soldier but just entered into service, devoted
himself to the exercise of every virtue, but above all to charity to the poor,
and this mainly to the captives who had been taken by the infidels. It was by
his exhortation that St Peter Nolasco (who was his penitent) was induced to
devote all his riches to this work of most meritorious charity. The Blessed
Virgin appeared to Peter, as also to blessed Raymond and to James the First,
King of Aragon, telling them that it would be exceedingly pleasing to herself
and her divine Child, if an Order of Religious men were instituted whose
mission it should be to deliver captives from the tyranny of infidels.
Whereupon, after deliberating together, they founded the Order of our Lady of
Mercy for the Ransom of Captives; and blessed Raymond drew up certain rules of
life, which were admirably adapted to the spirit and vocation of the said
Order. Some years after, he obtained their approbation from Gregory the Ninth,
and made St Peter Nolasco, to whom he gave the habit with his own hands, first
General of the Order.
Raymond was called to
Rome by the same Pope, who appointed him to be his Chaplain, Penitentiary, and
Confessor. It was by Gregory's order that he collected together, in the volume
called the Decretals, the Decrees of the Roman Pontiffs, which were to be
found separately in the various Councils and Letters. He was most resolute in
refusing the Archbishopric of Tarragona, which the same Pontiff offered to him,
and, of his own accord resigned the Generalship of the Dominican Order, which
office he had discharged in a most holy manner for the space of two years. He
persuaded James the King of Aragon to establish in his dominions the Holy
Office of the Inquisition. He worked many miracles; among which is that most
celebrated one of his having, when returning to Barcelona from the island of
Majorca, spread his cloak upon the sea, and sailed upon it, in the space of six
hours, the distance of a hundred and sixty miles, and having reached his
convent, entered it through the closed doors. At length, when he had almost
reached the hundredth year of his age, and was full of virtue and merit, he
slept in the Lord, in the year of the Incarnation 1275. He was canonized by
Pope Clement the Eighth.
Patronage: Attorneys;
barristers; canon lawyers; lawyers; medical record librarians; Barcelona,
Spain; Navarre, Spain; Majorca, Spain
Symbols and
Representation: book; cloak; key; Dominican using his cloak as a sail
Highlights and Things to
Do:
St. Raymond diligently
studied Canon Law. Spend some time learning what are the obligations and rights of the laity under Church law.
Read more about St.
Raymond:
Learn more about
the Spanish Inquistion.
Raymond died at the age
of 100 years old and is buried in the the Cathedral of Barcelona, The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and
Saint Eulalia.
St. Raymond contributed
much to the understanding of the Sacrament of Penance.
See Catholic Cuisine for some clever food ideas for this
saint.
SOURCE : https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2014-01-07
Raymond de Pennafort, Summa de casibus poenitentialibus libri IV, cum glossis Joannis de Friburgo, Flandres au XIVe
siècle (manuscrit 137, Université de Liège)
Raymond de Pennafort, Summa de casibus poenitentialibus libri IV, cum glossis Joannis de Friburgo, Flandres au XIVe
siècle (manuscrit 137, Université de Liège)
Raymond of Penyafort, OP (RM)
(also known as Ramon of Peñafort)
Born at Villafranca (Peñafort), Catalonia, Spain, in 1175; died in Barcelona on
January 6, 1275; canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1601; feast day formerly
January 23.
Saint Raymond of Peñafort
is one of the best examples of the quiet humility of sanctity and of the
eternal youth of the Dominican ideal. The Church remembers him as a model for
confessors and as a champion of law and order. But to his Dominican brothers
and sisters he is also patron of those faithful religious who work quietly and
consistently for God.
Raymond was the talented
son of the count of Peñafort in Catalonia, Spain. His distinguished family
traced its roots to the kings of Aragon and counts of Barcelona. As a scion of
such lineage, Raymond received every advantage in his education. First, he was
sent to the cathedral school at Barcelona. He made such rapid progress in his
studies that at the age of 20, he was already a professor of philosophy. He did
this without pay and was greatly respected. He resigned his chair in Barcelona
in 1210 to finish his education in Bologna, Italy, where he earned his doctorate
in both canon and civil law in 1216. Thereafter, he taught canon law in
Bologna, again without pay.
Here in Bologna he met
the Dominicans, who were beginning to attract to their ranks so many talented
young men, among whom were some of Raymond's students and fellow professors. On
a journey to Barcelona, Raymond met Saint Dominic himself.
He was appointed
archdeacon of Barcelona by Bishop Berengarius in 1219. (At some point he was
ordained.) Raymond was a perfect model to the clergy of zealous devotion and
boundless liberalities to the poor.
The year after Dominic's
death in 1221, Peñafort enrolled at Barcelona in the Dominican Order at age 47.
He did this in part because he was growing extremely pleased with himself and
desperately needed to learn some humility. He asked those in charge of him in
the monastery to prescribe some hurtful task in order to reduce his vanity.
With great intelligence,
they decided to make use of his undoubted legal skills: Raymond was told to
compile for use by confessors and moralists all the rules that the Church had
worked out for dealing with sins. So, shortly after his profession as a Dominican,
Raymond authored the first moral case-book in the history of the Church--a
masterpiece that has never been forgotten. His Summa de casibus
poenitentialibus, which was compiled between 1223 and 1238, had a profound
influence on the development of the penitential system of the later Middle
Ages.
So greatly was Raymond
revered in his university world that his entry into the Dominicans caused a new
tidal wave of vocations to the preaching friars; among the aspirants were two
bishops and several noted professors. Claro, Moneta, and Roland of Cremona had
caused astonishment by their renunciation of worldly honors on entering the
order, but Raymond's profession caused even greater excitement in an already
inflamed city.
The Dominicans at this
time were deeply involved in missionary work among the Jews, heretics, and
Moors of Spain. Raymond actively participated in this effort. He became famed
for his preaching to Moors and Christians throughout Spain. He was convinced
that Christians could only convert others if their own lives set an example of
selflessness and godliness. He had thought that even those who had been
captured by the Moors could influence their enemy, provided that they continued
to love them and did not abandon their own faith under persecution. He even
preached the Spanish crusade that led to the ousting of the Moors in 1492.
Raymond feared no one.
King James of Aragon was an immoral man, and Raymond said he would not live in
the same place as such a sinner. In spite of the king's anger, Raymond sailed
back to Barcelona. (A legend grew up that he boldly sailed across on his own
cloak, with not the slightest fear that this quaint boat might sink.)
There is some debate over
whether, with Saint Peter Nolasco, he was co-founder of the Order of Our Lady
of Ransom (for the redemption of Christian captives), also known as the
Mercedarians, a project that was carried out the year after his profession.
Whether he did or not, there was no question about his concern for the
downtrodden, imprisoned, and poor. Going to Rome in 1230 to serve as Pope
Gregory IX's confessor, he did everything possible to expedite the petitions of
the poor by imposing the immediate reception, hearing, and decision regarding
such petitions as a penance.
The pope also gave him
the huge task of compiling all the scattered decrees of popes and councils
since the collection made by Gratian in 1150. The resultant five books of the
Decretals was so thorough that it remains, after a period of nearly seven
centuries of rapid change, a monumental tribute to his learning. This
collection, which took three years to complete, remained the standard text from
its completion in 1234 until the reform of Canon Law in 1917. The Decretals
were followed by the publication of an authoritative work on penitential
discipline, the Summa casuum.
In 1235, the Pope Gregory
named him archbishop of Tarragona, but sickness and his pleadings to be
relieved of such a duty encouraged the pope to name another in his place, and
Raymond returned to his solitude and contemplation in Barcelona.
He returned to Spain in
1236 to convalesce from his serious illness. He was received with as much joy
as if the safety of the kingdom depended on his presence. Rejuvenated by the
solitude of the priory in Barcelona, he resumed his work as a preacher and
confessor, and was tremendously successful in making conversions. He was
frequently employed in important work both by the Holy See and his king.
In 1238, Raymond was
elected Master General of the Dominicans on the death of Blessed Jordan of
Saxony of the order. When the news was brought to him from the general chapter
in Bologna, he wept and entreated, but eventually he acquiesced in obedience.
He made the visitation of his order on foot without discontinuing any of his
austerities or religious exercises. He instilled in his spiritual children a
love of regularity, solitude, studies, and the work of ministry.
During his two-year
tenure as master general, Raymond concerned himself with reform, construction,
and putting in permanent form the Dominican Constitutions, a document from
which many democratic codes have borrowed copiously and which remained in
effect until 1924. He also added notes on the doubtful passages to ensure
clarity of interpretation. This code was approved in three general chapters. In
one held in Paris (1239), he procured that the voluntary resignation of a
superior, founded upon just reasons, should be accepted--this was his
insurance: the following year, begging to be released from his office because
of age and infirmity, Raymond resigned after two years of intense activity.
Though he resigned
because of ill health, Raymond continued his mission work that brought
thousands into the Church. In 1256, he wrote to the general of the order that
10,000 Saracens had been converted. He also helped establish the Inquisition in
Catalonia; he was accused, perhaps justifiably, of compromising a Jewish rabbi
by deceit.
Raymond envisioned the
conquest of the East by learning as kings dreamed of conquering it by arms. To
this end, he established friaries in Tunis and Murcia and schools in which
Dominicans were trained in the languages of the East--Arabic and Hebrew. Later,
he engaged his fellow Dominican, Saint Thomas Aquinas, to write Summa contra
gentiles. Raymond had himself preached a crusade against the Moors, and his
experience with the Order of Ransom gave him deep insight into the problem of
converting the Eastern peoples.
Last 30 years of his one
hundred years of life he lived in prayerful obscurity, giving to others the
fruits of his contemplation and labor. On his deathbed he was visited by
Alphonsus, the king of Castile, and James I of Aragon, one of his penitents.
It is as a wise and holy
confessor that Raymond is best remembered in the Church. He was appointed at
different times as confessor to the pope and king, and as a papal penitentiary
he pronounced on difficult cases of conscience. As noted above, he wrote
various works for the guidance of confessors and canonists.
In the bull of his
canonization published in 1601, there is reference to miracles attributed to
his intercession (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Dorcy,
Encyclopedia, Farmer, Walsh, White).
In art Saint Raymond is
portrayed as a middle-aged Dominican crossing the sea on his cloak (not to be
confused with the young Saint Hyacinth, who carried a ciborium). He may be a
Dominican holding a book and magister's wand, or with the Virgin and Child
appearing to him (Roeder). He may be pictured holding a key, the symbol of
confession (Dorcy).
Saint Raymond is greatly
venerated in Spain and Majorca, and by the Mercedarians. He is the patron saint
of lawyers, including canon lawyers, and schools and faculties of law (Roeder,
White).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0107.shtml
St. Raymond of Penafort
St. Raymond of Pennafort, Patron Saint of Canonists (c.1180-1275). Born in
Spain, St. Raymond was a relative of the King of Aragon. From childhood he had
a tender love and devotion to the Blessed Mother. He finished his studies at an
early age, and became a famous teacher. He then gave up all his honors and
entered the Order of the Dominicans.
St. Raymond was very humble and very close to God. He did much penance and was
so good and kind that he won many sinners to God. With King James of Aragon and
St. Peter Nolasco he founded the Order of Our Lady of Ransom. The brave
religious of this Order devoted themselves to saving poor Christians captured
by the Moors.
Once he went with King James to the Island of Majorca to preach about Jesus.
King James was a man of great qualities, but he let himself be ruled by
passions. There on the Island, too, he was giving bad example. The Saint
commanded him to send the woman away. The King said he would, but he did not
keep his promise. So St. Raymond decided to leave the Island. The King declared
he would punish any ship captain who brought the Saint back to Barcelona.
Putting all his trust in God, Saint Raymond spread his cloak upon the water,
tied up one corner of it to a stick for a sail, made the Sign of the Cross,
stepped onto the cloak, and sailed along for six hours until he reached
Barcelona. This miracle moved the King. He was sorry for what he had done, and
he became a true follower of St. Raymond. St. Raymond was one hundred years old
at the time of his death.
SOURCE : http://www.ucatholic.com/saints/saint-raymond-of-penafort/
St. Raymond of Peñafort
Born
at Villafranca de Benadis, near Barcelona,
in 1175; died at Barcelona,
6 January, 1275. He became professor of canon law in 1195, and taught
for fifteen years. He left Spain for Bologna in
1210 to complete his studies in canon law. He occupied a chair
of canon law in the university for
three years and published a treatise on ecclesiastical legislation
which still exists in the Vatican Library.
Raymond was attracted to
the Dominican
Order by the preaching of Blessed Reginald, prior of
the Dominicans ofBologna,
and received the habit in the Dominican Convent of Barcelona,
whither he had returned from Italy in
1222. At Barcelona he
was co-founder with St.
Peter Nolasco of the Order
of Mercedarians. He also founded institutes at Barcelona and Tunis for
the study of Oriental languages, to convert the Moors and Jews.
At the request of his
superiors Raymond published the Summa Casuum, of which several
editions appeared in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In
1229 Raymond was appointed theologian and penitentiary to
theCardinal Archbishop of Sabina, John of
Abbeville, and was summoned to Rome in
1230 by Gregory
IX, who appointed him chaplain and
grand penitentiary.
The reputation of
the saint for
juridical science decided
the pope to
employ Raymond of Peñafort's talents in re-arranging and codifying
the canons of the Church.
He had to rewrite and condense decrees that had been multiplying for
centuries, and which were contained in some twelve or
fourteen collections already existing. We learn from a Bull of Gregory
IX to the Universities of Paris and Bologna that
many of the decrees in thecollections were but repetitions of
ones issued before, many contradicted what had been determined in
previousdecrees, and many on account of their great length led to endless confusion,
while others had never been embodied in any collection and were of
uncertain authority.
The pope announced
the new publication in a Bull directed
to the doctors and
students of Paris and Bologna in
1231, and commanded that the work of St. Raymond alone should be
considered authoritative, and should alone be used in the schools.
When Raymond completed his work the pope appointed
him Archbishop of Tarragona,
but the saint declined
the honour.
Having edited the Decretals he
returned to Spain.
He was not allowed to remain long in seclusion, as he
was elected General of the Order in 1238; but he
resigned two years later. During histenure of office he published a
revised edition of the Dominican Constitutions,
and it was at his request that St.
Thomas wrote the Summa Contra Gentiles. St.
Raymond was canonized by Clement
VIII in 1601. His Summa de Poenitentia et Matrimonio is said
to be the first work of its kind. His feast is
23 January.
Sources
Monumenta Historica Ord.
Proed., V, iv; Bullarium Ord. Proed.; PENIA, Vita S.
Raymundi; MORTIER, Hist. des Maîtres Generaux (Paris, 1903);
FINKE, Acta Aragonensia, II (1908), 902-904; QUETIF-ECHARD, Script.
Ord. Proed.; BALME, Raymundiana (1901).
O'Kane, Michael. "St.
Raymond of Peñafort." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.
12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 7 Jan.
2018 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12671c.htm>.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2021 by Kevin
Knight. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12671c.htm
Decretals avec Glossa
ordinaria, vers 1310
ST. RAYMUND OF PENNAFORT.
Born A.D. 1175, of a
noble Spanish family, Raymund, at the age of twenty, taught philosophy at
Barcelona with marvellous success. Ten years later his rare abilities won for
him the degree of Doctor in the University of Bologna, and many high dignities.
A tender devotion to our Blessed Lady, which had grown up with him from
childhood, determined him in middle life to renounce all his honors and to
enter her Order of St. Dominic. There, again, a vision of the Mother of Mercy
instructed him to cooperate with his penitent St. Peter Nolasco, and with James,
King of Aragon, in founding the Order of Our Lady of Ransom for the Redemption
of Captives. He began this great work by preaching a crusade against the Moors,
and rousing to penance the Christians, enslaved in both soul and body by the
infidel. King James of Aragon, a man of great qualities, but held in bond by a
ruling passion, was bidden by the Saint to put away the cause of his sin. On
his delay, Raymund asked for leave to depart from Majorca, since he could not
live with sin. The king refused, and forbade, under pain of death, his
conveyance by others. Full of faith, Raymund spread his cloak upon the waters,
and, tying one end to his staff as a sail, made the sign of the cross and
fearlessly stepped upon it. In six hours he was borne to Barcelona, where,
gathering up his cloak dry, he stole into his monastery. The king, overcome by
this miracle, became a sincere penitent and the disciple of the Saint till his
death. In 1230,Gregory IX. summoned Raymund to Rome, made him his confessor and
grand penitentiary, and directed him to compile "The Decretals," a
collection of the scattered decisions of the Popes and Councils. Having refused
the archbishopric of Tarragons, Raymund found himself in 1238 chosen third
General of his Order; which post he again succeeded in resigning, on the score
of his advanced age. His first act when set free was to resume his labors among
the infidels, and in 1256 Raymund, then eighty-one, was able to report that ten
thousand Saracens had received Baptism. He died A.D. 1275.
