Raimund of Peñafort

ON ST. RAYMOND OF PENNAFORT, THIRD GENERAL OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS.

IN THE YEAR 1275.

Raymond of Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (S.)

From various sources.

[1] From the most sacred family of St. Dominic, from its very beginning, so many most illustrious heroes have arisen who, either by labors undertaken for the propagation of the Catholic Religion, or by the shedding of their blood, or by the innocence of their life and the exercise of all virtues, have either attained or merited heavenly honors, that our Bernardino Stefonio truly affirmed in his Oration in praise of Blessed Agnes of Montepulciano that in decreeing immortality of name and honor to the heavenly members of this Order, the Most Illustrious Princes of the sacred Senate From the Order of Preachers, very many Saints. must deliberate no less often about which of this class are not to be neglected than about which are to be chosen. "For, to pass over earlier times," he says, "within these few years, or rather months, indeed days, we ourselves have seen how many men of this name, whom their virtue had already raised to heaven, the authority of the Pontiff has afterwards added to the churches by the decree of sacred celebrations, in agreement with the expectation of kings and peoples. For this is indeed the distinctive mark of your discipline, Fathers: you fill up the annual feasts; your good fortune almost single-handedly fills the Latin calendar; from you the most brilliant lights daily come forth, which crowd the Roman year like the Galaxy of heaven, strewn with the densest splendor of stars — that is, of virtues. Thus nowhere more often than among you does religion publicly celebrate with ceremonies duly received." And after ^a few words: "It is already bringing forth others henceforth for the churches, as I hear; and, as I hope, the ever-fruitful, never-exhausted fecundity of your holiness, Fathers, will bring them forth:

'When one is plucked, another golden one takes its place, And the branch puts forth leaves of like metal.'

This line from golden verse ^a not ignoble Poet transferred to adorn the nobility of the ancient Family. But more truly does it apply to this golden tenor of your never-interrupted felicity."

[2] This most religious Order was eminently adorned, almost at its very beginning, by Raymond, most illustrious for the nobility of his birth and for the praise of his learning and holiness even before he entered it. Having died in the year 1275, he began to be publicly venerated at the altars in Barcelona in 1542, and at last in 1601, by the sacrosanct authority of Clement VIII, he was enrolled in the number of the Holy Confessors — with such great personal zeal on the part of the Pontiff himself that he composed the following prayer about him, which the Preachers have retained in the Divine Office: Prayer for St. Raymond. "O God, who didst choose Blessed Raymond as an eminent minister of the Sacrament of Penance and didst wondrously convey him across the waves of the sea; grant that through his intercession we may be able to bring forth worthy fruits of penance and to arrive at the port of eternal salvation. Through the Lord," etc.

[3] He is celebrated on January 6, the day on which he died, in certain Martyrologies. For Molanus in his Additions to Usuard writes thus: "At Barcelona, Blessed Raymond the Confessor, Day of death: January 6. third Master of the Order of Preachers, who although he has not been canonized, his feast is nevertheless celebrated by the people of Barcelona with the consent of Paul III on the day after the Epiphany of the Lord." The German Martyrology has the same; Galesin says nearly the same in his Notes, but errs when he writes that his feast began to be celebrated by the permission of Paul IV, since it was done by the authority of Paul III. Ferrarius also in the General Catalogue of Saints: "At Barcelona in Spain, St. Raymond the Confessor." The Cologne Martyrology also, as I believe, on January 16: "On the same day, St. Raymond the Confessor." The Carthusians of Cologne in their Additions to Usuard and the manuscript Florarium have the same.

[4] But on January 7, the Martyrology of the sacred Order of Preachers: "At Barcelona in Spain, St. Raymond of Pennafort, Confessor, Celebration on January 7. third General Master of the Order of Preachers, distinguished for learning, holiness, and the glory of miracles; who founded the Order of Blessed Mary of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives; was the author of the counsel to King James of Aragon to establish the holy office of the Inquisition in his kingdoms; crossed the sea from the Greater Balearic Island to Barcelona without any ship, carried by ^a great miracle upon his cloak alone spread over the waters; entered the monastery with the doors closed; and is recorded to have raised forty dead persons; he flew to heavenly glory at nearly ^a hundred years of age, on the very day of Epiphany; from whose sepulcher, by ^a perennial miracle, ^a fine dust of inexhaustible matter always grows, by which various illnesses are cured. He was enrolled in the number of the Saints by Clement VIII. A full double feast." The Roman Martyrology, also revised by the authority of Urban VIII: "At Barcelona, St. Raymond of Pennafort, of the Order of Preachers, celebrated for holiness and learning."

[5] The illustrious deeds of St. Raymond have been committed to writing by very many: Nicholas Eymeric, Inquisitor of the Kingdom of Aragon, who lived in the year 1350. Those who wrote his life. That life exists in manuscript at Gerona in the Dominican convent. Bernard Gui in ^a manuscript book on the General Chapters of the Order. James of St. John, who was Inquisitor at Barcelona in the year 1456 — this manuscript is preserved at Barcelona in the convent of the same Fathers; whether this is the same person who is cited below in Chapter 4 of the longer life as James Dominic, I do not know. Peter Marsilio, who composed the history of James I of Aragon, called "the Conqueror" (commonly El Conquistador), in several books, and in it very much about St. Raymond; whether he also wrote his life separately, I have not discovered. Michael Llot, sent to Rome for the purpose of procuring the canonization of St. Raymond, published ^a book there in the year 1595 on his praiseworthy life and the acts conducted so far in the Roman Curia for the same canonization. John Marieta in Part 2, Book 12, Chapters 30 to 39, of his History of the Saints of Spain. Francis Diago in Part 1, Book 2, Chapters 7 and 20 following, of his History of the Province of Aragon of the Order of Preachers, who also mentions him in Book 7 of his Annals of Valencia, Chapters 1 and 2. Ferdinand del Castillo in Book 2, Chapters 16, 17, and 18, of his General History of the Order of Preachers. Abraham Bzovius in Volume 13 of his Ecclesiastical Annals pursued the deeds of St. Raymond. Moreover, Anthony Vincent Domenec in Book 2 of his History of the Saints of Catalonia, Francis Pena in his commentary on Part 2 of the Directory of Inquisitors of Nicholas Eymeric (who is said to have published another more splendid life after the Saint's canonization), Peter Ribadeneira of our Society, Seraphino Razzi, Heribert Rosweyde of our Society, Cornelius Grasius the Carthusian, Leander Alberti, and from him Laurence Surius, Francis Haraeus, and Anthony of Siena wrote his life expressly.

