(A.D. 1275.)
[Roman Martyrology. Authorities: The bull of his canonization, by
Clement VIII., in 1601, and a life by Leander Albertus.]
S. Raymund was born in 1175, at Pennaforte, a castle in Catalonia. At
the age of thirty he went to Bologna, in Italy, to perfect himself in
the study of canon and civil law. In 1219 the Bishop of Barcelona, who
had been at Rome, took Raymund home with him and made him archdeacon
of Barcelona. In 1222 he took the religious habit of S. Dominic,
eight months after the founder had died. James, King of Arragon, had
married Eleonora of Castile within the prohibited degrees, without a
dispensation. A legate of Pope Gregory IX., in a council of bishops
held at Tarragona, declared the marriage null. Acting on the mind of
the prince, by his great sanctity and earnestness, Raymund persuaded
him to introduce the inquisition into the kingdom to suppress the
Waldenses and Albigenses, who had made many converts to their
pernicious doctrines. The object of S. Raymund doubtless was that it
should serve as a check to the diffusion of heresy, and be a protection
to simple souls against the poison which the ministers of Antichrist
strove to infuse into them. The inquisitors were to be the dogs
protecting the sheep from the wolves. S. Raymund laboured diligently,
by exhortation and example, to convert the Moors and heretics, and his
efforts were attended with extraordinary success.
Pope Gregory IX., having called S. Raymund to Rome, made him his
confessor. In 1235 he was named to the archbishopric of Tarragona, but,
by his tears, he persuaded the Pope not to enforce his acceptance of
the responsible charge. In 1238 he was chosen general of the Dominican
order. He made the visitation of the order on foot, and reduced the
constitution to a more complete system than heretofore. Being in
Majorca with the king, he discovered that King James was living in
adultery with a lady of his court. As the king would not dissolve the
sinful union, the Saint implored leave to depart; the king refused,
and forbade any shipper taking him into his vessel. Thereupon Raymund
boldly spread his cloak on the water, and standing on it, was wafted
across to Barcelona. This miracle so alarmed the king, that he became
a sincere penitent. Raymund died on Jan. 6th, 1275, at the age of a
hundred.