Reflection.--Ask St.
Raymund to protect you from that fearful servitude, worse than any bodily
slavery, which even one sinful habit tends to form.
SOURCE : http://jesus-passion.com/St.Raymund.htm
Damià
Pradell Pujol (1867–1947), Sant Ramon de Penyafort a
l'Ilustració Catalana nº 316 (2a època) (20/06/1909)
Saint Raymond of Peñafort,
priest
7 JANUARY 2010. Today we
celebrate the memorial of Saint Raymond of Peñafort, a Spanish Dominican priest
that played an important role in the Church and in the Order in the thirteenth
century.
Born into a noble family in Spain, at the castle of Pennafort, in A.D. 1175,
Saint Raymond of Peñafort received his education in Barcelona and at the
University of Bologna. From 1195 to 1210, Saint Raymond taught canon law. After
some time, the Bishop of Barcelona persuaded Saint Raymond to return to Spain,
and named him as one of the canons in his cathedral. However, Saint Raymond
thirsted for a deeper relationship with God. So, on Good Friday, A.D. 1222,
Saint Raymond begged to be admitted to the Dominican Order. Tradition tells
that, in part, Saint Raymond was motivated to join the Dominican Order out of
remorse for previously talking a young man out of joining a religious order.
From this point onward, Saint Raymond increased the holiness of his life, and
by his piety drew many to the Dominican Order. Saint Raymond became a confessor
to King James of Aragon, and was known for his wise counsel. Because of this,
Saint Raymond was directed by his superiors to write a book on settling cases
of conscience, which he did—titled Raimundina.
At this time, the Moors were exacting great cruelties on their Christian
captives. On the night of 1 August 1223, the Blessed Mother appeared to Saint
Raymond, King James of Aragon, and Saint Peter Nolasco, a penitent of Saint
Raymond, telling them that she desired a religious order to be founded for the
relief of the poor Christian captives. On the directions of Our Holy Mother,
Saint Raymond, himself, wrote the statutes of the new order—the Order of Our Lady of Mercy—for redemption
of the Christian captives. To lead the order, Saint Raymond choose Saint Peter
Nolasco. Saint Raymond gave the habit to Saint Peter, which was identical to
the Dominican habit, except that the mantle was white and the scapular was
emblazoned with the royal arms of Aragon.
At about this time too, in A.D. 1230, Saint Raymond was summoned to Rome and
became the confessor of Pope Gregory IX. At the direction of the Holy Father,
Saint Raymond collected and wrote commentaries on all the decretal letters that
had been issued and had been changing canon law since the publication of
the Decretum of Gratian. In just over three years Saint Raymond
accomplished this tremendous task and, being pleased with the work of Saint
Raymond, the Holy Father published a bull making Saint Raymond’s work alone
authoritative. This collection of canon law, known as Liber extra was
the standard of canon law for almost the next 700 years.
Twice the Holy Father appointed Saint Raymond to an archbishopric, but each
time Saint Raymond was successful in getting released from the honor which,
tradition tells, would have been painful to his humility.
After the death of Blessed Jordan, the beloved successor of Saint Dominic,
Saint Raymond was elected the third Master-General of the Order in A.D. 1238.
During his two years as Master-General, Saint Raymond made his mark on the
Order, revising the Dominican constitution into two parts, the first relating
to the religious life of the friars and the second to their external life, duties
and offices. In A.D. 1240 Saint Raymond resigned as Master-General.
Saint Raymond retired to the convent of Barcelona where he lived for 35 more
years, working and praying incessantly for the conversion of the Moors, Jews,
and heretics. It was at Saint Raymond’s request that Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote
his Summa contra Gentiles.
Saint Raymond accompanied the King of Aragon on an expedition to Majorca and
boldly rebuked him there for giving public scandal. However, finding that his
rebuke had no effect on the King, Saint Raymond prepared to return to
Barcelona. The King attempted to keep Saint Raymond on the island by force, but
Saint Raymond flung his mantle into the sea fastened to the end of his
staff, serving as a mast, and sailed on his mantle, like a boat, the nearly 100
miles back to the mainland. On reaching Barcelona, Saint Raymond took up his
mantle, which was perfectly dry, and was transported through the locked doors
of the convent and beyond the acclamations of the crowd that witnessed his
landing. Touched by the miracle, the King of Aragon thereafter renounced his
evil ways and led a good life.
Widely regarded as the greatest ecclesiastic of his time, Saint Raymond died on
the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January 1275 in his hundredth year. Many
miracles occurred at Saint Raymond’s tomb, including the issuance of a dust
that restored health to many ill persons. Saint Raymond was canonized by Pope
Clement VIII in A.D. 1601.
Prayer
O God,
You endowed your priest Saint Raymond,
with the gift of showing mercy to sinners
and prisoners.
Help us by his intercession to be freed
from slavery to sin and
with clear consciences to practice those things
that are pleasing to you.
Amen.
SOURCE : https://acta-sanctorum.blogspot.com/2010/01/saint-raymond-of-penafort-priest.html
.jpg)
Museu
episcopal de Vic. 9-8-2019. Atribuït a Jaume Huguet II. Retaule de sant Ramon
de Penyafort.
1601-1607.
Pintura a l'oli sobre fusta. Procedència desconeguda.
St. Raymund of Pennafort,
Confessor
From the bull of his
canonization, by Clement VIII. in 1601, and his life, written by several
Spanish, Italian, and French authors. See Fleury, b. 78. n. 55. 64. and
chiefly Touron, Hommes Illustres de l’Ordre de S. Domin. T. 1. p. 1.
A.D. 1275
THE HOUSE of Pegnafort,
or, as it is pronounced, Pennafort, was descended from the counts of Barcelona,
and nearly allied to the kings of Arragon. Raymund was born in 1175, at
Pennafort, a castle in Catalonia, which in the fifteenth century was changed
into a convent of the order of St. Dominick. Such was his rapid progress in his
studies, that at the age of twenty he taught philosophy at Barcelona, which he
did gratis, and with so great reputation, that he began then to be consulted by
the ablest masters. His principal care was to instil into his scholars the most
perfect maxims of solid piety and devotion, to compose all differences among
the citizens, and to relieve the distressed. He was about thirty years of age
when he went to Bologna in Italy, to perfect himself in the study of the canon
and civil law, commenced Doctor in that faculty, and taught with the same
disinterestedness and charity as he had done in his own country. In 1219
Berengarius, bishop of Barcelona, who had been at Rome, took Raymund home with
him, to the great regret of the university and senate of Bologna; and, not
content with giving him a canonry in his church, made him his archdeacon, grand
vicar, and official. He was a perfect model to the clergy, by his innocence,
zeal, devotion and boundless liberalities to the poor, whom he called his
creditors. In 1222 he took the religious habit of St. Dominick at Barcelona,
eight months after the death of the holy founder, and in the forty-seventh year
of his age. No person was ever seen among the young novices more humble, more
obedient, or more fervent. To imitate the obedience of a Man-God, who reduced
himself to a state of subjection to his own creatures, to teach us the dangers
and deep wound of self-will, and to point out to us the remedy, the saint would
depend absolutely on the lights of his director in all things. And it was upon
the most perfect self-denial that he laid the foundation of that high sanctity
which he made the object of his most earnest desires. The grace of prayer
perfected the work which mortification had begun. In a spirit of compunction he
begged of his superiors that they would enjoin him some severe penance, to
expiate the vain satisfaction and complacency which he said he had sometimes
taken in teaching. They indeed imposed on him a penance, but not such a one as
he expected. It was to write a collection of cases of conscience for the
instruction and convenience of confessors and moralists. This produced his Sum,
the first work of that kind. Had his method and decisions been better followed
by some later authors of the like works, the holy maxims of Christian morality
had been treated with more respect by some moderns, than they have been, to our
grief and confusion.
Raymund joined to the
exercises of his solitude the functions of an apostolical life, by labouring
without intermission in preaching, instructing, hearing confessions with
wonderful fruit, and converting heretics, Jews, and Moors. Among his penitents
were James, king of Arragon, and St. Peter Nolasco, with whom he concerted the
foundation of the Order of the B. Virgin of mercy for the redemption of
captives. James, the young king of Arragon, had married Eleonora of Castile
within the prohibited degrees, without a dispensation. A legate was sent by
Pope Gregory IX. to examine and judge the case. In a council of bishops of the
two kingdoms, held at Tarragon, he declared the marriage null, but that their
son, Don Alphonso should be reputed lawfully born, and heir to his father’s
crown. The king had taken his confessor with him to the council, and the
cardinal legate was so charmed with his talents and virtue, that he associated
him in his legation, and gave him a commission to preach the holy war against
the Moors. The servant of God acquitted himself of that function with so much
prudence, zeal, and charity, that he sowed the seeds of the total overthrow of
those infidels in Spain. His labours were no less successful in the reformation
of the manners of the Christians, detained in servitude under the Moors, which
were extremely corrupted by their long slavery or commerce with these infidels.
Raymund showed them, by words full of heavenly unction and fire, that, to triumph
over their bodily, they must first conquer their spiritual, enemies, and subdue
sin in themselves, which made God their enemy. Inculcating these and the like
spiritual lessons, he ran over Catalonia, Arragon, Castile, and other
countries. So general a change was wrought hereby in the manners of the people,
as seemed incredible to all but those who were witnesses of it. By their
conversion the anger of God was appeased, and the arms of the faithful became
terrible to their enemies. The kings of Castile and Leon freed many places from
the Moorish yoke. Don James, king of Arragon, drove them out of the islands of
Majorca and Minorca, and soon after, in 1237, out of the whole kingdom of
Valentia. Pope Gregory IX. having called St. Raymund to Rome in 1230, nominated
him his chaplain, (which was the title of the Auditor of the causes of the
apostolic palace,) as also grand penitentiary. He made him likewise his own
confessarius, and in difficult affairs came to no decision but by his advice.
The saint still reserved himself for the poor, and was so solicitous for them
that his Holiness called him their father. He enjoined the pope, for a penance,
to receive, hear, and expedite immediately all petitions presented by them. The
pope, who was well versed in the canon law, ordered the saint to gather into
one body all the scattered decrees of popes and councils, since the collection
made by Gratian in 1150. Raymund compiled this work in three years, in five
books, commonly called the Decretals, which the same Pope Gregory confirmed in
1234. It is looked upon as the best finished part of the body of the canon law;
on which account the canonists have usually chosen it for the texts of their
comments. In 1235, the pope named St. Raymund to the archbishopric of Tarragon,
the capital of Arragon: the humble religious man was not able to avert the
storm, as he called it, by tears and entreaties; but at length fell sick
through anxiety and fear. To restore him to his health, his Holiness was
obliged to consent to excuse him, but required that he should recommend a
proper person. The saint named a pious and learned canon of Gironne. He refused
other dignities with the like constancy.
For the recovery of his
health he returned to his native country, and was received with as much joy, as
if the safety of the whole kingdom, and of every particular person, had
depended on his presence. Being restored again to his dear solitude at
Barcelona, he continued his former exercises of contemplation, preaching, and
administering the sacrament of penance. Except on Sundays, he never took more
than one very small refection in the day. Amidst honours and applause he was
ever little in his own eyes: he appeared in the schools like a scholar, and in
his convent begged the superior to instruct him in the rules of religious
perfection, with the humility and docility of a novice. Whether he sung the
divine praises with his brethren, or prayed alone in his cell, or some corner
of the church, he poured forth an abundance of tears; and often was not able to
contain within himself the ardour of his soul. His mildness and sweetness were
unalterable. The incredible number of conversions, of which he was the
instrument, is known only to Him who, by his grace, was the author of them. He
was employed frequently in most important commissions, both by the holy see and
by the king. But he was thunderstruck by the arrival of four deputies from the
general chapter of his order at Bologna, in 1238, with the news that he was
chosen third general, Jordan of Saxony being lately dead. He wept and
entreated, but at length acquiesced in obedience. He made the visitation of his
order on foot, without discontinuing any of his penitential austerities, or
rather exercises. He instilled into his spiritual children a love of regularity,
solitude, mortification, prayer, sacred studies, and the apostolical functions,
especially preaching. He reduced the constitutions of his order into a clearer
method, with notes on the doubtful passages. This his code of rules was
approved in three general chapters. In one held at Paris in 1239, he procured
the establishment of this regulation, that a voluntary demission of a superior,
founded upon just reasons, should be accepted. This he contrived in his own
favour: for, to the extreme regret of the order, he in the year following
resigned the generalship, which he had held only two years. He alleged for his
reason his age of sixty-five years. Rejoicing to see himself again a private
religious man, he applied himself with fresh vigour to the exercises and
functions of an apostolic life, especially the conversion of the Saracens.
Having this end in view, he engaged St. Thomas to write his work ‘Against the
Gentiles,’ procured the Arabic and Hebrew tongues to be taught in several
convents of his order; and erected convents, one at Tunis, and another at
Murcia, among the Moors. In 1256 he wrote to his general, that ten thousand
Saracens had received baptism. King James took him into the island of Majorca.
The saint embraced that opportunity of cultivating that infant church. This
prince was an accomplished soldier and statesman, and a sincere lover of
religion, but his great qualities were sullied by a base passion for women. He
received the admonitions of the saint with respect, and promised amendment of life,
and a faithful compliance with the saint’s injunctions in every particular; but
without effect. St. Raymund upon discovering that he entertained a lady at his
court, with whom he was suspected to have criminal conversation, made the
strongest instances to have her dismissed, which the king promised should be
done, but postponed the execution. The saint, dissatisfied with the delay,
begged leave to retire to his convent at Barcelona. The king not only refused
him leave, but threatened to punish with death any person that should undertake
to convey him out of the island. The saint, full of confidence in God, said to
his companion, “A king of the earth endeavours to deprive us of the means of
retiring; but the king of heaven will supply them.” He then walked boldly to
the waters, spread his cloak upon them, tied up one corner of it to a staff for
a sail, and having made the sign of the cross, stepped upon it without fear,
whilst his timorous companion stood trembling and wondering on the shore. On
this new kind of vessel the saint was wafted with such rapidity, that in six
hours he reached the harbour of Barcelona, sixty leagues distant from Majorca.
Those who saw him arrive in this manner met him with acclamations. But he
gathering up his cloak dry, put it on, stole through the crowd, and entered his
monastery. A chapel and a tower, built on the place where he landed, have
transmitted the memory of this miracle to posterity. This relation is taken
from the bull of his canonization, and the earliest historians of his life. The
king became a sincere convert, and governed his conscience, and even his
kingdoms, by the advice of St. Raymund from that time till the death of the
saint. The holy man prepared himself for his passage to eternity, by employing
days and nights in penance and prayer. During his last illness, Alphonsus, king
of Castile, with his queen, sons, and brother; and James, king of Arragon, with
his court, visited him, and received his last benediction. He armed himself
with the last sacraments; and, in languishing sighs of divine love, gave up his
soul to God, on the 6th of January, in the year 1275, and the hundredth of his
age. The two kings, with all the princes and princesses of their royal
families, honoured his funeral with their presence: but his tomb was rendered
far more illustrious by miracles. Several are recorded in the bull of his
canonization, published by Clement VIII. in 1601. Bollandus has filled fifteen
pages in folio with an account of them. His office is fixed by Clement X. the 23rd
of January.
The saints first learned
in solitude to die to the world and themselves, to put on the spirit of Christ,
and ground themselves in a habit of recollection and a relish only for heavenly
things, before they entered upon the exterior functions even of a spiritual
ministry. Amidst these weighty employments, not content with reserving always
the time and means of frequent retirement for conversing with God and
themselves, in their exterior functions by raising their minds to heaven with
holy sighs and desires, they made all their actions in some measure an
uninterrupted prayer and exercise of divine love and praise. St. Bonaventure
reckons it among the general exercises of every religious or spiritual man, 1 “That
he keep his mind always raised, at least virtually, to God: hence, whensoever a
servant of God has been distracted from attending to him for ever so short a
space, he grieves and is afflicted, as if he was fallen into some misfortune,
by having been deprived of the presence of such a friend who never forgets us.