[6] The following also mention St. Raymond: Stephen de Sampayo in the Stemma of the Order of Preachers, Andrew Schott (or whoever else composed the Library of Spain), Those who mention him. Volume 2. Seraphino Razzi, already cited, in his History of Illustrious Men of the Order of Preachers. Anthony of Siena in his Chronicle and in the Library of the Order of Preachers. John of Freiburg in the Prologue to his Casual Questions and in the Prologue to his Summa. St. Antoninus, Part 3, Title 23, Chapter 10, section 5, and Chapter 12, where among other things he writes that Raymond, when he presided over the Order, had zeal for religion in the observance of ceremonies. Marcus Antonius Coccius Sabellicus, Enneade 9, Book 6. Hieronymus Zurita, Volume 1 of his Annals of Aragon, Book 3, Chapter 94. John Trithemius in his book On Ecclesiastical Writers. John Mariana of our Society, Book 13 of his Spanish Affairs, Chapter 22 and elsewhere. Anthony Possevino of our Society. James Ferrandus, who, as Marieta writes, was ^a Turk by nation, ^a man of outstanding learning and piety, who twice presided over the Province of Aragon of the Order of Preachers; he composed the Office of Blessed Raymond, of which mention is made in the Clementine Constitutions. Thomas de Trujillo, Volume 1 of his Thesaurus of Sermons, from Leander and Ferrandus. Abraham Bzovius, cited again above, Volume 3 of his Sacred Sermons. Peter Valderama the Augustinian in his Theatre of Religious Orders, Volume 2. John de Mata in his book of Sermons on the Saints of the Order of Preachers and Friars Minor. Thomas Raymond in his Garden of Divine Plants, etc. Francis Hyacinth Choquet, Doctor of Sacred Theology and ^a most dear friend of mine, in his book entitled The Maternal Affection of Mary, Mother of God, toward the Order of Preachers, Chapters 9 and 13. Fabian Giustiniani in his Universal Alphabetical Index. Louis of Granada, Sermon 2 on the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost. Platina in his Life of Gregory IX, writing thus: "Raymond of Barcelona, moreover, whose help Gregory used in compiling the Book of Decretals, is praised by some so highly that no one could be commended with greater commendation."

[7] Bernardine Gomez in his Life of King James, James Philip of Bergamo in his Supplement to the Chronicles, Book 13, James Gaultier of our Society in his Chronological Table, thirteenth century. Louis de Paramo, On the Origin of the Inquisition, Book 2, Title 2, Chapter 8. A. de Salazar in his Inventory of Spain. John Michael Pio in his Lives of Illustrious Men of the Order of Preachers, Part 2. Hieronymus Blanca in his Indices of the Affairs of Aragon, Book 2. Cardinal Bellarmine in his book On Ecclesiastical Writers. Gabriel of Volterra, Book 21. Others are also cited whom, like the four cited in the first place, I have not yet been able to see, since they are as yet unpublished to my knowledge: namely, Nicholas Rossel the Cardinal; Natalis Gaver and Zumel, both Masters General of the Order of St. Mary for the Redemption of Captives; Ptolemy of Lucca; Blasius Verdu; Bernardino Scotto; Peter Anthony Beuter in his Chronicles of Spain; Michael Carbonel in his Life of King James; Hieronymus Romanus in his Chronicles of the Augustinian Order; Salvador Pons; Vincent Giustiniani in his Life of Blessed Louis Bertrand. The Life of St. Raymond published here: name and surname. We shall give here the Life written by Leander Alberti; then the Bull of Clement VIII, which accurately embraces the entire life — we have collated its three editions, namely that of Garneveld who augmented Surius, that of the Bullarium, and that of the works of St. Raymond; then we shall append ^a few things from others, especially miracles published by Michael Llot from the ancient Process of canonization and by Nicholas Eymeric, and from other sources.

[8] The name and surname of St. Raymond are variously expressed, for he is more often called Raymundus, by some Remundus and Ramundus. Diago contends in Book 2, Chapter 7, that he should be called "de Pennaforti" and that the family from which he sprang was always called "de Penafort" or "Pennaforti"; and thus some write it. But the Spanish generally write Penafort, others Pegnafort, Peniafort, Penyafort; our Rosweyde writes "de Rochefort."

LIFE.

By Leander Alberti.

Raymond of Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (S.)

By Leander Alberti.

[1] The homeland, family, and education of St. Raymond. Raymond of Pennafort, ^a Catalan, traced his origin to the Kings of Aragon. After he had grown up, he was sent to the university to acquire learning, in which he made such progress in ^a very short time that he could easily be numbered among the most distinguished men of that era in both Pontifical and Imperial law. Wherefore our fellow citizens of Bologna, hearing of the fame of so great ^a man, hired him at public expense to teach. It was for this reason that he assumed the garb of religion. He had happened to dissuade ^a certain young student from entering ^a holy way of life with many arguments. Afterwards, therefore, tormented by his conscience, He enters the Order of Preachers. he himself embraced what he had dissuaded the other from: namely, leaving behind the allurements, favor, and glory of the world, to the astonishment of all he entered the Order of Preachers.

[2] As soon as he had made his profession, after the customary year, he was summoned as ^a companion by the Legate of the Supreme Pontiff, who was traveling to Spain. His various offices and works. At length, when his outstanding learning became known, he was ordered by Pope Gregory IX to collect the Decretals of the Popes and Councils into ^a single body, which is still in use in the universities and is faithfully observed, as can be seen in the preface from the citation of his name by the same Pontiff. The Pontiff also made him his Chaplain and Penitentiary — ^a dignity that in those times was conferred only upon the very learned. He was also made an expediter of the cases of the poor. After collecting the Decretal Epistles into one body, he published the Summa on Cases of Conscience, an outstanding work worthy of all admiration and observance.

[3] The Pontiff, observing his most illustrious life, character, great learning, and integrity of soul, created him Bishop of the city of Barcelona. Perceiving that beneath so great an honor lay ^a very great burden, He refuses the bishopric. with the aforesaid Pontiff's approval, he relinquished that very dignity and returned to the Order of Preachers, preferring to be covered with ^a rough and humble tunic and cloak and to serve God in poverty under it, rather than after the pinnacle of so great ^a dignity to have soon to render an account of so great ^a stewardship. Therefore, having returned to the Order of Preachers, the most humble Father asked that some good man be placed over him, by whom he might be instructed in the things of religion; and as he was gentle and of ^a well-ordered nature, he became so adorned with religious customs in ^a very short time that at the eighteenth General Assembly (which they call the General Chapter) celebrated at Bologna in the year of the Lord 1238, by the unanimous consent of all the Fathers, he was (in his absence) named and approved as worthy of the Presidency of the entire Order of Preachers.

[4] I shall begin from the beginning, to narrate the matter in order, which I think will please the readers. When Jordan, the most holy man who presided over the entire family of the Preachers, had died, General Chapter for electing ^a General. they came to an Interrex, to speak in the manner of the ancient Romans. The Interrex, whom our Fathers call the Vicar General of the entire Order of Preachers, was that great Albert, created by the force and command of our constitutions. At length, when the eighteenth General Assembly was convoked, the Electors gathered at Bologna to appoint someone over themselves and the Order. At this Synod, among the other Electors besides the great Albert, two men excelling in both character and learning were present: namely, Hugh of Saint-Cher, then Provincial of the Province of France, later Cardinal of the Roman Church, and Ivo, Provincial of the Province of the Holy Land (for these Provincials they call Provincial Priors). On the appointed day, all the Electors assembled under ^a certain portico to elect ^a President. When all the votes had been cast, the contest was evenly balanced. For they had divided into two parties: the Germans had elected the great Albert, and the French the aforementioned Hugh, with the other parties favoring both sides. When the vote was taken ^a second and third time, it always fell back to the same result.

[5] When the Fathers perceived that the Electors could not come to an agreement together, prayers were ordered before the most holy body of the father Dominic. While the Brethren were thus praying, ^a certain one, placed outside himself, saw all the Electors leaving the chamber and erecting in the church ^a very great column, dyed with drops of blood, extending from top to bottom. But while the watching Brother rejoiced, immediately ^a signal was given to the Electors to assemble again for the election of ^a President. St. Raymond is elected in his absence. And so, on the first ballot, with Raymond in Barcelona, the Fathers unanimously and harmoniously elected him, although before this no mention of him whatsoever had been made.

