Saint Raymond of Penyafort

Saint Raymond of Penyafort accomplished many things in his 100 years of life. A future patron of canon lawyers and lawyers in general, Raymond was born into Spanish nobility. He was highly educated early in life.

At the ripe age of 20 years old Saint Raymond of Penyafort taught philosophy. In another decade he had a doctorate in civil and canon law. Raymond joined the Dominican order at the age of 41. Saint Raymond of Penyafort had gained such notoriety in his studies that Pope Gregory IX asked him to help with an important project. Canon Laws were found scattered across countless publications. The main problem was that Canon Law had been gradually changing over 100 years because Popes weren’t “checking their work.” Saint Raymond of Penyafort poured through the documents and made a “clean” collection of Canon Law that became known as the Decretals of Gregory IX. This became the standard for education. Pope Gregory IX mandated that Saint Raymond of Penyafort's work was authoritative, and should alone be used in the schools.

Saint Raymond of Penyafort wrote the “Summa de casibus poenitentiae” which was more than just a “sin list” with penances. He went into depth with scenarios that could be brought to the confessional. He illustrated what doctrines and laws of the Church were relevant. This book is considered to be an authoritative work on the subject.

Saint Raymond of Penyafort was a well-known confessor and he had some famous “clients.” Among those was King James I of Aragon. The King went on a trip to an island with Raymond and brought his mistress as well. Raymond told the king to end the illicit relationship. In turn, the King threatened the future saint and any boat captain who would help Raymond leave. Raymond was undeterred. He took off his outer cloak. He connected his staff to one end and stood on the other end of the cloak. His outer garment became both a boat and a sail. He used his makeshift vessel to travel 160 miles to Barcelona in six hours. When the naughty King heard of this miracle, he repented.

Because of Saint Raymond of Penyafort's longevity, his “later years” spanned four decades. At the age of 60, he was made Archbishop of Tarragona. His reign lasted two years due to sickness. Soon after his resignation, he was elected to be the head of the entire Dominican Order. He got the “order in order” with new constitutions. He quit at age 65 and spent the last 35 years of his life fighting heresies and converting pagans in Spain.