Seeing that our supreme felicity and glory consists in the eternal vision of
God, the constant remembrance of him is a kind of imitation of that happy
state: this is the reward, that the virtue which entitles
us to it. Till we are admitted to his presence, let us in our exile always bear
him in mind; every one will behold him in heaven with so much the greater joy,
and so much the more perfectly, as he shall more assiduously and more devoutly
have remembered him on earth. Nor is it only in our repose, but also in the
midst of our employments, that we ought to have him present to our minds, in
imitation of the holy angels, who, when they are sent to attend on us, so
acquit themselves of the functions of this exterior ministry as never to be
drawn from their interior attention to God. As much as the heavens exceed the
earth, so much larger is the field of spiritual meditation than that of all
terrestrial concerns.”
Note 1. S. Bonav. de
Profectu Religios. l. 2. c. 20. p. 604. [back]
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume I: January. The Lives of the
Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/1/231.html
Standbeeld
van Raymundus van Peñafort aan de Katholische Hofkirche (sinds 1980
Kathedrale Sankt Trinitatis) in Dresden.
Statue
of Raymond of Penyafort on Dresden Cathedral ( Katholische
Hofkirche, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity), Dresden.
Saint Raymund of
Pennafort
Feast day: January 23rd
Profile
From the bull of his
canonization, by Clement VIII in 1601, and his life, written by several
Spanish, Italian and French authors. See Fleury, b. 78, n. 55, 64, and
chiefly Touron Hommes Illustres de l'Ordre de S. Domin. t. 1, p. I
The house of Pegnafort,
or, as it is pronounced, Pennafort, was descended from the counts of Barcelona,
and nearly allied to the kings of Aragon. Raymund was born in 1175, at
Pennafort, a castle in Catalonia, which in the fifteenth century was changed
into a convent of the order of St. Dominick. Such was his rapid progress in his
studies, that at the age of twenty he taught philosophy at Barcelona, which he
did gratis, and with so great reputation, that he began then to be consulted by
the ablest masters. His principal care was to instil into his scholars the most
perfect maxims of a solid piety and devotion, to compose all differences among
the citizens, and to relieve the distressed. He was about thirty years of age
when he went to Bologna, in Italy, to perfect himself in the study of the canon
and civil law, commenced Doctor in that faculty, and taught with the same
disinterestedness and charity as he had done in his own country. In 1219
Berengarius, bishop of Barcelona, who had been at Rome, took Raymund home with
him, to the great regret of the university and senate of Bologna; and, not
content with giving him a canonry in his church, made him his archdeacon, grand
vicar, and official. He was a perfect model to the clergy, by his innocence,
zeal, devotion, and boundless liberalities to the poor, whom he called his
creditors. In 1222 he took the religious habit of St. Dominick at Barcelona,
eight months after the death of the holy founder, and in the forty-seventh year
of his age. No person was ever seen among the young novices more humble, more
obedient, or more fervent. To imitate the obedience of a Man-God, who reduced
himself to a state of subjection to his own creatures, to teach us the dangers
and deep wound of self-will, and to point out to us the remedy, the saint would
depend absolutely on the lights of his director in all things. And it was upon
the most perfect self-denial that he laid the foundation of that high sanctity
which he made the object of his most earnest desires. The grace of prayer
perfected the work which mortification had begun. In a spirit of compunction he
begged of his superiors that they would enjoin him some severe penance, to
expiate the vain satisfaction and complacency which he said he had sometimes
taken in teaching. They indeed imposed on him a penance, but not such a one as
he expected. It was to write a collection of cases of conscience for the
instruction and conveniency of confessors and moralists. This produced his Sum
the first work of that kind. Had his method and decisions been better followed
by some later authors of the like works, the holy maxims of Christian morality
had been treated with more respect by some moderns than they have been, to our
grief and confusion.
Raymund joined to the
exercises of his solitude the functions of an apostolical life, by laboring
without intermission in preaching, instructing, hearing confessions with
wonderful fruit, and converting heretics, Jews, and Moors Among his penitents
were James, king of Aragon, and St. Peter Nolasco, with whom he concerted the
foundation of the Order of the B. Virgin of mercy for the redemption of
captives. James, the young king of Aragon had married Eleonora of Castile
within the prohibited degrees, without a dispensation. A legate was sent by
pope Gregory IX. to examine and judge the case. In a council of bishops of the
two kingdoms, held at Tar rayon, he declared the marriage null, but that their
son Don Alphonso should be reputed lawfully born, and heir to his father's
crown. The king had taken his confessor with him to the council, and the
cardinal legate was so charmed with his talents and virtue, that he associated
him in his legation and gave him a commission to preach the holy war against
the Moors. The servant of God acquitted himself of that function with so much
prudence, zeal, and charity, that he sowed the seeds of the total overthrow of
those infidels in Spain. His labors were no less successful in the reformation
of the manners of the Christians detained in servitude under the Moors which
were extremely corrupted by their long slavery or commerce with these infidels.
Raymund showed them, by words full of heavenly unction and fire, that, to
triumph over their bodily, they must first conquer their spiritual enemies, and
subdue sin in themselves, which made God their enemy. Inculcating these and the
like spiritual lessons, he ran over Catalonia, Aragon, Castile, and other
countries. So general a change was wrought hereby in the manners of the people,
as seemed incredible to all but those who were witnesses of it. By their
conversion the anger of God was appeased, and the arms of the faithful became
terrible to their enemies. The kings of Castile and Leon freed many places from
the Moorish yoke. Don James, king of Aragon, drove them out of the islands of
Majorca and Minorca, and soon after, in 1237, out of the whole kingdom of
Valentia. Pope Gregory IX. having called St. Raymund to Rome in 1230, nominated
him his chaplain, (which was the title of the Auditor of the causes of the
apostolic palace,) as also grand penitentiary. He made him likewise his own
confessarius, and in difficult affairs came to no decision but by his advice.
The saint still reserved himself for the poor, and was so solicitous for them
that his Holiness called him their father. He enjoined the pope, for a penance,
to receive, hear, and expedite immediately all petitions presented by them. The
pope, who was well versed in the canon law, ordered the saint to gather into
one body all the scattered decree of popes and councils, since the collection made
by Gratian in 1150. Raymund compiled this work in three years, in five books,
commonly called the Decretals, which the same pope Gregory confirmed in 1234.
It is looked upon as the best finished part of the body of the canon law; on
which account the canonists have usually chosen it for the texts of their
comments. In 1235, the pope named St. Raymund to the archbishopric of Tarragon,
the capital of Aragon: the humble religious man was not able to avert the
storm, as he called it, by tears and entreaties; but at length fell sick
through anxiety and fear. To restore him to his health, his Holiness was
obliged to consent to excuse him, but required that he should recommend a
proper person. The saint named a pious and learned canon of Gironne. He refused
other dignities with the like constancy.
For the recovery of his
health he returned to his native country, and was received with as much joy as
if the safety of the whole kingdom. and of every particular person, had
depended on his presence. Being restored again to his dear solitude at
Barcelona, he continued his former exercises of contemplation, preaching, and
administering the sacrament of penance. Except on Sundays, he never took more
than one very small refection in the day. Amidst honors and applause he was
ever little in his own eyes: he appeared in the schools like a scholar, and in
his convent begged the superior to instruct him in the rules of religious
perfection, with the humility and docility of a novice. Whether he sung the
divine praises with his brethren, or prayed alone in his cell, or some corner
of the church, ho poured forth an abundance of tears; and often was not able to
contain within himself the ardor of his soul. His mildness and sweetness were
unalterable. The incredible number of conversions of which he was the
instrument, is known only to Him who, by his grace, was the author of them. He
was employed frequently in most important commissions, both by the holy see and
by the king. But he was thunderstruck by the arrival of four deputies from the
general chapter of his order at Bologna, in 1238, with the news that he was
chosen third general, Jordan of Saxony being lately dead. He wept and
entreated, but at length acquiesced in obedience. He made the visitation of his
order on foot, without discontinuing any of his penitential austerities, or
rather exercises. He instilled into his spiritual children a love of
regularity, solitude, mortification, prayer, sacred studies, and the
apostolical functions, especially preaching. He reduced the constitutions of
his order into a clearer method, with notes on the doubtful passages. This his
code of rules was approved in three general chapters. In one held at Paris in
1239, he procured the establishment of this regulation, that a voluntary demission
of a superior, founded upon just reasons, should be accepted. This he contrived
in his own favor; for, to the extreme regret of the order, he in the year
following resigned the generalship, which he had held only two years. He
alleged for his reason his age of sixty-five years. Rejoicing to see himself
again a private religious man, he applied himself with fresh vigor to the
exercises and functions of an apostolical life, especially the conversion of
the Saracens. Having this end in view he engaged St. Thomas to write his work
'Against the Gentiles;' procured the Arabic and Hebrew tongues to be taught in
several convents of his order; and erected convents, one at Tunis, and another
at Murcia, among the Moors. In 1256, he wrote to his general that ten thousand
Saracens had received baptism. King James took him into the island of Majorca.
The saint embraced that opportunity of cultivating that infant church. This
prince was an accomplished soldier and statesman, and a sincere lover of
religion, but his great qualities were sullied by a base passion for women. He
received the admonitions of the saint with respect, and promised amendment of
life, and a faithful compliance with the saint's injunctions in every
particular; but without effect. St. Raymund, upon discovering that he
entertained a lady at his court with whom he was suspected to have criminal
conversation, made the strongest instances to have her dismissed, which the
king promised should be done, but postponed the execution. The saint,
dissatisfied with the delay, begged leave to retire to his convent at
Barcelona. The king not only refused him leave, but threatened to punish with
death any person that should undertake to convey him out of the island. The
saint, full of confidence in God, said to his companion, "A king of the
earth endeavors to deprive us of the means of retiring; but the King of heaven
will supply them." He then walked boldly to the waters, spread his cloak
upon them, tied up one corner of it to a staff for a sail, and having made the
sign of the cross, stepped upon it without fear, while his timorous companion
stood trembling and wondering on the shore. On this new kind of vessel the
saint was wafted with such rapidity, that in six hours he reached the harbor of
Barcelona, sixty leagues distant from Majorca. Those who saw him arrive in this
manner met him with acclamations. But he, gathering up his cloak dry, put it
on, stole through the crowd, and entered his monastery. A chapel and a tower,
built on the place where he landed, have transmitted the memory of this miracle
to posterity. This relation is taken from the bull of his canonization, and the
earliest historians of his life. The king became a sincere convert, and
governed his conscience, and even his kingdoms, by the advice of St. Raymund
from that time till the death of the saint. The holy man prepared himself for
his passage to eternity, by employing days and nights in penance and prayer.
During his last illness, Alphonsus, king of Castile, with his queen, sons, and
brother; and James, king of Aragon, with his court, visited him, and received
his last benediction. He armed himself with the last sacraments; and, in
languishing sighs of divine love, gave up his soul to God, on the 6th of
January, in the year 1275, and the hundredth of his age. The two kings, with
all the princes and princesses of their royal families, honored his funeral
with their presence: but his tomb was rendered far more illustrious by
miracles. Several are recorded in the bull of his canonization, published by Clement
VIII. in 1601. Bollandus has filled fifteen pages in folio with an account of
them. His office is fixed by Clement X. to the 23d of January.
The saints first learned
in solitude to die to the world and themselves, to put on the spirit of Christ,
and ground themselves in a habit of recollection and a relish only for heavenly
things, before they entered upon the exterior functions even of a spiritual
ministry. Amidst these weighty employments, not content with reserving always
the time and means of frequent retirement for conversing with God and
themselves, in their exterior functions by raising their minds to heaven with
holy sighs and desires, they made all their actions in some measure an
uninterrupted prayer and exercise of divine love and praise. St. Bonaventure
reckons it among the general exercises of every religious or spiritual men,
"that he keep his mind always raised, at least virtually, to God: hence,
whensoever a servant of God has been distracted from attending to him for ever so
short a space, he grieves and is afflicted, as if he was fallen into some
misfortune, by having been deprived of the presence of such a friend who never
forgets us. Seeing that our supreme felicity and glory consists in the eternal
vision of God, the constant remembrance of him is a kind of imitation of that
happy state: this the reward, that the virtue which entitles us to it. Till we
are admitted to his presence, let us in our exile always bear him in mind:
every one will behold him in heaven with so much the greater joy, and so much
the more perfectly, as he shall more assiduously and more devoutly have
remembered him on earth. Nor is it only in our repose, but also in the midst of
our employments, that we ought to have him present to our minds, in imitation of
the holy angels, who, when they are sent to attend on us, so acquit themselves
of the functions of this exterior ministry as never to be drawn from their
interior attention to God. As much as the heavens exceed the earth, so much
larger is the field of spiritual meditation than that of all terrestrial
concerns."
(Taken from Vol. I of
"The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the
Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 edition published by D. & J. Sadlier, &
Company)
Born: 1175 at Penafort,
Catalonia, Spain
Died: January 6,
1275 at Barcelona, Spain
Canonized: April 29,
1601 by Pope Clement VIII
Representation: Cloak
Patronage: barristers;
canonists; lawyers; medical record librarians
Writings: Summa
Cassuam
First Vespers:
Ant. By the rays of his
doctrine he enlightened those who were sitting in darkness of error, and by
ardor of his charity he became a redeemer of the poor and the captive.
V. Pray for us, Blessed
Raymund.
R. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ
Lauds:
Ant. He liberated those
in chains from the hand of the enemy, and brought back the wayward from the
path of iniquity, that their steps might be directed in the way of peace.
V. The just man shall
blossom like the lily.
R. And shall flourish
forever before the Lord.
Second Vespers:
Ant. O Blessed Raymund,
who art commended by truth of doctrine and adorned with virginal chastity,
teach us the way of salvation, and obtain for us purity of heart that by thy
prayers we may obtain eternal joys.
V. Pray for us, Blessed
Raymund.
R. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ.
Prayers:
Let us Pray: O God,
who didst chose Blessed Raymund for a glorious minister of the Sacrament of
Penance, and didst guide him wonderfully across the waves of the sea, grant
that we, through his intercession may bring forth fruits worthy of penance, and
at length reach the haven of salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Readings
"Look then on Jesus,
the author and preserver of faith: in complete sinlessness he suffered, and at
the hands of those who were his own, and was numbered among the wicked. As you
drink the cup of the Lord Jesus (how glorious it is!), give thanks to the Lord,
the giver of all blessings.
May the God of love and
peace set your hearts at rest and speed you on your journey; may he meanwhile
shelter you from disturbance by others in the hidden recesses of his love,
until he brings you at last into that place of complete plenitude where you
will repose for ever in the vision of peace, in the security of trust, and in
the restful enjoyment of his riches."
--from a letter by Saint
Raymond
Francesco Rustici (1592–1626). Saint
Raymond of Penyafort resuscitating a girl, 1616,
Short
Lives of the Dominican Saints – Saint Raymund of Pennafort, Confessor
Article
(A.D. 1175-1275)
This great Saint was born
in Spain, at the castle of Pennafort, six leagues distant from Barcelona, A.D.
1175. He belonged to a noble family, allied to the former Counts of Barcelona
and to the kings of Aragon. Entering the ecclesiastical state, he left his
native land to go and study at the celebrated University of Bologna. Having
taken his doctor’s degree in civil and canon law, he began to teach with great
applause in that city. After some time, the Bishop of Barcelona persuaded him
to return to Spain, and made him one of the canons of his cathedral. But
Raymund thirsted after a closer union with God, and on Good Friday, A.D. 1222,
at the age of forty-seven, he begged to be admitted into the Order of Saint
Dominic. It is said that he was moved to take this step partly by remorse for
having once dissuaded a young man, who consulted him, from joining a religious
Order.
From this time he
increased in holiness of life, and was the means of leading very many to leave
the world and take the Dominican habit. He became Confessor to King James of
Aragon, and was greatly distinguished for his skill in settling cases of
conscience. At the command of his superiors, he drew up a book on this subject,
which was the first ever written of the kind. It bears his name, “Raimundina.”