[6] Fearing, however, that he might spurn the Presidency offered to him, the Fathers by common counsel sent Hugh, Bonisius of Piacenza, Pontius de Sperra, Provincial of the Province of Narbonnese Gaul, Philip, formerly President of Syria but deposed at the said Synod, Stephen the Spaniard, formerly Provincial of the Province of Lombardy, together with some other Fathers, to Barcelona He reluctantly accepts the office. to persuade Raymond to accept the Presidency offered to him. When they had gathered, they earnestly begged the man of God to bend his neck; but he, preferring to dwell with himself rather than to undertake so great ^a charge, showed himself inexorable. At last, persuaded by the authority and reasons of such great men, he bowed his head and took up so great ^a burden.

[7] But he discharged this office for only two years; for at the first General Synod celebrated under him, which was the nineteenth, in the year of the Lord 1239, he enacted ^a law that the President of the entire Order of Preachers could resign his office before the Fathers whom we call Definitors, and that they would be obliged to accept the resignation. This he then strove to do, but was entirely unable, because the Fathers refused to accept the resignation. At last in the following year, namely 1240, He voluntarily abdicates after two years. at the twentieth Synod celebrated at Bologna, he petitioned for resignation, alleging ill health and certain other reasons. And when he had begged most earnestly for this, he at last had his wish fulfilled by virtue of the law enacted the preceding year. Wherefore the Fathers, perceiving the great disturbance that could easily arise in the Order if such Presidents or Masters General of the Order (as they are commonly called) could resign at will and they themselves were bound to accept their resignation, enacted ^a law that henceforth their resignation would not be accepted except for perpetual impediments; and so that law was repealed.

[8] Raymond, therefore, having obtained his wish, returned to Barcelona with ^a joyful heart, and there led ^a most holy life, occupied in constant studies and meditations. He published, as we mentioned above, many works, and arranged the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Preachers in ^a wonderful order, which had previously been unorganized. He survived for thirty-five years after resigning the Presidency of the Order. He died on the day of Epiphany, He dies. the 8th of the Ides of January January 6, in the year 1275. The frequent miracles He is renowned for miracles. performed by God at the invocation of his name testify to his sanctity. Moreover, both while he lived and after his death he was renowned for very great miracles. Among other things, it is recorded that he raised forty dead persons. The King of Aragon, seeing such outstanding miracles, pressed strongly with the Pontiff that Raymond be numbered among the Saints; but I know not by what accident so worthy ^a work was omitted; and so it remains. These are the things concerning so great ^a man that have come into my hands.

p. Sampayo says that he was induced to take up the burden not without tears shed on both sides beforehand.

q. On which see the Constitutions of the Order, Distinction 2, Chapter 8.

r. Four during his life and thirty-six after death, as Castillo, Diago, and Domenec report. Llot confirms this by constant tradition in Chapter 13.

LIFE AND CANONIZATION

From the Bull of Clement VIII, Supreme Pontiff.

Raymond of Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (S.)

From the Bull of Clement VIII.

PREFACE.

[1] Saints have always existed in the Church. The Roman Catholic Church, which, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone, is divinely governed by the Holy Spirit and wondrously guided by the providence of His eternal wisdom; persevering in perpetual agreement in that same unity of faith and truth of doctrine which she received from Christ her spouse and from the Apostles, she is heaped with continual blessings of heavenly grace by God the Father of mercies; and as ^a fruitful mother, increased by ^a manifold offspring of Saints, she is illuminated by their merits and virtues. And this unity of the Catholic faith, one and the same Spirit has formerly wrought and now also works through many divisions of graces in the body of Christ, of which we are members. And God has set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly Doctors, who preached one Lord, one faith, one baptism; and speaking the truth in love, they grew up in Him through all things, who is the Head, Christ, from whom the whole body, compacted and connected by every joint of supply, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part. The chief members, however, of this mystical body are the holy men whom God chose and predestined unto life, who always held the same faith, and fighting lawfully for its defense, obtained the promises and merited to be crowned in heaven. But from the very beginning of the nascent Church down to these times, the princes and powers of darkness have tried to undermine and overthrow this unity of faith, in which we are made one body in one spirit, by raising up many storms and whirlwinds of heresies; but the divine wisdom of Christ, by which He founded His Church upon ^a firm rock, against which the gates of hell will never prevail, has always defended it with His powerful right hand and will preserve it until the consummation of the age. And in this the admirable providence of God shines forth most clearly: that in almost every age of the centuries, and especially in those times in which the Catholic religion was assailed by the atrocity of tyrants and the perfidy of heretics, He raised up invincible Martyrs, most valiant athletes, glorious Confessors, and holy men, great in virtue and endowed with prudence, against the savagery of tyrants and the wickedness of heretics, who propagated most widely the Christian faith, adorned by their blood and confirmed by the integrity of their life, their teachings, their virtues, and their miracles.

[2] Praises of St. Raymond. And indeed in earlier centuries, from the glorious family of the Father St. Dominic, Blessed Raymond of Pennafort of Barcelona arose, ^a lover of true wisdom which never fades; spurning all riches, he became rich in the grace of God which was given in Christ Jesus in all speech and knowledge, rich in humility and virtue, rich in good works; in whom, in ^a word, God showed the abundant riches of His grace and glory. For He called him to share in the lot of the Saints and filled him with the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, he spoke wisdom in the midst of Kings and Magnates — not the wisdom of this world, nor of the Princes of this world who come to nothing, but the wisdom of God in mystery, which is hidden from the wise of this world and revealed to the little ones: truly ^a minister of God, seeking God's glory in poverty, in all patience, in prayers, in labors, and making known the mystery of the faith in ^a pure conscience to the faithful and unfaithful with the greatest charity; he led very many who were straying from the way of salvation in the blindness of their hearts, by the word of truth and the innocence of his life, into the straight path of the commandments of God, and opposed himself as ^a most strong and impregnable wall against the attack and audacity of heretics. Moreover, God, who is wonderful in His Saints, gave him the gift of healings; and He manifested his sanctity, in the power of the Holy Spirit, through signs and wonders, both during his life and after his death, so that his glory spread throughout the most ample kingdoms of Spain.

[3] The Saints are honored by God. For this is the supreme goodness of God, by which He now glorifies His Saints — who, in contempt of honors, in the despising of all human affairs, and glorying in the cross of Christ our Lord, in this life amplified His praise and honor — and whom He Himself glorified, by ^a kind of reciprocity of honor, He rewards in heaven with the felicity of all good things and grants them an everlasting name that shall never perish. Wherefore we ought to be vehemently stirred to imitate their virtues, when we see that such men, averse to honors, in tribulations and distresses, attained such great glory that by their poverty and humility they far surpassed the grandeur of all Kings and every estimation and dignity of this world. For the ways of God are different from the ways of men, who, occupied in vain thoughts and empty cares, speak lofty things, boasting; but God has destroyed the thrones of proud rulers and caused their memory to cease from the earth, while the memory of the humble He has left in wisdom and consecrated with the greatest honors and most ample monuments. Wherefore we rightly praise Blessed Raymond and bless God in him, who adorned him with singular gifts of grace and the highest virtues; of whose life, holiness of character, purity of faith, and multitude of admirable signs we set forth only ^a few things for the common benefit of the whole Church, so that all may understand by what steps he at last ascended into heaven, and may give immortal thanks to God that his name has been inscribed in the Church of God by this our public decree of the Apostolic See in the number of the Saints.

