January 23 · Catholic · traditional calendar
Raymond of Peñafort
Raymond of Peñafort was a Dominican priest and canon lawyer who compiled the decretals of Gregory IX and later served as master of the Order of Preachers. Sources differ in how they describe his role in the beginnings of the Mercedarians, so that role should not eclipse his documented legal work.
- Patronage
- canon lawyers
- Era
- 1175–1275
Canon law and Dominican service
Raymond studied and taught law before joining the Dominicans in 1222. Pope Gregory IX commissioned him to organize papal and conciliar decrees. The resulting collection remained central to the study of canon law for centuries. Raymond also wrote on penitential practice and became the third master of the Dominican Order.
The Mercedarian connection
Vatican News calls Raymond a co-founder of the Mercedarians with Peter Nolasco, while the Dominican biography centers Raymond's legal and Dominican work. The imported page called him the sole founder and presented that as his defining achievement. This revision uses the more careful description and links both institutional accounts.
Sources and references
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