The Moors were at this
time exercising great cruelties upon their Christian captives in Spain. On the
night of the 1st of August, A.D. 1223, as Raymund was praying for these unhappy
prisoners, our Lady appeared to him and told him that it was her will that a
religious Order should be founded for their relief. On the same night, the
Queen of Heaven made a similar revelation to King James of Aragon and to Saint
Peter Nolasco, a penitent of Saint Raymund’s, who for some years had devoted
himself to this work of charity, and who was destined to be the founder of the
new Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the redemption of captives. Its statutes
were drawn up by Saint Raymund, who with his own hands gave the habit to Saint
Peter Nolasco. It resembled exactly that of the Order to which he himself
belonged, save that the mantle was white and the scapular emblazoned with the
royal arms of Aragon.
Saint Raymund was now
summoned to Rome by Gregory IX, where he became Confessor to the Holy Father
and Grand Penitentiary. In obedience to the Pope’s command, he collected all
the Decretals, i.e., the decrees and replies of the Sovereign Pontiffs to
questions which had been submitted to the Holy See, and he added explanations
to those the meaning of which seemed obscure. He accomplished this gigantic
task in the short space of three years. The Pope twice named him to an
Archbishopric, but the Saint each time succeeded in obtaining his release from
an honour which would have been painful to his humility.
After the lamented death
of Blessed Jordan, the first successor of Saint Dominic, Saint Raymund was
elected Master-General of the Order by the Chapter of Bologna, A.D. 1238.
During the two years of his government, the Saint made some admirable
regulations, and divided the Constitutions into two parts, the first relating
to the religious life of the Brethren and the second to their external life,
their duties, and offices. At the General Chapter of A.D, 1240, he prevailed on
the electors to accept his resignation on the plea of ill-health and infirmity;
but so great was the grief of the entire Order at losing their saintly
superior, that a subsequent General Chapter inflicted severe penances and
absolution from office on all those who had accepted this resignation.
The Saint lived
thirty-five years after he had given up office, leading a most saintly
existence in his convent at Barcelona. Almost every night his guardian angel
awoke him before Matins and summoned him to prayer. He laboured incessantly to
procure the conversion of the Moors and heretics, and it was at his request
that Saint Thomas Aquinas composed his Summa contra Gentiles. He
accompanied King James of Aragon in his expedition to the island of Majorca and
boldly rebuked him for giving public scandal. Finding his remonstrances of no
effect, the Saint prepared to return to his Convent at Barcelona. The King
endeavoured to retain him on the island by force; but Saint Raymund, in
presence of a multitude of spectators threw his mantle on the sea, fastened the
end of it to his staff, which served as a mast, and kneeling upon it, as if in
a boat, he crossed in this way to the mainland, accomplishing the passage, a
distance of about a hundred miles, in six hours. On reaching Barcelona, he
quietly took up his mantle, which was perfectly dry, and returned to his
Convent. The doors were closed, as it was the hour of the mid-day siesta, but
the Saint found himself miraculously transported within the walls and thus
escaped from the acclamations of the admiring crowd who had witnessed his
landing. The King was so touched by the miracle that he renounced his evil
courses and thenceforth led a good life.
Saint Raymund was
universally regarded as the greatest ecclesiastic of his time. At length, worn
out by age, infirmities, and penances, he happily departed to our Lord on the
Feast of the Epiphany, A.D. 1275, being in his hundredth year. Numerous
prodigies were worked at his tomb, whence issued a miraculous dust which
restored health to many persons. He was beatified by Pope Paul V, and canonized
by Pope Clement VIII, A.D. 1601.
Prayer
O God, who didst choose
Blessed Raymund to be a glorious minister of the Sacrament of Penance and didst
lead him in a wonderful manner across the waves of the sea, grant that, by his
intercession, we may bring forth worthy fruits of penance, and may succeed in
reaching the haven of eternal salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
MLA
Citation
“Saint Raymund of
Pennafort, Confessor”. Short Lives of the
Dominican Saints, 1900. CatholicSaints.Info.
23 April 2020. Web. 6 January 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/short-lives-of-the-dominican-saints-saint-raymund-of-pennafort-confessor/>
Pfarrkirche
hl. Laurentius, Münzbach, Oberösterreich - Gemälde hl. Raimund von Penyafort
Like many of the
Dominican saints Saint Raymund is as widely known for his learning as for his
sanctity. The four characteristic marks of the true Dominican; devotion to the
Blessed Virgin, consummate holiness, elevated learning, and burning zeal for
the salvation of souls are to be found in him in perfection.
He was born, 1175, in his
father’s castle of Pennaforte, a few miles from Barcelona, a city of Catalonia,
in Spain. The castle was built on rocks which rise from the waters of the river
Monjos. A Dominican monastery, built in 1601, on the site of the castle, still
remains, but with the exception of one tower the castle has gone forever. Saint
Raymund’s family was noble, even royal, being allied to the race of the kings
of Aragon. From his infancy he was blessed by God. “Although in years a child
his heart was that of an old man,” says one ancient author. It was a pious
custom in those days for Catholic parents to dedicate one or more of their
children to God’s service in some monastery or cathedral, leaving them full
liberty to choose, when old enough to do so, either the ecclesiastical state or
to return to the world. Thus a double advantage was gained. The church obtained
ministers, formed from youth in the ecclesiastical spirit and well grounded in
Christian virtues, and in many cases received the wealth which would have been
their fortune in life. Acting in the spirit of faith Saint Raymund’s parents
dedicated him to God in his earliest years, and sent him to Barcelona to be
placed among the youths in the cathedral school.
In the deserted monastery
of Saint Dominic at Pennaforte may yet be seen two paintings. In one Saint
Raymund is represented as a boy of six or seven years, listening to his father.
His mother stands behind him and seems to be uniting her exhortations to those
of her husband. The other picture represents him at twelve or thirteen years of
age, clothed in clerical dress. His father tenderly blesses him, as he bends
down and kisses his hand; while his mother stands aside, weeping silent tears
of joy. An angel, in the costume of a traveller, touches the young cleric on
his shoulder, and appears to be urging his departure. In the background is a
Moorish servant, holding a beautiful horse by the bridle, ready for the
journey. This picture evidently represents young Raymund’s departure from the
home of his ancestors for the studious cloisters of the cathedral of Barcelona.
In that home of piety and
knowledge the youth learnt to despise the vain and hollow pleasures of this
world, and to value that heavenly wisdom which is alone learned at the foot of
the cross. He received the seed of sound Catholic doctrine in good and fertile
soil. His progress in learning was so great that when only twenty years old he
began to teach the liberal arts. (1196) His disinterestedness was such that his
lectures were free of charge. His holy life edified all who were so happy as to
know him, and his pious example was as eloquent as his teaching. Eight years
were passed in this way. We find Raymund in 1204 arbitrating in a case
submitted to the decision of the Bishop of Barcelona. Herein was found the
first indication of his aptitude for Canon Law, or law of the church, in those
days almost as universal as civil law; men of the highest talent and reputation
glorying in possessing a knowledge of ecclesiastical as well as civil
jurisprudence.
The universities of Paris
and Bologna were attracting students from all parts of the Christian world at
that time. Yielding to the common impulse Raymund gave up his classes, and
leaving his native land for the love of knowledge set out for Bologna. He was
not alone on his journey. A cleric, Peter Ruber, who afterwards entered the
Dominican order, accompanied him. The two travellers following the ancient
Roman road from Spain to Italy, which passed through Arles and Turin, arrived
one day at Briangon, at the foot of Mount Genevre. There they heard of a great
miracle which had just taken place in a village called Saint Mary of Elbeza, a
little distance from the road. Shortly before their arrival a young man on a
pious pilgrimage to the shrine of the Blessed Virgin in Albeza, was attacked by
his deadly enemies. They cut off his hands, and in their ferocious hate gouged
out his eyes. He continued on his pilgrimage, having an additional motive to
lead him as a suppliant to Mary’s feet. The young man’s mother hurried to the
shrine, to join her prayers to his for a complete cure. She passed the whole
night in prayer at the feet of the Mother of God. The “comforter of the
afflicted,” who was never known to turn a deaf ear to a sincere prayer, granted
what she asked. The bloody sockets were suddenly filled anew with eyes, and
hands began to form themselves in place of those so barbarously cut off. Saint
Raymund saw these eyes and the hands which were not yet completely formed. Many
years later he wrote an account of what he saw, in a letter, addressed to John
of Vercelli, Master-General of the Dominican order, beginning thus: “I, Brother
Raymund of Pennaforte, the least of the order of Preachers, in the present
year, 1271, and the 18th of August, have written the present account at the
wish of my brothers, and for the honor of the most holy Virgin Mary, Mother of
our Lord, Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ.” It happened, he says, sixty years
before, which would make the date of their journey 1210. This letter is to be
found in the edition of the “Summa” of Saint Raymund, printed at Verona.
With his heart full of
love for Mary, Saint Raymund continued his journey and in due time arrived in
Bologna. He was now thirty-five years old. He concealed his talents and fame,
and set himself to acquire a full knowledge of those branches of science of
which he was as yet destitute. It was by no means unusual in those times for
men of his age and reputation to become pupils at the great European
universities. Thus we are told that when later on he began to teach in Bologna
“the principal nobles and literati went in crowds to his lectures.” Bologna was
then at the height of its glory, and had as many as ten thousand students.
Saint Raymund paid
special attention to the study of law, civil and ecclesiastical, excelling in
both, and after six years spent in perfecting himself, and having taken the
degree of Doctor of those sciences he began a second time to lecture, and again
with great success. In Bologna, as in Barcelona, his lectures were free to all.
The senate of Bologna, having been told of his disinterested conduct donated a
large sum to him every year, wishing to keep him in the city. Saint Raymund
accepted the money but only that he might increase the abundant alms he
distributed. When he had been teaching three years, Beranger de Palon, Bishop
of Barcelona, returning from Rome to his diocese, passed through Bologna. He
heard nothing spoken of but the new order of Preachers, which Dominic Guzman, a
noble Spaniard, had founded, and the extraordinary fame of Raymund, a professor
from his own diocese. Charmed with the holy lives of the Dominican Fathers, and
thinking of the needs of his flock, the Bishop obtained some of them to found a
monastery in Barcelona, and at the same time persuaded Raymund to return with
him.
To establish the
Dominicans, the Bishop, on his return to Barcelona, gave the ground on which
the famous monastery of Saint Catherine the Martyr was built, provided a supply
of wine, and made a present of a Bible with marginal notes; the latter a
princely gift in those days. Authentic documents which are still extant, give
us the history of the foundation of this monastery; when the church was
commenced and finished, when the various chapels were erected, the dormitory,
chapter room, hospice or infirmary, and all the various parts of a house of
regular observance. Alas! nothing now remains but the memory of this beautiful
monastery and church, which despite their architectural beauty could find no
favor in the eyes of the revolutionists of 1835, who utterly destroyed them.
On his arrival in Barcelona
in 1219, Raymund met with universal respect and admiration. The cathedral
canons consented to the bishop’s wish that he should become one of their
number. But all the honors so freely bestowed upon him only made him more
humble, and caused him to lead a more retired life. His fervent devotion to the
Blessed Mother of God inspired him to institute a more solemn celebration of
the feast of the Annunciation, for which he always paid the expenses. But if he
allowed his devotion to Mary to become known by this act of piety, he strove to
hide his virtues from the knowledge of the busy world. Yet all in vain. None
who knew him could fail to admire his modesty, his charity, mortification,
fervor and regularity in attendance at the divine office in the cathedral
choir. He inspired such confidence in his impartiality and justice that many
asked him to act as arbitrator in difficult disputes; and the archives of the
cathedral of Barcelona still preserve an agreement made by his advice between
two canons of the cathedral who referred a dispute which had arisen to his
decision.
Not content, however,
with the means of sanctification the state of a secular priest afforded him,
Raymund now began to long for a more perfect life. The holy and apostolic life
of the sons of Saint Dominic in Bologna and Barcelona, no doubt had greatly
impressed him, and caused him to wish to join them. We remember that while
Saint Raymund was teaching in Bologna the disciples of Saint Dominic were
preaching there, and that by the sweet charm of their holy lives no less than
by their eloquence, they had stirred up the whole city. The new order founded
by Saint Dominic, confirmed in 1215 by Pope Innocent III, had already obtained
a solid foundation, and made rapid progress. In 1218 Saint Dominic sent John of
Navarre, one of his first sixteen disciples, Brother Bertrand, and Brother
Richard to Bologna, and after a little time Michael de Uzero and Dominic of
Segovia, and lastly the famous Blessed Reginald of Orleans, who soon captured
the city by his fervid eloquence. Day after day he gained new disciples;
Brother Clair, Roland of Cremona, Brother Moneta, numbers of jurists and
philosophers gave, way before the force of his eloquence. Then came the holy
patriarch Dominic. He arrived in Bologna in August of 1219. Bologna was to
become the centre of his apostolic work, the favorite city of his heart, the
place of his death, and the custodian of his relics. Vocations followed in
rapid succession; John the Teuton, Blessed Sadoc, Saint Peter Martyr of Verona,
and many others entered the order there. Among the professors who became
Dominicans in Bologna were Paul of Hungary, the first Dominican Provincial of
that country, also Martin Fano, who born in a palace, gave up his high rank to
devote himself to teaching, and after he had entered the order refused a
Bishopric, and died in the reputation of sanctity, and John of Vincenza, a
famous preacher of the order, who finding the churches too small for his
immense audiences preached in the open air.
Although we find no
mention of any meeting between Saint Raymund and Saint Dominic in Bologna, yet
as we know that Bishop Palon persuaded Saint Raymund to return to Barcelona at
the same time that he obtained from Saint Dominic some of his disciples to
found a monastery in Barcelona, we may feel sure that these two saints must
have met at that time.
“The Brothers having been
established a short time,” says an ancient author, “Raymund considered their
holy life and the fruits of a ministry which the Lord had made fertile. He,
likewise, desired to walk in the footsteps of Him, Who, being rich, embraced
poverty for our sake, and Who gave Himself for the salvation of souls. Wisely
laughing at the world’s seductions, he turned a cold shoulder on unstable
advantages, and on Good Friday entered among the Friar Preachers.” This was in
1222, a few months after the death of Saint Dominic. He was forty-seven years
of age.
An interesting relic of
Saint Raymund remained in Barcelona at the beginning or this century. On the
road leading to the house of the Gruny family, who were always benefactors to
the Dominicans in Barcelona, was a large stone on which it is said Saint Raymund
rested when on his way to the Dominican Monastery; doubtless to calm himself
and to brace himself up for the sacrifice he was about to make.
His example induced many
learned clerics and nobles to receive the Dominican habit. His advanced age and
noble birth seemed to be an impediment to his carrying out the rule of an order
which obliged its members to silence, severe penance, and rigid self-denial.
The great doctor of canon law, for whose presence two cities had contended, the
arbitrator of difficult disputes, the pride of the learned chapter of the
cathedral, appeared all at once in the humble habit of a Friar Preacher, a
novice learning in true humility the way of the spiritual life with the
docility of a little child.
O how beautiful is the
life of a Dominican religious who is filled with the spirit of his order! From
morning till evening it is a series of holy acts; small perhaps in themselves,
but great in virtue of their dedication to the service of God. In his little
cell, so still and calm, even though it be in the heart of a great city, all
his thoughts are turned to God, and directed towards the salvation of souls.
His nights are spent in prayer, and his days passed in study and apostolic
labor.
Let us endeavor to learn
how Saint Raymund spent his time at Saint Catharine’s Monastery in Barcelona.
It is the recreation
after the evening meal. Night draws near. The sound of the church bell rings
through the air to call the community to Complin; that of all parts of the
daily office the most beautiful. The Fathers rise and go through the cloisters
in silence to the choir. Complin having been recited the “Salve Regina” is sung
in solemn procession, after which all retire to rest. In the middle of the
night the bell again calls the community to prayer. All arise, pass through the
dark and silent cloisters to the choir where they chant the office, and again
retire to rest. Only a short sleep is allowed them, for early in the morning
they are all in the choir for meditation, the community Mass, and another part
of the Divine office. The morning is spent in labors of various kinds. The
Fathers study the Holy Scriptures and prepare their sermons, or each one
attends to the duties of his office; the novices study, or attend lectures on
Holy Scriptures, Philosophy, and Theology, while the Lay Brothers labor in
different parts of the monastery, cooking, washing, gardening and the like.