CHAPTER I.

The learning and ecclesiastical offices of Raymond.

[4] St. Raymond teaches literature without charge. Blessed Raymond of Barcelona derived his origin from the noble family of Pennafort. Imbued from his earliest boyhood with the rudiments of the Christian religion, he already seemed to portend something great, since he was of outstanding physical and mental disposition and by ^a certain instinct of nature inclined more and more each day toward virtue and piety. As ^a youth he seized upon humane letters so eagerly that in ^a short time he made the greatest progress, and taught those arts, which he had thoroughly learned, to very many at Barcelona without charge, by God's help and with the highest praise.

[5] And so that he might gain the most ample profit from the talents entrusted to him by the Lord, he set out for Bologna — as it were to the common home of the good arts He sets out for Bologna. and the emporium of learning — where he did not spend the time given him for the business of wisdom in vain and carnal desires, by which that youthful age is often swept away from the pursuit of virtue, but devoted himself wholeheartedly to the duties of piety and to Pontifical and Civil Law; and at last, adorned with the Doctor's laurel and other insignia of learning, He is made Doctor. he publicly interpreted the sacred Canons with great admiration of men and without any stipend. When the Senate of Bologna had afterwards decreed an honorarium from the public treasury for him on account of his distinguished learning, He teaches Canon Law. he, sanctifying his labors to the Lord, faithfully offered tithes to God first and to his parish priest of the money given him by the Senate and of all the things he had acquired by his industry.

[6] He returns to Barcelona; becomes ^a Canon. When he had rendered outstanding service in this office of teaching for some years, and the fame of his learning had already spread throughout Italy, Berengarius, Bishop of Barcelona, moved by his virtues and knowledge, returning from Rome to his own Church, directed his journey through Bologna, where he met Blessed Raymond; and after many conversations back and forth, Berengarius, marveling at the man and reflecting with himself that he would be ^a great ornament and benefit to his Church, strongly urged that he should return with him to the Church of Barcelona, where he had been educated. This he at last obtained from him by great entreaties, and some time later adorned him with ^a Canonry of the same Church and ^a certain added Provostship.

[7] Increased by this benefice and dignity, he outshone all the Canons and the entire populace of that city by the splendor of his integrity and learning; and so great was his modesty in every gesture and movement of the body, and the sweetness of his entire manner of life, that he attracted men of all ages and ranks to love and admiration of himself. He venerated the Virgin Mother of God with ^a singular feeling of piety, He arranges for the feast of the Annunciation to be celebrated solemnly. and always increased her honor and worship as far as he could. For since the feast day of the Annunciation of the same Virgin was less celebrated in that Church, he obtained from the Bishop and Chapter that it should be solemnly observed in perpetuity with ^a double rite; and from the revenues of his Provostship he assigned an annual payment to the Canons to be distributed to those who were present at the sacred offices on that day.

CHAPTER II.

Entrance into religious life, most holy manner of living. Institution of the Order of Mercy.

[8] He enters the Order of Preachers. He had by this means won great authority among all and ^a reputation for holiness, and had turned the eyes of the entire city and the minds of all, and especially of Prelates and Princes, upon himself, when, despising within himself the empty glory of the world — fading like withering grass with its flower cast down — he aspired to ^a higher state of life. The Brethren of the Order of Preachers had recently come to that city, who in the apostolic manner, by preaching the Gospel of Christ, were teaching the people and inciting them to the worship of God and the pursuit of piety. Blessed Raymond first began to be delighted by their company and familiarity, and then to be vehemently inflamed to embrace that same way of life. Nor was this ^a wavering or difficult consideration. For his inclined spirit, already walking in the way of salvation, was easily led by those beautiful feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace to the mountain of the Lord — that is, to the summit of evangelical perfection. And so, already of mature age, being about forty-five years old, having renounced his honors and spurned all riches, he took wings as ^a dove; and flying to the rest of the Lord, he made solemn profession in the Order of Friars Preachers.

[9] Many follow him. And just as it was ^a source of admiration to all that ^a man of noble birth, outstanding learning, overflowing with goods, and celebrated for his dignity and fame, having taken up the institute of the religious life, had preferred voluntary poverty to riches and self-contempt to honors and comforts, so by his example many learned men and nobles devoted to studies and learning embraced the same Order; and on that account that religious order experienced great growth in the said city.

[10] Here now the new soldier of Christ, resolving within himself to fight bravely against the enemy of the human race, He excels in humility. and building the tower of eternal salvation as ^a wise architect, determined to lay the foundations of religious humility, which is the parent and guardian of the other virtues. And so, although he surpassed all in learning and prudence, he was nevertheless accustomed to think all the more modestly of himself for that very reason, to attribute everything to others and nothing to himself, to treat each person with due honor, and in short to prefer hiding rather than coming into the light — in which virtue he was most tenacious throughout his entire life. And since obedience is the life of humility, the just man meditated on obedience day and night obedience, (following the example of the Mediator and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death), and having buried the judgment of his own will, dead to this world, he had hidden his life with Christ in God, and depended entirely on the will of his Superiors. He embraced blessed poverty, worthy of the reward of the kingdom of heaven poverty, and praised by the mouth of Christ, with all his heart; and he always most zealously cultivated it as the foundation of fraternal peace, the purity of life, the renunciation of the cares of this world, and finally the nearest and, as it were, the shortest way to God; and he purified himself like gold proved by fire in the furnace of poverty.

[11] chastity, He was ^a most devoted lover of chastity, which is ^a heavenly and angelic treasure; and having his loins girded and the lamp of good work in his hands, bearing it in the earthen vessel of his body in sanctification and honor, he preserved it incorrupt and whole until the last day of his life; and with the piety he had toward the Mother of God and the immaculate Virgin Mary, devotion to the Blessed Virgin, to whose trust and patronage he had long since committed himself, holding it for certain and established that no surer defense for crushing the forces of the devil could be found than the protection of the same Virgin, he constantly invoked her patronage. And so great was his fervor and perseverance in prayer that, frequently collecting himself from various occupations, he would sit in solitude and, rising above himself, devote himself to divine contemplation, in which he drew in truly heavenly spirits; and receiving the waters of saving wisdom from the fountains of the Savior, he watered all the actions of his life with so great ^a shower of graces that rivers of living water flowed from his inmost being for the benefit of others. charity toward the poor. He was most favorably disposed toward the poor and especially toward captives held in harsh servitude by infidels, and he never omitted any kind of service by which he thought they could be freed; and he considered that so much the greater care and solicitude was to be devoted to them, as they were in the greater danger of abjuring the Christian faith and losing eternal salvation.

