St. Raymond of Peñafort

St. Raymond of Peñafort

(1175-1275)

Feast day January 7

     Saint Raymond Peñafort is THE Patron Saint of Canon Lawyers.  He was a Dominican friar who became one of that Order’s finest preachers and writers.  Considering that the Dominicans are known as the “Order of Preachers”, that’s saying something. In 1230 when Pope Gregory IX called Saint Raymond to Rome, Church law was a mess with no codification, but full of centuries old decrees issued for a particular time and place many of which were conflicting.  Pope Gregory wanted Raymond to rewrite and condense these decrees that had been growing in the Church for centuries.  They were contained in more than a dozen collections. In particular, papal decretal letters had been changing the law over the course of the previous 100 years since the publication of the Decretum of Gratian.   Very much like some of our U.S. Presidents have used Administrative Orders and look at the controversy some of those have caused.  In all, Raymond curated five books of Decretals and the Pope issued a Bull commanding that the work of St. Raymond alone should be considered authoritative in the Church.  Known as the Liber Extra or Decretals of Gregory IX, the work became the standard of Church Law for almost seven hundred years.  It remained part of the Church Law until The Code of Canon Law was first promulgated in 1917.   

     Saint Raymond also had a strong devotion to the education of the laity and was known for his preaching and pastoral care of them.  Saint Raymond was famous for his sermons, which were full of wisdom and were appreciated by lay people of different classes and backgrounds.

     When Saint Raymond’s work in Canon Law was finished, he chose not to accept secular appointments, but did reluctantly accept the post of Master-General of the Dominican Order.  For two years he carried out a visitation of the Order’s houses and more importantly, used his canonical expertise to revise the Dominican Constitutions.  On a personal note, Saint Raymond was instrumental in persuading a young, fellow Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas, to write one of Aquinas’ major theological works, the ‘Summa contra gentes’ (‘Against the Pagans’) as a catechism for Aquinas’ work of conversions.  Saint Raymond died in 1275 at the age of 100!

PRAYER to Saint Raymond Penafort

for Canon Lawyers

     Saint Raymond of Penafort, guide me in my work as a canon lawyer, to seek justice in all things and administer my work in the fairest of ways.  Help me with patience to see the true facts with insight and charity, and to respect all of the parties involved in my work.  Let me see my role for the humble role that it is, in modest assistance to the Supreme Judge we will all stand before someday.