Dinner of fish and
vegetables is served in the refectory at noon. All are seated, hooded and
silent, in a row at each side of the apartment, while one novice slowly and
distinctly reads from some pious book at a lectern; so that while the body and
its forces are strengthened with needful food, the soul may be refreshed with
sound doctrine and maxims of Catholic piety. The afternoon is spent in much the
same way as the morning; and Complin coming round again completes the happy
day.
This was the life, pious,
calm, and peaceable which Saint Raymund embraced when he entered the Dominican
order. But his biographers have left us some charming details of his personal
life. They tell us that ‘tie was often awakened from sleep by an angel At time
for Matins, that he said the Divine office, one of the chief duties of a
religious of the ancient monastic orders, very devoutly, and whether he said it
in choir or elsewhere always said it with the same devotion, the same pauses,
and bodily inclinations. They tell us he was very careful also to avoid
interruptions, and everything in the way of distraction. We learn from them
that he spent much time in prayer after Complin and again after Matins. Many of
the Fathers were accustomed to go into the church or cloisters at those times
to take the discipline, or to pray in silence and recollection. Saint Raymund
always made a visit to every altar in the church, prostrating himself before
each, and frequently chastising his body with disciplines. Sometimes his sorrow
for his sins was so great that his groaning could be heard by the whole
community. His biographers tell us that his abstemiousness in eating and
drinking was very remarkable, even in a monastery of strict observance. Except
on Sundays he took but one meal a day. In recreation time his conversation was
pious and edifying. Never would he allow the absent to be criticised or
unfavorably mentioned in his hearing, and he took great pains to defend any one
whose conduct was attacked. He confessed his sins every morning before saying
Mass. He once said that if anything took place to hinder his saying Mass he
felt unhappy the whole day. A column of fire descended from heaven one day
when, he said Mass. It enveloped his head and shoulders and lasted from the
consecration until he had consumed the host.
He did not hide his
talents in the cloister. He studied assiduously, and gave all his free time to
the careful study of Holy Scripture; and he, the eminent canonist of European
reputation, did not disdain to attend the courses of lectures given in the
monastery by professors of less renown than himself. When any one consulted him
on obscure points of canon law, or on any case of conscience, instead of
trusting to his own opinions he searched the works of authors of weight to find
if his private opinion was warranted by authority. But when he had come to a
decision, founded on sound reasons and supported by standard authors, he gave
his opinion with such firmness and confidence that they who had consulted him
felt safe in following his advice.
On entering the order his
first care had been to beg his superiors to impose a severe penance on him that
he might make some satisfaction to God for the sins of his youth. In answer to
this request the Provincial of Spain, Father Suero Gomez, commanded him to make
a collection of cases of conscience, for the guidance of confessors. The work
he wrote in obedience to this command is called the “Summa of Saint Raymund,”
and is believed to have been the first of its kind.
Instead of finding
obscurity in the cloister, as he wished, his fame increased every day; and
among those who learnt to value his advice and direction was James I, King of
Aragon, who chose him for his confessor, and profited by his wisdom in carrying
out a glorious design inspired by God. It was the institution of the Order for
the Redemption of Captives. For many years the Moors, all zealous Mahometans,
and fierce enemies of the Christian religion, had held possession of many
Spanish provinces. Much of the coast line was under their baneful power, and
woe to the Christian who fell into their hands. No cruelty was spared to force
him to deny his religion, and every inducement held out to lead him to
apostatize. Every day news came to the Catholic cities of barbarous torments
the Christians had to suffer from the ferocious disciples of Mahomet.
On the night of the first
of August Saint Raymund was praying for those who had fallen into the hands of
the Turks, when the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and told him she desired
that a religious order should be founded devoted to the work of redeeming
Christian captives from the Moors. The Queen of Heaven appeared the same night
to King James for the same purpose, and also to a holy Frenchman, Saint Peter
Nolasco, who for several years had labored with great zeal and devotion in this
good work. Saint Peter Nolasco belonged to one of the first families of
Languedoc. He was born in the year 1189, in the village of
Mas-le-Saintes-Puelles, between Toulouse and Carcasonne, in the south of
France. Saddened by the sight of the ravages made by heresy he left his native
country for Spain, and served some time under the banner of Simon de Montfort;
and when Peter, King of Aragon, confided the care of his son, afterwards King
James the First, to Simon de Montfort, Simon appointed Peter Nolasco the young
Prince’s Governor. Peter taught him to love God with all his heart, to value
justice aright, in a word to be a truly Christian Prince. He himself lived a
very holy life at court. He spent four hours in prayer every day, and two every
night. He read the Holy Scriptures assiduously, and did much penance. But when
again and again, tidings came of the sufferings inflicted on the unhappy
Christians who fell into the power of the Moors, he resolved to devote his
whole fortune to their ransom. What was his delight then, as he was preparing
to carry out his pious resolution, to be favored with a vision of the Mother of
God, who told him that it was God’s holy will that he should establish a
religious order for this grand work. Fearing to be deceived he hastened to
consult his spiritual director, Saint Raymund, and told him of his vision. His
delight was increased when he learned that Saint Raymund had also received the
same command from the Blessed Virgin. Raymund proposed that they should go to
the king to ask his assistance for the great work. When admitted to the king’s
presence, to their great joy and surprise they learned that he likewise had
received the same command from the same heavenly lips, and none of them could
any longer doubt that the visions were from God.
About thirty years
previous several Catalonian gentlemen had formed themselves into a
confraternity for ransoming Christians from the Saracens, attending hospitals,
visiting prisoners, and guarding the sea-coast against infidel invaders. Nearly
all the members of this confraternity and the priests attached to it joined the
new order. The Order of the Redemption of Captives was solemnly instituted in
the cathedral of Barcelona, August 10, 1223. King James, his whole court, and
the city Magistrates were present. The Bishop of Barcelona officiated, and
Saint Raymund preached, and in his sermon narrated his vision. After preaching
he went to the altar, and taking a habit, which had been prepared, presented it
to King James and the bishop, who taking the front of the scapular, Saint
Raymund holding the other end, Saint Peter Nolasco was by them invested with
the habit of the new order of our Lady of Redemption. The habit consisted of a
white tunic, scapular, and mantle. On the scapular was the arms of the Kings of
Aragon. Saint Peter then gave the habit to thirteen members of the confraternity,
six priests and seven chevaliers. In addition to the three vows of poverty,
obedience, and chastity, a fourth was added, to devote themselves to the work
of the redemption of captives. The rule of the order was compiled by Saint
Raymund, and was based on the rule of Saint Augustine and the Dominican
Constitutions. The king gave Saint Peter Nolasco the hospital of Saint Eulalia
for the first monastery of the order, and several nobles assisted him with
donations to endow it. The order thus founded was formally approved by Gregory
IX. in 1235, under the name of “The Order of our Lady of Redemption.”
About this time Gregory
IX sent John Halgrin, called John of Abbeville, Benedictine Abbott of Besangon
and Cardinal of Santa Sabina, into Spain as legate, to obtain the observance of
some decrees of the Council of Lateran, to preach a crusade against the Moors,
and to investigate the validity of the marriage of King James of Aragon with
Eleanora of Castile, entered into when he was only thirteen years of age, when
although they were related in the degrees forbidden by the church no
dispensation had been obtained for the marriage. Arriving at Barcelona it was
not long before the legate heard of the learned Father Raymund, the Dominican
Friar. He at once consulted him on the object of his legation, and being so
pleased with him, ordered him to accompany him on his journey. Saint Raymund,
by the legate’s wish, assisted at the Council of Tarragona, in which the
king’s- marriage was declared to be null; and he afterwards accompanied him on
his mission to organize the crusade, when he fully justified his reputation for
holiness and wisdom. He strictly observed all the fasts and days of abstinence
of his order on his journeys, and as far as he could observed every monastic rule.
He went in advance of the legate, on foot, with a fellow religious given to him
as a companion, begging food and lodging as he went along. He prepared the
people to gain the indulgence of the crusade, and the Apostolic blessing of the
Pope’s envoy; and succeeded so well that the legate found nothing left for him
to do, and thus the end of the mission was obtained.
When the Cardinal was
about to return to Rome he was sincerely grieved to part with Raymund, so
charmed had he been with him, and desired to take him to Rome with him. But the
humble Friar Preacher excused himself, and the Cardinal feared to push his
request further. But he could not refrain from making known to the Pope the
great services rendered him by Saint Raymund. Gregory at once sent for him, and
soon found that his worth had not been exaggerated. He made him his own
confessor, and Grand Penitentiary of the Roman Church, an office which at the
present day is held by none but a Cardinal. In his office of confessor Raymund
gave the Pope for a penance an obedience to expedite all matters relating to
the poor; and when Gregory found that he could not discharge all those duties
in person he made Saint Raymund his agent in all such matters, appointing him,
as Blessed Humbert de Romanis tells us, “Expeditor of the causes of the Poor.”
He also commanded him to make a collection of all the decretals of his
predecessors in the chair of Saint Peter, and to write an explanation of the
most difficult. Three years were spent in this enormous work, and when
completed the Pope was so pleased with it that he ordered its exclusive use.
It was during his
residence in Rome that Saint Raymund from zeal for the preservation of the true
faith, procured the establishment of the Inquisition in the kingdom of Aragon.
For a long time the Albigensian heretics, flying from justice in Languedoc, had
taken refuge in Aragon and Catalonia, where they attempted to propagate their
pernicious errors.
Gregory the Ninth
nominated Saint Raymund to the Archbishopric of Tarragona, as a public
acknowledgment of his talents, and the services he had rendered the church; but
with tears in his eyes Raymund begged his release, recommending for that office
William de Mongrin, of Gerona, a virtuous ecclesiastic. At first the Pope was
inexorable in maintaining his nomination, but when the saint sickened from
grief he reluctantly revoked it. Raymund also refused the Archbishopric of
Braga in Portugal, and several other exalted dignities; saying always that it
was a sufficient dignity for him to be a good religious in the order he had
entered.
After five years in Rome
in the service of the church and in most responsible and fatiguing duties
without having diminished his penances and austerities, he felt that his
strength was failing, and his physician declared that he must return to his
native land. The Pope gave his consent, but on condition that he retained his
office of Grand Penitentiary.
After a pleasant voyage
Saint Raymund landed at Tossa, a small Spanish port about thirty-six miles from
Barcelona. He was accompanied by four Dominican Friars, who thus became
witnesses of a remarkable miracle. A peasant, called Barcolo, working in the
harvest field, was suddenly struck by apoplexy, deprived of the use of speech,
and became quite insensible. At the sight of the unfortunate man Saint Raymund
thought of his soul and began to pray, begging all around to join him in his
prayers that he might recover sufficiently to make his confession before he
died. After several moments the saint arose, and approached the man. “Barcolo,”
he said to him, “do you desire to confess?” The dying man opened his eyes, and
distinctly answered, “Yes, I do, and have much desired it.” Saint Raymund heard
his confession, but hardly had he absolved him than he lost his voice again.
The other Fathers approached and saw him die quietly and calmly, amid universal
gratitude to God for the grace He had granted this poor man in answer to Saint
Raymund’s prayers.
In the Bull of his
canonization we find the following account of a miraculous grace granted to his
merits, evidently about this time. A lay brother, before his entrance into the
order had led a very licentious life. The remembrance of the sins of his youth
frequently raised most annoying images of unlawful pleasures in his mind. One
day as he was assisting at Saint Raymund’s mass he sent up a fervent prayer to
God to deliver him from these temptations. At the consecration he saw in the
host a beautiful child, enveloped in light, and at the same moment all the evil
desires vanished never again to return, and he felt a delicious calm penetrate
his senses. Another lay brother, called Martin, had suffered continual headache
for more than two years, and could not bear the least noise. He went one day to
Saint Raymund and entreated him to lay his hands on his head and cure him.
Saint Raymund did so; the headaches ceased at once and forever. A lady, of the
name of Elisende Eymerich, had for a long time been afflicted with a quartan
fever. Saint Raymund, accompanied by Brother William Pons, paid her a visit.
The sick woman had great confidence in Saint Raymund, and asked him to restore
her to health. He pretended not to understand her, too humble to allow any one
to think him a saint. But she persisted until he gave way and cured her.
At home once more in his
beloved monastery at Barcelona he soon recovered his health. He kept the rule
as strictly as before, prayed and studied incessantly, and most conscientiously
observed the silence commanded by the Dominican constitutions. But he soon
found that even in his monastery he could not live the retired and secluded
life he loved so much. His renown was so great that he was consulted on matters
of all kinds by all classes of men. Kind and affable to all he solved every
difficulty submitted to his judgment, and was much sought after. He found that
his office of Grand Penitentiary absorbed too much of his time, and wrote to
the Pope to be released from its duties; alleging as a reason that the facility
with which he could be approached diminished the respect due to the Holy See.
But to preserve and increase the brotherly love which existed between the
Franciscan and Dominican orders he asked to be allowed to retain his office so
far as concerned the two orders. About this time he wrote a work on pastoral
visits by desire of the Arragonese Bishops, and another, in answer to the
request of several merchants, on the lawfulness of certain business practises.
He also assisted at two celebrated national assemblies, at Moncon, in 1236, and
at Tarragona the year following.
Saint Raymund loved the
quiet and peaceful seclusion of his beloved monastery; it was for this he had
left the world and the honors it showered upon him. It was the same holy
longing for monastic rest that had caused him to return from Rome. But God’s
providence was again to call him forth into public life. The sad news of the
death by shipwreck of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, the immediate successor to
Saint Dominic in the government of the order, having become known, a General
Chapter assembled in Bologna, 28 May 1238. On this grave occasion the fathers
of the chapter gathered round the tomb of Saint Dominic, praying him to make
known to them him whom God had chosen in His wisdom to be his successor. An
ancient author gives the following account of the election of Saint Raymund to
the office of Master-General of the order.
“When Brother Jordan of
happy memory, the second master of the order of Friar Preachers and the
successor of Saint Dominic, had passed from this world to a better life, the
Brothers were called to Bologna to choose a Father and Pastor, and to celebrate
the General Chapter. According to the custom and law of the order their
sessions commenced on Whitmonday. After they had devoutly invoked the Holy
Ghost, the religious of the Lombardese Province and those who had come from
other Provinces accompanied the Electors with great marks of deference to the
hall prepared for the election. The electors having been locked up, the other
Brothers returned to the church, where they sent forth fervent prayers to
obtain from God a fitting pastor. They were to be seen in the choir, and
especially at the tomb of our holy father Saint Dominic; some weeping, others
sending ardent sighs to heaven; others like doves, groaned within themselves;
all were recollected in prayer.
“Now a very devout
brother kneeling near the tomb of our Blessed Father, the hand of the Lord
having touched him, he there saw in a vision the electors coming forth in a
body from the hall where they had been confined. Having come to the church they
seemed to join in adoring a marble pillar, sweating, from base to summit, with
little drops of blood, and inasmuch as this pillar rested on the pavement and
arose to the vault it appeared to support the building. Seeing this the brothers
and many secular persons present made their joy heard and gave thanks to God
for the erection of so precious and beautiful a pillar. The vision then faded
away. Soon after, in about the time necessary for saying one nocturn of the
divine office, the electors came out of the cenacle, called the religious to
chapter, and announced to them that Brother Raymund, of Pennafort, had been
elected Master of the order, without any debate and unanimously. Great was the
joy of the Brothers to whom God had given a Father so holy, and so universally
venerated; still greater was the joy of the students, who applauded the
election of so learned a master and one so justly appreciated. It was remarked
that on this day, by a coincidence in no way foreseen, that the reader in the
refectory lit upon this text of Joel, “And you, O children of Sion, rejoice,
and be joyful in the Lord your God, because He hath given you a teacher of
justice. (Joel 2:23) Truly this man was a pillar of marble very precious,
elevated in the midst of the church, and empurpled with a bloody sweat. These
words are faithful and true. An eye witness related them, and this witness is
Brother Stephen de Salagnac, of Limoges.”
This narrative of a
contemporary is taken from documents collected in the fourteenth century by
Cardinal Rosell, a Dominican, which was produced on the occasion of the
canonization of Saint Raymund. A copy has been preserved in the Archives of the
congregation of Rites.
Saint Raymund was not
present at the chapter. The Fathers, who well knew his modesty and unfeigned
humility, feared greatly that he would decline the honor. They therefore sent a
deputation to Barcelona to announce his election to him, and to beg him to
accept the office. They were Hugh of Saint Cher, Provincial of France,
afterwards Cardinal, and well known for his Commentaries on Holy Scripture;
Pontius de Sparra, Provincial of Provence; Philip, Provincial of Syria;
Stephen, Provincial of Lombardy, and several others. When told of his election
it drew tears from his eyes, but fearing to resist God’s holy will he accepted.