[12] When therefore, at his exhortation, Peter Nolasco, ^a Frenchman by nation, whose confessions Blessed Raymond heard — ^a man flourishing in wealth and endowed with outstanding piety — bestowed his resources and riches with great alacrity and ^a willing spirit for the feeding of the poor and especially for the redemption of captives from the chains of the Barbarians, God in His infinite goodness regarded this excellent service of ^a pious and generous soul with favor. For on the very next night, the most blessed Virgin Mother of God showed herself to the same Peter, who was devoted to holy meditations and prayer and was considering how he might relieve the miseries of Christians living in captivity, and told him with serene countenance that it would be most pleasing to her and to her only-begotten Son if an Order of Religious were instituted in her honor, whose charge would be to free captives from the tyranny of the Turks; and on that same night the same most holy Virgin appeared to Blessed Raymond He writes the rules for the Order of Mercy, divinely instituted. and to James I, King of Aragon, giving the same admonition about Religious. Wherefore these men, having conferred their counsels together, with consenting minds founded the Order of Blessed Mary of Mercy, or of the Redemption of Captives; for which Blessed Raymond prescribed certain rules of life, most suited to the vocation of this Order, the approbation of which he obtained some years later from our predecessor of happy memory, Gregory IX; and he created the said Peter, who had promptly given all his possessions to that Order, as the first General Master of the Order, having clothed him in the same habit with his own hands.

CHAPTER III.

Services performed for the Legate and the Pontiff.

[13] Although Blessed Raymond wished these things, which he had done for the sole glory of God and the benefit of his neighbor, He is joined as companion to the Apostolic Legate. to be kept most secret, nevertheless fame had already spread abroad everywhere his burning charity toward the needy and the holiness of his life, and made manifest the fragrance of his holy teaching in every place. Wherefore John, Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, of happy memory, ^a man most illustrious for the praise of his learning and piety, sent by our same predecessor Gregory IX as Legate ^a latere to Spain to preach the Cross against the Saracens and to handle other business of the Apostolic See, learning of his singular integrity from the testimony of many, took him as an assistant for his legation.

[14] In this office Blessed Raymond conducted himself with such prudence, such humility and charity, that he was to all the good fragrance of Christ unto life. He travels on foot, observes the Rule everywhere. For although he was born of ^a most honorable family and was already advanced in age, laden with many virtues, and possessed of great authority among all, yet on this long and most difficult journey it was never possible to obtain from him by any entreaties that he should ride on horseback; but as ^a true disciple of Christ, with his feet shod in the preparation of the Gospel of peace and taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, he made the journey on foot accompanied by his brethren; and going ahead of the Cardinal to the place he was to visit, as if preparing the way before his face in blessing, by preaching the Gospel of Christ he led very many, with the Lord's help, from the broad and spacious way to the narrow path of salvation; and by hearing confessions, he freed them from censures and from the bonds of sins. And what was astonishing to all, throughout that entire journey he never relaxed anything of his customary abstinence from food, his vigils, fasts, prayers, or the severity of his entire religious observance; but as ^a most scrupulous observer of the constitutions of his Order, he did not depart from its statutes and laws even by ^a hairbreadth.

[15] Wherefore all looked up to him and all honored him; Cardinal John loved him exceedingly. When the Cardinal, having completed his legation, was returning to Rome He is summoned to Rome by Gregory IX. and had resolved to bring Blessed Raymond with him, he was never able to obtain this from him. But when he reported to our same predecessor Gregory IX concerning the affairs of the legation, he said so many and such illustrious things about the virtues of this blessed man that Gregory our predecessor, inflamed with the desire to see him, immediately summoned him to his presence; and Raymond, obedient to his word, although most desirous of religious quiet, came to Rome.

[16] The aforesaid predecessor Gregory received him lovingly and kindly, and having quickly perceived and explored the gifts of his mind He is made his Chaplain, Penitentiary, and his supreme virtues, he adorned him with the office of his Chaplain (which at that time was the same as what is now the office of Auditors of Causes of the Apostolic Palace) and the dignity of Penitentiary; and he always held him in such esteem that he never treated weightier causes without consulting him. And when he had also appointed him to hear his sacred confessions, Confessor. Raymond, with the charity toward the needy that was his, used to impose on the Pope as ^a penance that he should immediately hear the petitions and just requests of the poor and expedite and conclude their affairs as quickly as possible; wherefore he was called by the same predecessor Gregory "the Father of the Poor."

[17] It had long been the wish of nearly everyone that the Decrees of the Roman Pontiffs, scattered in various Letters and Councils according to the time each was enacted — which seemed to introduce obscurity and uncertainty — should be reduced to order and ^a compendium for the common benefit of all, and especially of students; but ^a man suitable for so great ^a task was being sought. And so our predecessor Gregory, judging Blessed Raymond to be most apt for this office, He organizes the Decretals. imposed this burden on him; which he at last happily completed with immense labor in the space of three years, as is confirmed in the very preface of the Decretals by the most weighty testimony of the same Gregory.

CHAPTER IV.

Dignity declined. The Generalate voluntarily resigned.

[18] By these labors and his constant pursuit of humility, as long as he lived in Rome, he most diligently guarded himself against idle wandering of the mind and the desire for vain glory. Wherefore he repudiated with every effort even the honors that were offered to him and the most ample episcopal sees. For when Gregory had determined to confer on him the Archbishopric of Tarragona, He refuses the Archbishopric of Tarragona. he took it so grievously and painfully that he was immediately seized with fever and for some days tormented by immense pain of body and soul. And so, being most averse to the glory of this world, he strove with every resource to avert that dignity from himself; and when he could not do so by himself, employing the prayers of many and the authority of certain Cardinals, he so bent the mind of our same predecessor Gregory that he transferred the burden of that Church to the one whom Blessed Raymond judged most suitable for that office.

[19] Having passed through this difficulty, he rejoiced in the Lord and, as if restored to his own right, having given thanks to God, applied himself to his accustomed labors; by the greatness and duration of which he was at last so worn out He returns to Barcelona for his health. that he fell into so grave an illness that the physicians pronounced certain death for him unless he returned to his native soil. And so, having resigned the office of Confessor to our same predecessor Gregory and having obtained permission to depart, he returned to Barcelona; and he returned in such ^a way that he brought back to his homeland that candor of soul, untouched and unharmed by any stain of ambition, with which he had come to Rome.

[20] Scarcely had he left Rome when immediately the grace of healings and the working of powers was given to him divinely through the Spirit. He divinely receives the gift of healings. For when he had put in at that port of Catalonia which they call Tossa, ^a certain inhabitant of that place, named Barcelo de Faro (who, while he was busy with the harvest, had been seized by so grave and sudden an illness that he was immediately deprived of all his senses and perceived neither shouts nor stimuli applied to his body, but lying on the ground lifeless was believed to be dead), was brought to him in ^a small boat. The blessed man, moved with compassion, most fervently besought God, who is rich in mercy, to prolong his life long enough for him to confess his sins; then, leaning with great faith on God, he addressed the sick man by his own name and asked whether he wished to wash away the stains of his sins by sacred confession. Immediately the man, He restores consciousness to one half-dead for the confession of sins. as if awakened from sleep, raised his eyes and, having recovered the use of speech, said that he wished and earnestly desired this; and having made his confession and unburdened his conscience of sins and received absolution, he spoke no more and returned his spirit to God. Those standing around, marveling at this, glorified God, who had given such power to men.

