Jan 7, St. Raymond of Peñafort

Born in Spain near Barcelona, in 1175, he became professor of canon law in 1195, and taught for fifteen years. He occupied a chair of canon law in the University of Bologna for three years and published a treatise on ecclesiastical legislation. Raymond was attracted to the Dominican Order by the preaching of Blessed Reginald.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. The pope employed Raymond of Peñafort’s talents in rearranging 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.

Then the pope decreed that the work of St. Raymond alone should be considered authoritative, and should alone be used in the schools. St. Raymond declined the bishopric of Tarragona but was elected General of the Order. Although he resigned two years later, during his office he published a revised edition of the Dominican Constitutions and requested that Aquinas write the Summa Contra Gentiles. He died at the ripe age of 100 years.