He governed the order two
years, during which time he made admirable laws and rearranged the
Constitutions of the order, dividing them into two parts. The first part
contains regulations for the religious conduct of the Fathers and Brothers; the
second has reference to exterior occupations, the various community officials,
etc. On his journeys to make visitations he always Avent on foot. When it
became necessary to correct or reprimand any religious he did it in the kindest
way, and by his charity and kindness won all hearts.
After two years of hard
work for the good of his brethren in the order he convoked a General Chapter to
meet at Bologna, 1240, in which he resigned his office, pleading his great age,
seventy, as his reason. At first all the Fathers refused to accept his
resignation, but when he implored them to listen to his request they gave way.
This caused such sorrow and indignation in the order, that in the General
Chapter of 1241 a law was passed, that for the future the resignation of the
Master-General should not be accepted, unless he was entirely unable to perform
the duties of his office. And in the next General Chapter of 1242 it was
declared that those Provincials who had accepted Saint Raymund’s resignation
should be deprived of their office. Freed from the burden of government he
returned to Barcelona. He lived nearly thirty years longer, persevering in the
holy and penitential life he had led from the day he had taken the habit. His old
age was as fruitful in labors as his vigorous youth. He was a son of Saint
Dominic who had instituted his order for the salvation of souls, and his heart
was as full of zeal for the salvation of all: Moors, Jews and heretics. At his
suggestion the Kings of Castile and Aragon founded two monasteries with
colleges attached to them, for the study of Hebrew and Arabic; one at Murcia,
the other at Tunis, arid a number of Dominican Fathers were sent to Tunis to
labor for the conversion of the misguided people. Writing to Blessed Humbert de
Romanis, General of the order, he tells him of the immense number of
conversions among the Moors and Turks by the religious of those two
monasteries. It was also at his request that the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas
Aquinas, the glory of the Dominican order for all ages, wrote his immortal work
against the same false religion, entitled the “Summa contra Gentiles.”
Honors were bestowed on
Saint Raymund in rapid succession. Popes gave him offices which appeared to
belong to none but themselves; such as the nomination of bishops, examination
of the causes of prelates, with power to depose, absolve or excommunicate them,
to dispense with irregularities, and such like. Saint Raymund most strenuously
opposed the elevation of Dominicans to the episcopate, and he requested Popes
never to raise any of them to the dignity of prelates. The Bishop of Barcelona,
Beranger de Palon, ordered that the executors of his last will should take no
steps whatever to carry it out without first consulting Saint Raymund, and
obtaining his approbation for all they did. King James I of Aragon always
consulted him in every important state business. He sent him to Rome to treat
with Urban the Fourth on several national matters; and on his return was so
satisfied that he chose him for his confessor and director, and took him with
him to Majorca to obtain the conversion of the Moors of that island. Like so
many kings, James had allowed his evil passions to master him. In sincere
attachment to the church, and in unfeigned assent to her doctrines, this prince
was worthy of admiration; but lust had enslaved him, and he took the miserable
partner of his crime with him to Majorca on this occasion. Saint Raymund boldly
reproved him several times, and bade him dismiss the miserable creature. But
when he saw that all his remonstrances were useless he told the king that he
could remain with him no longer. James, who in spite of his sinful conduct
really loved the saint, and knew that he could ill afford to lose his sage
advice, forbade him on pain of death to return to Barcelona without his
permission. Saint Raymund said to his companion, a Dominican Father, “You will
soon see that the King of heaven will confound the wickedness of this earthly
king, and provide me with a ship.” He went to the sea-shore, took off his
cappa, or black cloak, and spread part of it on the water, while he fastened
the other part to his staff, like a sail to a miniature mast. Then he
fearlessly knelt down on that part which floated on the water, and invited his
companion to do the same. This Father’s faith, however, was not so strong, and
he declined to do so. Saint Raymund bade him farewell, and charged him to
recommend him to the good will of the Prior and community of the monastery of
Majorca. Making the sign of the cross he pushed off from land, and quickly
sailed away on his cloak. Swift as an arrow he shot past the port which was filled
with ships. Some sailors, who had refused him a passage, saw him sailing away,
and set up a great shout of astonishment. The king was told of the miracle and
hastened to the shore, where from a ship he saw the saint, now already at a
distance, swiftly sailing away. He was so touched by this wonderful miracle
that he repented of his sin, and began to lead a chaste and holy life. Saint
Raymund sailed along even more rapidly than if he was on board the swiftest
vessel. He made one hundred and eighty miles in six hours. On nearing Barcelona
the people who happened to be near the shore, noticed the frail vessel, and at
first thought it was a stray spar from some shipwreck. But when it came nearer
what was their astonishment to behold a man, robed in white, kneeling on a
cloak spread on the surface of the waves, sailing along in perfect safety!
Hearing their exclamations of astonishment a crowd quickly assembled. Every one
ran to see the wonder. They soon recognized their fellow-citizen, the holy
Dominican Friar, Father Raymund, of Pennaforte. On reaching the shore he
stepped on land, and put his cloak round his shoulders; it was as dry as if it
had never touched the water. When he came to the monastery the gates opened of
themselves to allow the saint to enter. In memory of this astounding miracle a
tower and chapel were built on the spot where Saint Raymund landed.
Six years after this, the
saint, whose life had become one long infirmity, on account of his fasting and
the austerity of his habits, felt his strength rapidly failing. Some time
before this he had petitioned Pope Clement IV not to burden him any longer with
public duties, and his wish having been granted he passed all his time in
preparation for death. When his end came near he was visited by the King of
Castile, Alphonsus the Wise, and by James the Conqueror, King of Aragon. They
had loved and honored him as a Father, and now came to beg his blessing for the
last time. They could not withhold their tears as the holy old man raised his
emaciated hand to beg for them the blessing of Heaven. Having received all the
sacraments of the church, with a devotion which profoundly moved his fellow
religious, Saint Raymund calmly and sweetly died. It was seven in the morning
of the feast of the Epiphany, 1275. He was ninety-nine years of age.
His funeral was attended
by the Kings of Aragon and Castile, attended by their whole courts. He was
buried in the Dominican church of Saint Catherine the Martyr, in Barcelona.
Numerous miracles set the seal on his sanctity. His body was translated into a
magnificent tomb, one hundred and five years after his burial. It was opened by
command of Clement the Eighth in 1596, when the dust taken from it was sent to
all parts of the earth; and although a large quantity was thus carried away it
was noticed that it never diminished.
Saint Raymund was
beatified by Pope Paul V and canonized by Clement VIII. “The feast of Saint
Raymund,” says Touron at the end of the life of this saint, “was at first kept
on the seventh of January, but was afterwards fixed for January 23, by a bull
of Clement X. We will not speak here,” he continues, “of the great number of
miracles with which God seems to have taken pleasure in making known the glory
of His servant, or of his credit in heaven in favor of those who have recourse
to his prayers, Bollandus has filled fifteen pages with them. But the glory of
his heavenly virtues and great deeds, the writings full of light and learning
which he has left us, that odor of sanctity he spread among the secular clergy
and in the cloister, the example of charity and firmness to all the ministers
of the sacrament of penance, the number and worth of those who, formed by him
and following in his foot-steps, have made the monastery of Barcelona a
seminary of saintly and learned men, always ready to announce to the people the
truths of salvation and to defend Catholic doctrine against the enemies of the
faith – all this is not less glorious to Saint Raymund’s memory than miracles.”
Prayer
Ant. Lead us forth, O
Lord, through Raymund’s loving prayers, from the house of the bondage of sin
into the liberty of the glory of Thy sons.
V. Pray for us, O Blessed
Raymund.
R. That we may be made
worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O God, who didst choose
Blessed Raymund for a glorious minister of the sacrament of penance, and didst
guide him wonderfully across the waves of the sea, grant that through his
intercession we may bring forth worthy fruits of penance, and at length reach
the haven of salvation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
MLA
Citation
Father Thomas Austin
Dyson, O.P. “Saint
Raymund of Pennaforte, Third Master-General of the Order of Friar
Preachers”. Stars
in Saint Dominic’s Crown, 1897. CatholicSaints.Info.
25 June 2022. Web. 9 January 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/stars-in-saint-
_-_Altare_di_san_Raimondo_di_Pe%C3%B1afort.jpg)
Sant'Anastasia (Verona). Altar of Raimundo de Peñafort. Table altarpiece was
begun by Felice Riccio (1542–1605) and
finished by Alessandro Turchi.
Église Sant'Anastasia (Vérone).
L'autel de Raymond de Peñafort, le tableau du retable a
été commencé par Felice Riccio et fini par Alessandro Turchi.
Chiesa di Sant'Anastasia (Verona).
Altare di san Raimondo di Peñafort. La pala iniziata
da Felice Brusasorzi e terminata da Alessandro Turchi.
San Raimondo de Penafort Sacerdote
- Memoria Facoltativa
Peñafort (Catalogna),
1175 - Barcellona, 6 gennaio 1275
Figlio di signori
catalani, nasce a Peñafort nel 1175. Comincia gli studi a Barcellona e li
termina a Bologna. Qui conosce il genovese Sinibaldo Fieschi, poi papa
Innocenzo IV. Di ritorno a Barcellona, Raimondo è nominato canonico della
cattedrale. Ma nel 1222 si apre in città un convento dell'Ordine dei
Predicatori, fondato pochi anni prima da san Domenico. E lui lascia il
canonicato per farsi domenicano. Nel 1223 aiuta il futuro santo Pietro Nolasco
a fondare l'Ordine dei Mercedari per il riscatto degli schiavi. Qualche anno
dopo a Roma Gregorio IX gli affida il compito di raccogliere e ordinare tutte
le decretali (gli atti emanati dai pontefici in materia dogmatica e
disciplinare, rispondendo a quesiti o intervenendo su situazioni specifiche).
Raimondo riesce a dare un ordine e una completezza mai raggiunti prima. Nel
1234, il Papa gli offre l'arcivescovado di Tarragona. Ma lui rifiuta. Nel 1238
i suoi confratelli lo vogliono generale dell'Ordine. Ma l'attività intensa che
lo vede in tutta Europa lo sfianca. A 70 anni torna infine a una vita di
preghiera, studio, formazione dei nuovi predicatori nell'Ordine. Frate Raimondo
muore a Barcellona nel 1275. (Avvenire)
Etimologia: Raimondo =
intelligenza protettrice, dal tedesco
Martirologio Romano: San Raimondo di Penyafort, sacerdote dell’Ordine dei Predicatori: insigne conoscitore del diritto canonico, scrisse rettamente e fruttuosamente sul sacramento della penitenza e, eletto maestro generale, preparò una nuova redazione delle Costituzioni dell’Ordine; in avanzata vecchiaia a Barcellona in Spagna si addormentò piamente nel Signore.
(6 gennaio: A Barcellona nella Catalogna in Spagna, san Raimondo di Penyafort,
la cui memoria si celebra domani).
E’ il terzo generale dei Domenicani, dopo Domenico di Guzman e Giordano di Sassonia. Ma le cariche – quando le accetta – addosso a lui durano sempre poco, e quasi sembrano interruzioni forzate e temporanee di un modello di vita al quale tornerà sempre, nella sua lunga esistenza: preghiera, studio e nient’altro.
Figlio di signori catalani, ha cominciato gli studi a Barcellona e li ha terminati a Bologna, dov’è stato anche insegnante. Qui ha conosciuto il patrizio genovese Sinibaldo Fieschi, poi papa Innocenzo IV e aspro nemico dell’imperatore Federico II; e il capuano Pier delle Vigne, che di Federico sarà l’uomo di fiducia e poi la vittima (innocente, secondo Dante). Torna a Barcellona, dov’è nominato canonico della cattedrale. Ma nel 1222 si apre in città un convento dell’Ordine dei Predicatori, fondato pochi anni prima da san Domenico. E lui lascia il canonicato per farsi domenicano.
Nel 1223 aiuta il futuro santo Pietro Nolasco, originario della Linguadoca in Francia, a fondare l’Ordine dei Mercedari per il riscatto degli schiavi, e qualche anno dopo accompagna il cardinale Giovanni d’Abbeville a Roma. Qui Gregorio IX nota la profondità della sua dottrina giuridica e gli affida un gravoso compito: raccogliere e ordinare tutte le decretali, ossia gli atti emanati via via dai pontefici in materia dogmatica e disciplinare, rispondendo a quesiti o intervenendo su situazioni specifiche: una massa enorme di testi più e meno importanti, un coacervo plurisecolare di decisioni, da perderci la testa. Raimondo riesce a dare un ordine e una completezza mai raggiunti prima, e quindi una pronta utilità.
A lavoro finito, nel 1234, il Papa gli offre in ricompensa l’arcivescovado di Tarragona. Ma lui non accetta: è frate domenicano e frate rimane. Nel 1238, però, sono appunto i suoi confratelli a volerlo generale dell’Ordine, e deve dire di sì. Dice di sì a un periodo faticosissimo di viaggi, sempre a piedi, attraverso l’Europa, da un convento all’altro, da un problema all’altro. Un’attività che lo sfianca, costringendolo infine a lasciare l’incarico.
Torna, ormai settantenne, alla sua vera vita: preghiera, studio, formazione dei nuovi predicatori nell’Ordine, che si va espandendo in Europa. Un Ordine per sua natura missionario e che perciò, pensa Raimondo, si deve dotare di tutti gli strumenti culturali indispensabili per avvicinare, interessare, convincere. Occorrono testi idonei alla discussione con persone colte di altre fedi; e lui lavora per parte sua a prepararli, spingendo inoltre il confratello Tommaso d’Aquino a scrivere per questo scopo la famosa Summa contra Gentiles. Inoltre, bisogna conoscere da vicino la cultura di coloro ai quali si vuole annunciare Cristo e Raimondo istituisce una scuola di ebraico a Murcia, in Spagna, e una di arabo a Tunisi. Sembra che tante fatiche e iniziative gli allunghino la vita. Frate Raimondo muore infatti a Barcellona ormai centenario. Sarà canonizzato nel 1601 da Clemente VIII.
Autore: Domenico Agasso
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/25650
Raimondo di Peñafort
(1175-1275)
Canonizzazione:
- 29 aprile 1601
- Papa Clemente
VIII
- Basilica Vaticana
Ricorrenza:
- 7 gennaio
Sacerdote dell’Ordine dei
Predicatori: insigne conoscitore del diritto canonico, scrisse rettamente e
fruttuosamente sul sacramento della penitenza e, eletto maestro generale,
preparò una nuova redazione delle Costituzioni dell’Ordine; in avanzata
vecchiaia a Barcellona in Spagna si addormentò piamente nel Signore
La morte lo raggiunse a
100 anni, e si dice che durante le sue esequie avvennero molti miracoli
Raimundo de Peñafort nasce
nel 1175 a Peñafort, in Catalogna. La sua è una ricca famiglia nobile. Studia a
Barcellona filosofia e retorica, poi si trasferisce a Bologna dove si laurea in
legge diventando professore di Diritto canonico.
Qualche anno dopo, il
vescovo di Barcellona Berengario IV, in viaggio in Italia, gli propone di
diventare professore presso il Seminario che vuole istituire nella sua diocesi.
Raimondo torna dunque in Catalogna e, quattro anni più tardi, nel 1222, si fa domenicano.
Un anno più tardi, con l’aiuto del futuro santo Pietro Nolasco, fonda l’“Ordine
dei Mercedari”, con l’obiettivo di riscattare gli schiavi cristiani e scrive un
libro-guida per i sacerdoti confessori.
Forse ne avrebbe fatto a
meno, ma al Papa non può dire di no. Tanto era grande l’apprezzamento di
Gregorio IX nei riguardi della cultura giuridica di Raimondo che decide di
affidare proprio a lui un compito immane, quello di raccogliere tutti gli atti
emanati dai Pontefici in materia disciplinare e dogmatica, rispondendo a
quesiti o intervenendo su questioni specifiche.
Si tratta di mettere
ordine in una massa enorme di testi, un insieme plurisecolare di decisioni più
o meno importanti, ma Raimondo riesce nell’impresa, tanto che Gregorio IX, come
ricompensa, gli offre di diventare arcivescovo di Tarragona. Lui però rifiuta,
è un frate domenicano e desidera rimanere un semplice frate. Colpito da una
malattia ritorna nel suo primo monastero e ad una vita ritirata.