[21] And when he arrived at Barcelona, his strength having been somewhat restored, he immediately applied his mind to contemplating divine and heavenly things. As soon as his arrival at Barcelona became known throughout Spain, an immense concourse of people began to come to him, He is consulted by many, partly for the sake of seeing him, partly of consulting him; for he exercised the power of Penitentiary, by the concession of the same Gregory, even while absent from Rome. He consoled all of them in the Lord and wonderfully refreshed them with spiritual admonitions. For his knowledge, like ^a flood, abounded in all things, and his counsel, like ^a fountain of life, brought the salvation of the soul to very many. But of this power of Penitentiary, in order to be more free for God and for himself, he voluntarily divested himself, although the same predecessor Gregory and the other Roman Pontiffs who followed him, also our predecessors, made use of his services even in his absence, as is easily established from their letters, by which they entrusted the most weighty affairs to him. He also composed the Summa of Cases of Conscience, He writes the Summa. which customarily arise frequently in the penitential forum — ^a work of great learning and authority, very useful and necessary both for confessors and penitents.

[22] While he was occupied with these sacred and delightful studies In his absence he is elected General of the Order. and with the tasks of helping his neighbor, in the year of human salvation 1238, Jordan, the second General Master of the same Order, departed this life. Wherefore ^a General Chapter was assembled at Bologna for the selection of ^a new General Master; and when the Fathers could not sufficiently agree among themselves because of divergent opinions, prayers were ordered at the body of St. Dominic, and then they proceeded to vote; by which votes, with absolutely no one dissenting, Blessed Raymond was declared General Master in his absence. Struck by this news and troubled in spirit, he first began to resist vehemently; but when Fathers of more advanced age and wisdom came from Bologna to Barcelona and confirmed that this was the will of all and of God, he at last reluctantly acquiesced and entered upon the office. And so, overcome by the prayers and authority of others, he applied his mind to governing that family. When he had administered it for ^a full two years most holily and with great praise, having obtained by his own request — by ^a decree made the preceding year by the common decision of the Fathers — that it should be lawful for the Master General to resign the office of the Generalate, at the next following Chapter, also held at Bologna, He abdicates that office. pleading his advanced age and infirm health, and being most desirous of his former quiet and private life, he voluntarily abdicated the magistracy, to the sorrow of all.

CHAPTER V.

Labors for the defense and propagation of the faith, and the extirpation of sins.

[23] Having laid down this burden, as it were, joyful and eager, he returned most diligently to his accustomed exercises of piety and to the zealous effort of inciting his neighbor to virtue, and he never held anything more important than to propagate the Catholic religion far and wide He urges that the Inquisition be established. and to vindicate it with all his strength from the stain of heresies. Wherefore he especially urged the illustrious King James of Aragon, the first of that name, ^a to establish the sacred office of the Inquisition in his kingdoms, namely, for the purpose of driving far from the borders of his realm the heresy that had recently sprung up ^b from the wicked sect of the Waldensians, together with all other heresies; and for this reason he was present, at the command of the same King James, ^c at ^a Provincial Council held at Tarragona against these same sectarians.

[24] Likewise, that the Gospel be preached to the Saracens. About the same time the Saracens, who had long before infected the most noble cities of Spain and the neighboring islands with the impious stock of their race, were also vehemently harassing them with armed force. He persuaded the same King James that the Gospel of Christ should be preached to them in his kingdoms. He also accompanied this King, at his request, when he set out for the larger island ^d of the Balearics, both so that he might serve him as confessor, and also so that by preaching the word of God and explaining the mysteries of the Catholic faith, he might bring the Jews and Saracens, who were present there in great number, to the Christian religion.

[25] When the same King James, captivated by ^a mad love, was keeping company with ^{e a} certain woman, Blessed Raymond, with that liberty and prudence of speech that was his, first tried to recall him from her with gentle words; but when he perceived that he was accomplishing nothing, he then began to pray and to beseech him with all entreaties, by his faith in God, not to destroy himself for the sake of ^a trifling bodily pleasure; but neither did his entreaties avail anything. Then Blessed Raymond, uncertain in mind and not knowing where to turn, having at last consulted the divine will by prayer, He abandons the adulterous King. resolved that the most serious thing he could do was to depart from the island, lest he should appear by his presence to approve the lust of the same King James, which he could no longer endure. And so he went to him and, having admonished him seriously and sternly, informed him of his intention. But King James, desirous of retaining him at his side, ordered all the sailors to be warned and forbidden under penalty of death to convey him across. Meanwhile, Blessed Raymond, unaware of this plan, proceeded to the port, where, having been unanimously rejected by all the boatmen — the will of King James being known — he set out for the port of Soller, firmly assuring the companion of his journey of this one thing: that the eternal King would not fail him there. But when he was not received by the sailors in that port either, marveling at this within himself, he declared with great faith that the mortal King had indeed so decreed, but the eternal King would provide otherwise.

[26] He crosses the sea using his cloak as ^a vessel. And so, having bidden farewell to all on the shore, making his way some distance over certain rocks and precipitous crags projecting into the sea, he descended into the water, and addressing his companion, said: "You will see how God will provide an excellent vessel." Wherefore, full of confidence, having spread his cloak ^f upon the waters and drawn back its edge like ^a sail upon the staff that he used as ^a mast, invoking the help of God and fortifying himself with the sign of the cross, leaving on the island his companion of little faith who was doubting, he committed himself to the sea; and with ^a gentle and favorable wind blowing, traversing the paths of the sea and blessing God who rules over its power, he covered one hundred and sixty miles in six hours, and to the astonishment of all along the shores at this extraordinary manner of sailing, he landed at Barcelona; where, having resumed his cloak, which had not even been wetted by the water, he betook himself to the monastery of his Order around midday, and — what is no less marvelous — having entered it ^g with the doors closed, He enters the monastery with the doors closed. avoiding the acclamations of the people, he withdrew to the church to give thanks to God. The fame of this event quickly spread throughout the whole city and its territories. The subsequent amendment ^h of the same King James also increased the magnitude of this miracle. Moreover, to this day there remain the traces of ^a tower and ^{i a} chapel built on the spot from which he had descended into the sea, Diseases are cured by the touch of his cloak. and also the cloak itself, as has been received by continuous tradition among those peoples, by the touch of which many are daily freed from various bodily infirmities.

[27] In procuring the salvation of the Jews and Saracens, he was always ablaze ^k with ^a great ardor of charity, and he devoted every effort to instructing them in the teachings of the Christian faith and assisting them with all his strength. To make this easier for him, he established ^{l a} Seminary, in which certain religious of his Order would be trained in the Hebrew and Arabic languages, He establishes ^a Seminary for the Hebrew and Arabic languages. at the expense of the Kings of Castile and Aragon. That this work was an ornament to all of Spain and an aid to the unbelievers is sufficiently established from the fact that through its help and support ^{m a} vast multitude of them embraced the Christian religion. He imbued the neophytes with no less charity in the precepts of Christian doctrine, and he was so constant in instructing them that he seemed to be their father; and lest the food necessary for their life should be lacking, he collected alms from everywhere.

CHAPTER VI.

Virtues, death, and obsequies.

[28] Often consulted on doubtful matters, he answered everyone with singular prudence Gracious to those who consulted him. and plainly divine wisdom, ^a and among the other benefits he received, he obtained this gift from God above all: that he suffused those with whom he dealt with ^a wonderful sweetness and delight of his company.

[29] He attained the highest facility in prayer and contemplation through long practice; for although he was occupied with various and weighty affairs, yet when he had composed himself for prayer, he was suddenly rapt with such sweetness of the divine spirit that he seemed to have been stripped of all care for mortal things. Devoted to prayer. And often, being secretly observed in the dead of night in the more secluded recesses of the church, he was heard to utter such frequent and deep sighs during prayer as to move those who heard him to tears. ^b He was constant in the divine offices and took incredible delight in singing the psalms.

[30] He celebrated the most holy sacrifice of the Mass nearly every day. ^c How great was the purity of soul and fervor of devotion in his offering of the sacrifice Piety in celebrating. may easily be estimated from this: that those standing by were moved to prayer by his appearance alone, and they obtained through his intercession the benefits sought from God, the Father of mercies.

[31] For ^a certain Brother Martin, ^a lay brother of the same Order, who, before submitting himself to the sweet yoke of Christ, had indulged rather freely in the pleasures of the flesh, and was then wonderfully tormented A temptation dispelled by his merits. by the recollection of those things to which he had previously been accustomed and by the allurements of his body, as if by certain goads, placed all his hope of repelling this temptation in the merits of Blessed Raymond. Therefore he began frequently to attend his sacrifices and to beseech God with the greatest prayers to bring some remedy to so great an evil of his. And while he was perseveringly making this petition, one day, from the hands of Blessed Raymond as he celebrated and showed the sacred Host to the people, Christ the Lord presented Himself to be seen by him under the most august appearance of ^a child, radiant with the brightest light. ^d At this sight, he was suddenly so filled with joy that from that time to his very last day, by divine grace and goodness, he was preserved from every stirring of the concupiscence of the flesh.

[32] Familiar with his Angel. With the Angel of the heavenly host he had such familiarity and friendship — which is the greatest proof of purity and holiness — that he was frequently ^e awakened from sleep and invited by him to pray.

[33] ^f He was most sparing in food and drink; for he fasted the entire week, His abstinence and gentleness. except on the Lord's Day. No trace of obstinacy or arrogance could ever be observed in him; on the contrary, his gentleness and patience were exceedingly great, and his charity toward God so immense that for the love of Him he counted all things as refuse — from which also that outstanding charity toward his neighbors overflowed. ^g

[34] At last, most richly endowed with all virtues, already in his declining years, he kept ^a perpetual watch of soul, awaiting the Lord, He dies in the year 1275, January 6. so that he might be called by Him to the heavenly nuptials. Therefore, ^h being nearly one hundred years old and desiring to be dissolved and to be with Christ, ⁱ he fell into ^a mortal illness; and having been duly fortified with all the Sacraments, with the brothers praying at his bedside, as all sense of life gradually faded, on the very day of the Epiphany he fell asleep in the Lord at Barcelona, in the year of human salvation 1275.

[35] When his death was made known, ^a great throng of people suddenly gathered at the monastery for the sake of seeing him; and so great was the esteem of his sanctity among all His obsequies most solemn. that many bishops, numerous prelates and noblemen, and also the entire clergy and people of Barcelona accompanied his funeral with the utmost expression of grief. That common report of his sanctity was greatly augmented by the authority of ^k Alphonsus of Castile and James of Aragon, who came to his obsequies to grace them with their presence, accompanied by their sons and all their households, with the greatest veneration and with the fame of this blessed man's holiness; and so his body was honorably buried amid the great mourning of the entire city and the grief of the leading men, and ^a few years later it was translated into ^{l a} marble sepulchre.

CHAPTER VII.

Miracles after death.

[36] The people of Barcelona, after Blessed Raymond had departed this life, as though the light of their whole fatherland had been extinguished, He shines forth with miracles after death. were grievously afflicted with sorrow, and on account of the fresh memory of his virtues and benefactions, to be deprived of him was most bitter for all. But the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who according to the multitude of their sorrows gladdens the hearts of those who fear Him with His consolations, wonderfully restored His people by conferring benefits upon all through the merits of Blessed Raymond. For He confirmed the integrity and holiness of this most faithful servant, already made illustrious by many miracles in his lifetime, by still more signs after his death, to the immense joy of all.

[37] Leprosy cured by his invocation. And so that all might understand how pleasing his soul was to God, this was declared by ^a remarkable miracle at the very time when he departed from this life to the Lord. There was in that city ^a one Guillelmus de Villaragut, who was suffering grievously from ^a deep-seated bodily leprosy, and the foulness of the disease and the sharpness of the pain would not permit him to go out in public or attend to his usual activities and business. The physicians, having tried all their remedies in vain, had given up hope and despaired of the case. But he himself, God so disposing — for He was about to glorify His Saint — had lodged in certain buildings near the monastery of the Order of Preachers on that very night on which Blessed Raymond departed this life. There, while he was being tortured by the most grievous pain of elephantiasis, he was advised by ^a certain pious man ^b named Bernard de Molendinis, ^a Canon of Barcelona, to commend himself to the merits of Blessed Raymond, who had at that time fallen asleep in the Lord. As soon as he did this carefully and diligently, being most desirous of recovering his health, immediately all the leprosy fell away from his limbs and left his body whole. In token of this event and in memory of the benefit received, the same Guillelmus ^c wished to make the matter known to all by ^a monument hung in the church, and he commended it to the memory of posterity.

[38] But this is the greatest proof of his sanctity: that he even recalled the dead to life. A dead girl raised. For ^a certain girl named Margaret, the daughter of ^a physician named John, about four years of age, had been exhausted by ^a prolonged fever and continuous looseness of the bowels and had died. That she was truly dead was confirmed by the very pallor of her face, the pinched nostrils, the lifeless eyes, the drawn teeth, and all the other signs; indeed the same John, her father, most skilled in the medical art, asserted that all the signs of death and none of life were present in her body. Meanwhile, the honorable woman Romea, the mother of the same Margaret, who had shortly before gone to the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond and was praying for his help and for her daughter's health, when she was informed by her husband John of the death of her daughter and repeatedly summoned home by him, was so inflamed by this news with the desire to recover her daughter that she declared she would neither leave that place nor return home unless her daughter Margaret were restored to life through the merits and intercession of this blessed man. And so she began to fill the air with tears and lamentations, and to press her prayer more fervently, and to beseech God through the merits of the blessed man with the greatest entreaties to restore her daughter to life and to herself. God looked upon her persevering prayer made with the firmest faith, and did not despise her supplications. For toward sunset, Margaret, the daughter who had died ^a little after midday, was completely restored not only to life but also to perfect health; and on the following day she went on foot to the church to give thanks for so great ^a benefit, and she survived for fourteen years.

[39] ^d Likewise another woman of honorable condition, named Romea, A woman in childbirth freed from danger. the wife of ^a pious man named Michael de Sala, experienced the aid of Blessed Raymond. For when she was being pressed by the most bitter pains of childbirth with the child already at full term, and having delivered the head of the infant while the rest of the body remained enclosed within, she had been tortured for three whole days and nights by the most grievous suffering, and nothing was closer to happening than that she should depart this life; for on account of the loathing of her weakened stomach, she was rejecting all food and drink, and lay lifeless, bereft of her senses and deprived of the use of her voice. The aforesaid Michael, vehemently dismayed in his soul at the present danger to his wife, immediately ran to the church, imploring the aid and assistance of Blessed Raymond; and as soon as he returned home, Romea gave birth most happily and was freed from all pain.