Nel 1238 i suoi
confratelli domenicani insistono: lo vogliono Maestro generale dell’Ordine e
Raimondo deve accettare. E’ il terzo generale dei Domenicani, dopo Domenico di
Guzman e Giordano di Sassonia. Nel suo nuovo ruolo si mette in viaggio e,
sempre a piedi, percorre tutta l’Europa visitando convento per convento; è
un’attività che lo sfianca e, ormai settantenne, è costretto a lasciare
l’incarico e a tornare a ciò che più lo attira: la preghiera e lo studio.
A cuore gli sta in modo
particolare la formazione dei nuovi predicatori dell’Ordine, che si sta
diffondendo in Europa. Raimondo è convinto che, in quanto missionari i suoi
confratelli devono essere capaci di avvicinare, interessare e convincere le
persone a cui vogliono annunciare Cristo.
L’Ordine dunque si deve
dotare di tutti gli strumenti culturali indispensabili: occorrono, ad esempio,
testi idonei alla discussione con persone colte di altre fedi e lui si impegna
a prepararli.
Necessario è poi
conoscere da vicino la cultura di coloro ai quali si vuole portare il Vangelo:
ecco che Raimondo istituisce una scuola di ebraico a Murcia, in Spagna, e una
di arabo a Tunisi.
La morte lo raggiunge,
quando ha 100 anni, il 6 gennaio 1275 a Barcellona, e si dice che durante
le sue esequie avvennero molti miracoli. Fu fatto santo nel 1601 da Papa
Clemente VIII e oggi i suoi resti mortali sono custoditi nella cattedrale della
capitale della Catalogna.
SOURCE : https://www.causesanti.va/it/santi-e-beati/raimondo-di-penafort.html
Nuestra
Señora de la Merced Parish Church (Category:Sitios and
puroks of the Philippines Subdivisions of the
Philippines Barangay Bahay Pare 15.0350,
120.9166 Candaba, Pampanga - Nuestra
Señora de la Merced Parish Church Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of San Fernando Nuestra Sra.
dela Merced Parish F-1937
7 gennaio
SAN RAIMONDO DA PEÑAFORT
San Raimondo Da Penafort
è rappresentato sulle onde del mare, inginocchiato sulla sua cappa che gli fa
da barchetta e da vela, avendo egli una volta così compiuto miracolosamente un
viaggio di 160 leghe, senza che la sua cappa ne restasse minimamente bagnata.
Già celebre canonista e Arcidiacono della Cattedrale di Barcellona, a 45 anni
s’innamorò dell’austera e apostolica vita dei Frati Predicatori, e
nell’abbracciarla, il venerdì Santo del 1222, intese anche compiere un atto di
riparazione, avendo egli dissuaso a suo tempo un giovane, sia pure per buone
ragioni, dall’entrare nell’Ordine. Papa Gregorio IX lo chiamò a Roma
affidandogli la compilazione di una raccolta di decretali, riunendo cosi le
varie leggi e i decreti emanati nel corso dei secoli dalla Santa Sede, e che
furono chiamati "Decretali", primo saggio del Codice di Diritto
Canonico, che fu gloria di Papa Pio X, quasi ottocento anni più tardi:
quest’incarico Raimondo lo completò in soli quattro anni, dal 1230 al 1234. E’
impossibile condensare in poche parole la grandiosa attività di Raimondo,
nell’Ordine e nella Chiesa, nel portare tutte le anime a salvezza. Nei due anni
che tenne la carica di Maestro Generale, dal 1238 al 1240, cui poi
spontaneamente rinunziò, portò a termine la codificazione della legislazione
domenicana. Dispiegò tutto il suo zelo per incitare i giovani confratelli alle
missioni tra gli infedeli, specie tra i Saraceni, istituendo apposite scuole.
Suggerì a San Tommaso d’Aquino di dettare la Somma contro i Gentili. Sostenne
Pietro Nolasco nella fondazione dell’Ordine della Mercede per il riscatto degli
schiavi, dandogli l’Abitò di sua mano e creandolo primo Generale. Operò
strepitosi miracoli, ma il più grande fu quello di conservare fra tanta gloria
il candore e l’umiltà di un fanciullo. Con la "Somma sulla Penitenza"
Raimondo ci ha lasciato il primo geniale e organico trattato di pastorale. Morì
a Barcellona il 6 gennaio 1275. E’ sepolto nella Cattedrale. Papa Clemente VIII
lo ha canonizzato il 29 aprile 1601.
[ Testo di Franco Mariani
- Addetto Stampa Congregazione Suore
Domenicane dello Spirito Santo ]
L'ordine domenicano ne ricorda la memoria il 6 gennaio.
SOURCE : http://www.enrosadira.it/santi/r/raimondodapenafort.htm
San
Raimundo de Peñafort y tablas que representan los diez mandamientos. Antigua
puerta de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Sevilla. Real Fábrica de
Tabacos de Sevilla. Andalucía, España.
Medallón
con busto de San Raimundo de Peñafort. Antigua puerta de la Facultad de Derecho
de la Universidad de Sevilla. Real Fábrica de Tabacos de Sevilla. Andalucía, España.
San Raimundo de Peñafort
Perfil Biográfico
Raimundo nace en el
castillo de Peñafort, cerca de Barcelona, hacia el año 1175. Joven, ingresa en
la comunidad de la catedral de Barcelona para prepararse al presbiterado. A los
20 años asume la enseñanza de las artes liberales. Es ordenado presbítero. Cerca
de los 30 años se dirige a Bolonia a perfeccionarse en ciencias jurídicas. Allí
obtiene el doctorado en derecho civil y eclesiástico.
En Bolonia conoce a
Domingo de Guzmán así como la vida y misión de los hermanos. Entonces pide a su
obispo Berenguer de Palou la creación de una comunidad dominicana en Barcelona.
Raimundo retorna a la capital de Cataluña donde, como eminente jurisconsulto,
se dedica a la enseñanza del derecho; es tenido como árbitro por excelencia en
pleitos y litigios. Visita con frecuencia la nueva comunidad de hermanos
predicadores. El obispo le nombra canónigo de Barcelona; Raimundo lo acepta
consagrándose más al retiro, a la celebración de las Horas y a la docencia.
Anhela potenciar su presbiterado con un estilo de vida más evangélico. Por eso,
a sus 47 años, el viernes santo de 1222, renuncia a la canonjía y entra en la
Orden de Predicadores. Opta así por una vida de austeridad e incesante trabajo.
Por aquella región los
mahometanos encarcelan y torturan a cristianos para hacerlos abandonar su fe y
someterlos. En 1223 colabora con Pedro Nolasco, de quien era confesor, y con el
rey Jaime I de Aragón en la fundación de la Orden de Nuestra Señora de la
Merced, para liberar a los cristianos cautivos y esclavizados por los
islamitas. San Raimundo de Peñafort colabora en la redacción de las
Constituciones de la nueva Orden. Posteriormente es invitado por Gregorio IX a
Roma para trabajar el "Corpus Decretalium", es decir, el Código de
Derecho Canónico Medieval.
Retorna a Barcelona y
mientras permanece allí, el capítulo general de Bolonia de 1238 le elige
Maestro de la Orden . Visita las comunidades, comprensivo con todos, se opone
en cuanto puede a que los hermanos sean consagrados obispos; él mismo rehúsa,
de Gregorio IX, los arzobispados de Tarragona en España y de Braga en Portugal.
Debido a sus
enfermedades, convoca el capítulo general de Bolonia de 1240 para presentar su
renuncia que es aceptada. Vuelto a su región crea dos institutos para la
evangelización de mahometanos y judíos, uno en Murcia y otro en Túnez. Allí se
forman los hermanos en las costumbres y lenguas árabes y judías. Pide a fray
Tomás de Aquino un proyecto teológico que ayude a la formación y predicación de
los hermanos en este campo; así nace la "Summa contra gentes".
San Raimundo de Peñafort
murió en Barcelona, casi centenario, el 6 de enero de 1275. Su cuerpo se venera
en la catedral de Barcelona. Fue el primer santo canonizado en la actual
Basílica Vaticana, por Clemente VIII, el 29 de abril de 1601. Es el patrón de
los juristas católicos.
Semblanza espiritual
San Raimundo de Peñafort
se dio del todo al estudio de las letras y de las artes liberales. De vuelta de
Roma a Barcelona, escribe un tratado sobre el sacramento de la Penitencia;
otro, sobre visitas pastorales, a petición de los obispos de Aragón; y uno más
sobre la compra y la venta, para regular las relaciones justas entre los
comerciantes cristianos.
Recibe con amabilidad a
débiles e importantes. Predica cruzadas como itinerante, sin dispensarse de
ayunos, vigilias y observancias de la Orden. Gran amante de la Virgen María,
colaboró en la fundación de la Orden de la Misericordia o Merced, cuyo objeto
fue la redención de los cristianos cautivos de los moros, o con bienes
materiales o quedando cautivos los religiosos para que no peligrase la fe de
los cautivos.
Escribió una Suma de
Moral y de Derecho que fue guía especialmente para los jóvenes en la resolución
de los casos de conciencia. En honra de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, de la
gloriosa Virgen María y de Santa Catalina Mártir, compuso la Suma Raimundiana.
Gran penitente en
vigilias y en ayunos, entregado a la predicación, con gran cuidado de los
pobres y oprimidos de los que fue defensor. Consejero prudentísimo, el legado
pontificio lo recomendó al Sumo Pontífice que le nombró capellán de su palacio,
penitenciario mayor y confesor suyo.
San Raimundo de Peñafort
tenía gran humildad y prudencia en dar consejos, recibiendo a las personas que
le consultaban con benignidad y dulzura.
Tommaso Dolabella (1570–1650). St.
Raymond of Penyafort, 1627, Dominican Church, Kraków
Den hellige Raimund av
Peñafort (~1175/80-1275)
Minnedag:
7. januar
Skytshelgen for
Barcelona; for kirkerettseksperter
Den hellige Raimund
(Raymond, lat: Raimundus) ble født mellom 1175 og 1180 på slottet Peñafort i
Villafranca del Panadés ved hovedstaden Barcelona i Catalonia i Spania. Hans
familie var i slekt med kongehuset i Aragón og grevene av Barcelona. Han var
svært begavet og fikk sin utdannelse på katedralskolen i Barcelona og på byens
universitet. Han gjorde så raske fremskritt at han allerede som tyveåring ble
regnet som en betydelig lærer i filosofi ved universitetet. Fra 1210 studerte
han jus i Bologna, hvor han tok doktorgrader i sivil- og kirkerett i 1216.
Deretter ga han gratis forelesninger for utallige takknemlige studenter og
samlet sine forelesninger i en Summa iuris.
Bologna var på den tiden
sammen med Paris og Oxford et av hovedsentrene for lærdom som på 1200-tallet
utviklet seg fra katedral- og kapittelskoler til universiteter. 1100-tallet
hadde vært en periode av enorm intellektuell gjæring. Omvandrende lærde ble
tiltrukket av ryet til lærere, som grunnla skoler hvis ry spredte seg. Fra
rundt 1200 fikk de viktigste skolene spesielle privilegier av keiseren og
paven. Blant dem som ble trukket til Bologna, var den hellige Dominikus de Guzmán,
grunnlegger av dominikanerne eller offisielt Prekenbrødrenes orden (Ordo
Fratrum Praedicatorum – OP) i 1216. Ordenens første generalkapittel ble
holdt i Bologna i 1220, og Dominikus selv døde der i 1221. Så det er trolig at
Raimund kjente ham, eller i det minste kom under hans innflytelse.
Snart kalte biskop
Berengar Raimund tilbake til Barcelona. Her ble han presteviet, og i 1219 ble
han erkediakon i Barcelona (tilsvarer dagens generalvikar). I 1222 sluttet han
seg til dominikanerordenen, åtte måneder etter grunnleggerens død. Dette var
delvis fordi han ble mer og mer fornøyd med seg selv og trengte desperat å lære
litt ydmykhet. Han spurte sine overordnede i klosteret om å gi ham en umulig
oppgave for å redusere hans forfengelighet.
Intelligent nok bestemte
de seg for å gjøre bruk av hans juridiske evner. De ba ham om å sette sammen
alle reglene som Kirken hadde laget for å behandle menneskenes synder.
Resultatet ble et verk om botsdisiplin, Summa casuum eller Summa
de casibus poenitentialibus, det første verket i sitt slag, som ble en
autorativ kilde med enkle og klare retningslinjer for skriftefedre. Arbeidet
temmet også Raimunds hovmodige ånd.
I 1230 ble Raimund kalt
til Roma av pave Gregor IX (1227-41) som kapellan og pønitentiar ved den
pavelige kurie, hvor han ble pavens skriftefar. Her ga han en gang paven som
bot at han skulle motta, høre og straks ekspedere alle bønneskrifter som ble
lagt frem av de fattige. På pavens oppdrag laget han en samling av konsils- og
pavedekreter som var utstedt etter Gratians samling i 1150. Raimund arbeidet
med den i tre år, og de fem bindene ble utgitt i 1234. Compilatio
decretalium quinque divisa libris iussu Gregorii IX eller Liber extra forble
et standardverk som ble brukt av jurister i kirkerett i nesten 700 år frem til
1917. Paven utstedte den 5. september 1234 bullen Rex Pacificus med
en pavelig erklæring om at Raimunds samling skulle være autorativ.
Men i 1238 fikk han den
for ham sjokkerende nyheten at dominikanernes generalkapittel i Bologna hadde
valgt ham til ordenens tredje generalmagister etter den hellige Dominikus selv
og den salige Jordan av Sachsen,
som var død året før. Han var ytterst motvillig, men aksepterte til slutt som
et uttrykk for lydighet. Et arbeid han fullførte mens han var general, var
revisjonen av de dominikanske konstitusjonene, som skulle være i kraft til
1924. Et annet var en systematisk visitasjon av den raskt voksende ordenen, noe
han brukte de neste to årene på.
På generalkapitlet i
Paris i 1239 sørget han for et vedtak om at hvis en ordensleder trakk seg
tilbake frivillig, skulle dette godtas om årsaken var rimelig. Året etter trakk
han seg fra embetet som generalmagister etter bare to år, med den begrunnelse
at han var 65 år gammel, og vendte tilbake til Spania. Han skrøt aldri av de
høye embetene han fikk eller kunne ha fått, men betraktet dem som byrder han
var tvunget til å bære.
På den tiden var hans
hjemland Spania beleiret av maurerne, som var muslimer. Nå satte Raimund seg
fore å stoppe spredningen av islam i Spania, og resten av livet viet han seg
til misjonsarbeidet blant muslimer og jøder. I den forbindelse oppfordret han
den hellige Thomas
av Aquinas til å skrive sin Summa contra gentiles og
opprette skoler for undervisning i arabisk og hebraisk. Han oppmuntret
misjonærer til å lære arabisk og studere koranen for å komme i dialog med
islam. Men han insisterte på at kristne bare kunne omvende andre hvis deres
egne liv var eksempler på uselviskhet og gudfryktighet. Han arbeidet også
utrettelig for utdannelsen av prester.
Raimund mente at til og
med de som var tatt til fange av maurerne, kunne påvirke sine fiender,
forutsatt at de fortsatte å elske dem og ikke ga avkall på sin egen tro under
forfølgelsene. Han sørget også for at det ble opprettet klostre blant maurerne,
ett i Tunis og et i Murcia i Sør-Spania. Det lyktes ham å vinne tusener for
Kristus. I 1256 skrev han til sin ordensgeneral at ti tusen sarasenere hadde
mottatt dåpen. (Sarasenere var middelalderens betegnelse på muslimer; det
kommer antakelig av et arabisk ord som betyr «de fra øst».) Han var aktiv i å
få etablert Inkvisisjonen i Catalonia, og en gang ble han anklaget, ikke uten
en viss grunn, for å ha kompromittert en jødisk rabbiner med et triks.
Det hevdes at Raimund
spilte en viktig rolle, sammen med den hellige Peter Nolasco,
i grunnleggelsen av Mercedarierordenen eller Nolaskerne (Ordo Beatae
Mariae Virginis de Mercede redemptionis captivorum – OdeM), som ble dannet
for å kjøpe fri fanger fra maurerne i Nord-Afrika. Han skal også ha skrevet
ordenens regel i 1222. Men hans deltakelse i grunnleggelsen er omstridt, og det
er vanskelig å finne ut av sannheten på grunn av mangel på pålitelige
dokumenter. Det mest korrekte er sannsynligvis å kreditere ham et mindre
direkte ansvar.
Raimund fryktet ikke
noen. En gang hentet kong Jakob av Aragón ham til Mallorca. Kongen var en mann
av mange kvaliteter, men han lot seg styre av sine lidenskaper. På Mallorca ga
han også et dårlig eksempel, og Raimund ga ham ordre om å sende bort den angjeldende
kvinnen. Kongen gikk med på det, men han holdt ikke sitt løfte. Da sa Raimund
at han ikke ville bo på samme sted som en slik synder. Til tross for kongens
raseri seilte Raimund tilbake til Barcelona. Det vokste frem en legende som sa
at kongen forbød alle under trusler om dødsstraff å ta med Raimund på noe skip,
men da seilte den hellige dristig av gårde på sin egen svarte dominikanerkappe,
uten den minste frykt for at dette underlige fartøyet kunne synke.
Under Raimunds siste
sykdom fikk han besøk av kong Alfonso av Castilla og kong Jakob av Aragón, og
han ga dem en siste velsignelse. Han døde den 6. januar 1275 i Barcelona, knapt
100 år gammel. Hans gotiske marmorsarkofag står i dag i kapellet San Raimundo i
katedralen Santa Eulalia i Barcelona. Han ble helligkåret den 29. april 1601 av
pave Klemens VIII (1592-1605). Hans minnedag var tidligere 23. januar, men i
1969 ble den flyttet til 7. januar og tatt inn i den universelle kalenderen
(dødsdagen 6. januar er opptatt av Epifani). Hans
navn står i Martyrologium Romanum. I kunsten blir han avbildet i
dominikanerdrakt, gjerne mens han står på en kappe som flyter på havet.
Kilder: Attwater
(dk), Attwater/John, Attwater/Cumming, Farmer, Bentley, Lodi, Butler, Butler
(I), Benedictines, Delaney, Bunson, Engelhart, Schnitzler, Schauber/Schindler,
Melchers, Dammer/Adam, Index99, KIR, CE, CSO, Patron Saints SQPN, Infocatho,
Bautz, Heiligenlexikon - Kompilasjon og oversettelse: p. Per Einar Odden -
Opprettet: 2000-05-07 23:38 - Sist oppdatert: 2005-08-25 15:31
SOURCE : https://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/raimund
Offizialat der Erzdiözese Freiburg in der Herrenstraße 14-16 mit Plastik des Raimund von Penyafort geschaffen von Wolfgang Eckert, rechts das Dillengässle
Die Plastik von Raimund von Penyafort wurde von dem Bildhauer Wolfgang Eckert geschaffen und 2018 am neu gebauten Offizialat der Erzdiözese Freiburg angebracht.
Plastik des Raimund von Penyafort geschaffen von Wolfgang Eckert am Offizialat
der Erzdiözese Freiburg in der Herrenstraße 14-16
Raimund von Peñafort
Gedenktag katholisch: 7. Januar
nicht gebotener Gedenktag
gebotener Gedenktag in Katalonien und im Dominikanerorden
Todestag: 6. Januar
Gedenktag III. Klasse: 23. Januar
Tag der Heiligsprechung: 29. April
Name bedeutet: Rat
und Schutz (althochdt.)
Ordensgeneral
* um 1178 auf Schloss Peñafort in els Monjos nahe Villafranca del Penedés bei Barcelona in Spanien
† 1275 in Barcelona in
Spanien
Raimund wurde nach
Studien in Barcelona und
an der berühmten Hochschule von Bologna einer
der bedeutendsten Rechtsgelehrten des Mittelalters. In Bologna lehrte er 1218
bis 1221 und verfasste den Entwurf einer Summa iuris, Lehrbuch des
Rechts. In der Stadt erlebte er in eine Volksmission von Dominikanern.
Zusammen mit dem Bischof von Barcelona, der von Rom über
Bologna nach Spanien zurückreiste, kehrte er nach Spanien heim, trat 1222 in
Barcelona in den Dominikanerorden ein und lehrte an der Ordenshochschule. Dabei
verfasste er die dreibändige Summa de casibus, Lehrbuch der
Fälle und wirkte bei der Gründung des Ritterordens der Mercedarier mit.
1230 wurde Raimund von
Papst Gregor IX. nach Rom gerufen
und wurde dessen Rechtsberater und Beichtvater; in seinem Auftrag sammelte er
im Liber Extra alle kirchlichen Rechtstexte, die nach dem Erscheinen
des Decretum Gratiani von um 1140 verfasst worden waren; als
die Nova Compilatio Decretalium, die Neuen Zusammenstellung der
Verordnungen, auch Dekretalen Gregors IX. genannt, setzte der Papst
dies 1234 in Kraft als einheitliches Gesetzbuch, das zum universalen und in
seinen Grundzügen bis heute gültigen kanonischen Recht der Kirche wurde und
dann maßgebliche Quelle war für den Codex Iuris Canonici von 1917 und
dessen Überarbeitung 1983. Raimund war auch dabei, als der Papst Dominikus heilig
sprach.
1238 wurde Raimund der
dritte Ordensgeneral der Dominikaner. Er
amtierte drei Jahre lang und überarbeitete die Ordensregeln grundlegend. Im
Alter kehrte er nach Barcelona zurück,
predigte gegen Juden und Mauren und gründete Schulen, in denen orientalische
Sprachen gelehrt wurden als notwendige Voraussetzung einer Mission unter Juden
und Muslimen. Ein Erlass des aragonischen Königs von 1242 dürfte auf Raimunds
Anregung zurückgehen: in ihm werden Juden und Muslime zur Teilnahme an
offiziellen Bekehrungspredigten verpflichtet. Raimund wurde fast 100 Jahre alt.
Die Mantel-Legende
erzählt, wie Raimund den König von Aragonien,
Jakob I., ob seines sittenlosen Lebenswandels getadelt hatte; der König verbot
unter Androhung der Todesstrafe, dass jemand Raimund helfe übers Meer zu
fliehen, worauf der die Seefahrt ohne Schiff auf seinem Mantel unternommen hat.
Kanonisation: Raimund wurde am 29. April 1601 durch Papst Clemens’ VIII. heiliggesprochen.
Attribute: als Seefahrer, sein Mantel als Segel
Patron der Rechsanwälte, Staatsanwälte und Kirchenrechtsgelehrten, der
Bibliothekare für medizinische Literatur
Worte des Heiligen
In einem Brief tröstet Raimund Mitbrüder, die wegen ihre Predigtamts auf heftigen Widerstand gestoßen sind:
Wenn der Prediger der Wahrheit mit Recht gesagt hat, dass alle, die fromm in Christus leben, Verfolgung leiden müssen, so meine ich, dass auch in unserer Zeit davon keiner ausgenommen ist, es sei denn, er lege keinen Wert darauf, besonnen, gerecht und fromm in dieser Welt zu leben (Titusbrief 2, 12), oder er wisse nichts davon.
Ihr sollt auf jeden Fall zu denen gehören, deren Haus ruhig, friedlich und sicher ist, nicht zu denen, die die Zuchtrute Gottes nicht kennen, die ein bequemes Leben führen und plötzlich zur Hölle fahren.
Weil ihr Gott gefallt und Gnade gefunden habt, so verdient und verlangt es eure Lauterkeit und Frömmigkeit, dass ihr durch häufige Leiden bis zur vollen Reinheit geläutert werdet. Wenn das Schwert zuweilen doppelt und dreifach über euch kommt, so sollt ihr darin reine Freude und ein Zeichen der Liebe erblicken. Ein zweischneidiges Schwert sind die äußeren Kampfe und die innere Furcht. Es wird im Inneren verdoppelt oder verdreifacht, wenn der verschlagene Feind das Herz mit List und Schmähung beunruhigt. Ihr habt diese Kampfesweise bis heute hinreichend erfahren. Sonst wäre es unmöglich gewesen, zu Frieden und innerer Ruhe mit ihrer Schönheit zu gelangen.
Äußerlich wird das Schwert verdoppelt und verdreifacht, wenn ohne Ursache eine kirchliche Verfolgung wegen geistlicher Fragen ausbricht. Die Wunden sind dann besonders schwer, wenn sie von Freunden kommen. …
Schaut also auf Jesus, den Urheber und Beschützer des Glaubens, der unschuldig von den Seinen leiden musste und unter die Verbrecher gerechnet wurde. Wenn ihr den Kelch des Herrn Jesus - wie herrlich ist er! (vgl. Psalm 23, 5) - trinkt, sagt dem Herrn Dank, von dem alles Gute kommt.
Der Gott der Liebe und des Friedens gebe euren Herzen den Frieden. Er
beschleunige eure Schritte. Er hole euch in die Geborgenheit seines Angesichts,
bis er euch in jene Fülle (des Lebens) versetzt, wo ihr auf ewig in der
Schönheit des Friedens, in den Gezelten der Zuversicht, in Reichtum und Ruhe
wohnen werdet.
Quelle: Monastisches
Lektionar zum 7. Januar. In: Raimundus Pennafort: Epistula. Monumenta ordinis
Fratrum Praedicatorum, hrsg. von B. M. Reichert, 6, 2, Rom 1901, S. 84f
Zitate von Raimund von
Peñafort:
Es gibt bezüglich des Almosens eine … Unterscheidung: Das eine ist innerlich bzw. geistlich, das andere ist äußerlich bzw. leiblich.
Das erste besteht in drei Verhaltensweisen, nämlich: dass du dem vergibst, von dem du verletzt worden bist; ferner, dass du aus Liebe einen Fehlenden mahnst und korrigierst; ferner dass du einen Unwissenden bezüglich des Heils unterrichtest.
Das zweite aber besteht in den sieben Werken der Barmherzigkeit, über die der
Herr seine Untersuchung anstellen wird am Tag des Gerichts: Ich hatte Hunger
und du gabst mir nicht zu essen usw.
Merke ferner, dass beim Almosengeben Dreifaches zu beachten ist: …
Das Gerechte: so dass es aus dem gerecht [erworbenen Besitz] stammt, nicht
unrechtmäßig erworben ist. …
Die rechte Reihenfolge: dass er zuerst sich [gibt], dann erst dem Nächsten. …
Die rechte Absicht: dass es gegeben wird Gottes wegen und nicht zur eitlen
[eigenen] Ehre.
Quelle: S. Raimundus
Pennaforte: Summa de paenitentia. Universa bibliotheca iuris, vol. 1, tom B.
Roma 1976, titulus 8, S. 591 - 596; eigene Übersetzung
zusammengestellt von Abt em. Dr. Emmeram Kränkl OSB,
Benediktinerabtei Schäftlarn,
für die Katholische
SonntagsZeitung
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korrekt zitieren: Joachim Schäfer: Artikel Raimund von Peñafort, aus dem Ökumenischen Heiligenlexikon - https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienR/Raimund_von_Penafort.htm, abgerufen am 9. 1. 2025
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet das Ökumenische
Heiligenlexikon in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte
bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über https://d-nb.info/1175439177 und https://d-nb.info/969828497 abrufbar.
SOURCE : https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienR/Raimund_von_Penafort.htm
Vito
Carrera, San Raimondo da Penafort, 1602, 356 x 281, olio su tela presso la
Cappella del SS. Rosario Saint Dominic Church (Castelvetrano)
Raimundus van Peñafort (ook van
Peñaforte of van Rochefort) op., Barcelona, Spanje; stichter,
schrijver & kerkleraar; † 1275.
Feest † 6
& 7 & 23 januari & 4 februari.
Raimundus werd omstreeks
1175 geboren op het slot Peñafort bij Villafranca niet ver van Barcelona. Hij
studeerde kerkelijk recht aan de beroemde universiteit van Bologna in Italië.
Reeds op 20-jarige leeftijd gaf hij er zelf les. In 1220 vinden we hem terug
als docent aan de universiteit van Barcelona. In datzelfde jaar werd hij
benoemd tot kanunnik.
Twee jaar later trad hij toe tot de pas gestichte orde der dominicanen, die hij in
Bologna had leren kennen.
Vanwege zijn grote
deskundigheid op het gebied van kerkelijk recht werd hij al een jaar later
gevraagd om de regel te schrijven voor de zojuist door Sint Petrus Nolascus
opgerichte orde der mercedariërs.
Vanwege zijn medewerking
aan de regel wordt Raimundus wel medestichter van de mercedariërs genoemd.
Dezelfde talenten wendde hij aan om de regel van zijn eigen dominicaner orde te
vervolmaken.
In zijn preken
waarschuwde hij voor misleidende invloeden. Zo keerde hij zich krachtig tegen
de ketterij van de Albigenzen,
tegen de godsdienst van de joden en tegen de invloed van de moslims, die in
zijn tijd nog een groot gedeelte van Spanje in handen hadden.
Zijn preken trokken
binnen kerkelijke kringen zo de aandacht, dat hij in 1230 door paus Gregorius
IV († 844) naar Rome werd geroepen om er dienst te doen als zijn leermeester en
biechtvader. Intussen vergat hij niet zijn geliefde armen. Om hen te helpen legde
hij de paus als penitentie op alle verzoekschriften, die hem bereikten,
zorgvuldig te lezen en af te handelen.
Naast een boek over
kerkelijk recht schreef hij ook een handboek voor biechtvaders; hij besteedde
daarin vooral aandacht aan overtredingen binnen het huwelijk, compleet met
concrete voorbeelden van zonden en welke boetedoening daarbij hoorde.
Naast dit alles was hij
adviseur en raadgever van vele hooggeplaatste personen. Zelf achtte hij zich te
nederig voor dergelijke verheven functies. Zo weigerde hij een benoeming tot
aartsbisschop van Tarragona. Een benoeming tot generale overste van zijn dominicaner orde kon
hij niet voorkomen; hij was het slechts twee jaar: van 1238 tot 1240.
Nu zag hij een nieuwe
taak voor zich weggelegd: de bekering van joden en moslims. Daartoe stichtte
hij studiehuizen om geschikte priesters op te leiden. Opmerkelijk is daarbij
dat hij zijn leerlingen niet alleen stimuleerde om veel aandacht te geven aan
de joodse en moorse cultuur, maar hij zette zelfs de hebreeuwse en Arabische
taal als verplicht vak op het programma. Zo zouden ze des te beter zijn
toegerust om in gesprek te gaan met de geleerden van de andere godsdiensten.
Op latere leeftijd trok
hij zich terug op het eiland Mallorca. Daar zou hij met koning Jacob I van
Aragon hooglopende ruzie gekregen hebben over diens onwettige relatie. Het was
de gewetensvolle kerkjurist een doorn in het oog. Desondanks bleek de koning
niet bereid een eind te maken aan zijn onwettige liefdesverhouding. Daarop
besloot de heilige het gezelschap van de vorst te verlaten. Maar de koning was
bang voor opspraak en zorgde ervoor dat er geen boot te vinden was die
Raimundus wilde overbrengen naar het vasteland. Toen spreidde de heilige man
zijn mantel op het water, en liet zich, gedragen door dit kledingstuk,
naar Barcelona aan de overkant drijven. Dit zou de koning ertoe hebben gebracht
zijn zondige levenswandel op te geven.
Verering & Cultuur
Hij was ongeveer honderd jaar, toen hij op 6 januari 1275 stierf. Zijn feestdag staat een dag later; sinds 1671 wordt hij ook op 23 januari gevierd.
Hij werd in 1601 door paus Clemens VIII († 1605) heilig verklaard.
Hij is patroon van het koninkrijk Navarra en van de stad Barcelona; daarnaast
wordt hij ook vereerd als beschermheilige van kerkjuristen, rechtsgeleerden en
van biechtvaders.
Afgebeeld
Hij wordt afgebeeld als dominicaan;
op een mantel de zee overstekend.
[000»bk:Wolfs/Postzegels:44-45; 111p:19; 200/1†01.06»R.-Rochefort; 204p:97;
233p:615; Abendland:154(sarcofaag); 288; 293p:12; 500; Dries van den Akker
s.j./2010.02.21]
© A. van den Akker
s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen
SOURCE : https://heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/01/07/01-07-1275-raimundus.php
Voir aussi : https://www.dominicos.org/quienes-somos/grandes-figuras/santos/san-raimundo-de-penafort/