[40] Another man, injured by ^a fall, is suddenly healed. Furthermore, ^a certain young man who had been tormented by ^a most acute fever for twenty continuous days and whose strength was exhausted, had been carried by his family to the upper part of the house so that he might enjoy the purer air and refresh his spirits. Falling headlong from that place onto stones and rocks, he was so battered and broken in his limbs that, lying motionless and prostrate on the ground, he was thought by all to be dead. When many had rushed there, as happens, for the sake of seeing and helping him, one of those standing by cast into the mouth of the prostrate and dying man certain dust taken from the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond, which he was carrying with him in ^a spirit of religion and piety, and hung it around his neck; and that sick man was immediately restored to perfect health. And those miracles, indeed, and very many others happened long before; but these that follow are more recent.

CHAPTER VIII.

More recent miracles.

[41] A plague expelled. In the year 1589, when ^a pestilence was raging at Barcelona and growing stronger with an immense destruction of lives, ^a a certain upright man named Michael Amat, seized by the deadly plague and abandoned by the physicians who had despaired of his recovery, was preparing himself for death by receiving the Sacraments and Extreme Unction. As the disease gradually crept through all the members of his body, he was reduced to such straits that, with his throat blocked, he could no longer speak. Wherefore, with the deepest affection of his heart and soul, he besought Blessed Raymond to obtain by his prayers that this infirmity be driven from him. During that prayer he seemed to see Blessed Raymond and to feel him touching him with his outstretched hand; from which event he was so suddenly relieved of all disease that he recovered on that very same day.

[42] Likewise ^a hemorrhage. This is somewhat more recent. For in the year 1596, ^a certain pious woman named Anna Beneta, born of honorable parents at Barcelona, on the very feast of the Epiphany, had been brought into the greatest danger of life by ^a copious flow of blood; and the remedies applied by the physicians could in no way staunch the blood, nor was she expected to survive until the next day. Wherefore, at their urging, when she had piously and devoutly received the Sacraments of the most holy Eucharist and Extreme Unction, she awaited death. Meanwhile, she took refuge with all her soul in the protection of Blessed Raymond, and ordered that dust from his sepulchre be brought to her and mixed in ^a cup for her. Having drunk these, she began to feel better, and without any other remedy whatsoever she escaped the danger to her life.

[43] Diseases are healed by the dust of his sepulchre. This indeed has the force of ^a perpetual and ongoing miracle: that from his first ^b sepulchre there is generated ^a certain fine earth or most healthful dust, which, although it is exported from there in great quantity, never runs out; and many great bodily infirmities are cured by it.

[44] A sweet fragrance from the sepulchre. Likewise in the year 1596, when the judges appointed to examine the relics of this blessed man had opened the chest in which they were stored, so great ^a fragrance immediately wafted forth from his body — who in life had consecrated himself to God as ^a sweet-smelling offering — that many who had gathered there declared that nothing more pleasant than it could be perceived. Indeed, an eminent man, Ludovicus de Claremunt, who had been deprived ^c of his sense of smell for sixteen years because of ^a serious illness, when he had pressed closer in that crowd of people, driven by the desire to see, also perceived that most sweet fragrance. He was so suddenly refreshed by it that he could not hold back his tears for joy nor utter ^a word in any way. But thinking silently within himself, he doubted His sense of smell recovered there. whether he had recovered only the ability to smell that particular fragrance, or also that of other things; but when he returned home and noticed that he could perceive various smells, he immediately published the miracle. Nor indeed did that sweet fragrance emanate from his body only at that time, but through ^a certain opening in his sepulchre, the same sweet smell is from time to time breathed forth, and is perceived by those whom the divine goodness deigns to favor with that gift.

[45] By these and very many other miracles, which it would be tedious to recount, the hearts of kings were moved, and very many bishops and prelates of the churches, and entire peoples of the kingdom of Aragon, divinely stirred, The Aragonese petition Pope Nicholas III for his canonization. with one voice and consent frequently petitioned many of the Roman Pontiffs our predecessors that Blessed Raymond be enrolled in the number of the Saints. And indeed, in the fourth year after his death, namely the year of human salvation 1279, the Archbishop of Tarragona and ten bishops of the kingdom of Aragon, together with many abbots, assembled ^a in ^a Provincial Council at Tarragona, sent letters to our predecessor Pope Nicholas III of happy memory, in which, having testified to his singular charity toward God and the innocence of his life before God and men, they humbly petitioned that he would be pleased to enroll him in the number of the Saints, after due examination of his virtues and miracles.

[46] When, however, the same Nicholas III our predecessor had departed this life, the magistrates of the cities of the kingdom of Aragon and of the Principality of Catalonia, Likewise to various other Pontiffs. the entire city of Barcelona, and indeed the Priors and the other Brothers of the Order of Preachers who inhabited those provinces, earnestly sought the same from our predecessor ^b Boniface VIII of happy memory. But when the same predecessor Boniface had also been taken from human affairs, ^{c a} Provincial Council was again convoked at Tarragona, and it renewed the first petition with our predecessor ^d John XXII of holy memory. At which time ^e Brother Arnold Burguet, Inquisitor of the Order of Preachers and Procurator appointed by the General Chapter to prosecute this cause, arranged for many witnesses concerning the miracles reported about this blessed man to be examined. But since the matter could not be concluded owing to the death of the said predecessor John, ^f Peter, King of Aragon, of illustrious memory, by letters sent to our predecessor ^g Clement VI, likewise of happy memory, urgently pressed that this blessed man should be exalted with human praises on earth, whom the sublimity of divine providence, as was stated in his letters, had wished to honor in the heavens.

[47] Since, however, this matter is of such gravity and magnitude that it could not be completed in ^a short time, all deliberation on this cause was suspended until the time of our predecessor ^h Paul III, likewise of holy memory; The Office for him permitted to the Preachers. who, at last moved by the prayers of ⁱ Brother John of Toledo, of good memory, Cardinal of the title of S. Sixtus, called of Burgos, ^k granted that ^a solemn office for Blessed Raymond might be celebrated in all the monasteries and churches of the Order of Preachers existing in the kingdom of Aragon.

CHAPTER X.

The process of canonization examined in various ways.

[48] ^a After ^a lengthy interval of time had passed, since God, who is the glory of the strength of His Saints, was bestowing through the merits and intercession of Blessed Raymond ever more numerous benefits upon all of Spain; ^b Philip II also, of illustrious memory, the Catholic King of Spain, ^c by letters and through his beloved son the nobleman ^d Antonio de Cordova y Cardona, Duke of Sessa, his ambassador to us and the Apostolic See, petitioned that we would be pleased to bring to ^a conclusion this cause that had been begun under so many Roman Pontiffs. By this pious zeal of the King we were indeed greatly cheered. For since from the very beginning of our Pontificate we had aimed at nothing more than the glory of God and the exaltation of the Catholic religion, we rejoiced in the Lord when we perceived that both were being promoted by these petitions of the King. And so, to satisfy his devout desire, we enjoined upon our venerable brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church of the Congregation of Sacred Rites The process of canonization is examined. to inspect and examine carefully all the proceedings that had previously been drawn up in this matter. These, moreover, were selected from the three orders: the venerable Brothers, Bishops Alphonsus Gesualdus of Ostia, Inigo Avalos de Aragona of Porto, and Gabriel Paleottus of Sabina; and our beloved sons Alexander de' Medici of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Francis de Gioiosa of San Pietro in Vincoli, Augustine of Verona of San Marco, Dominic Pinellus of San Crisogono, Francis Maria de Monte of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Ascanius Columna of Santa Pudenziana, Cardinal Priests by title; Odoardo Farnese of Sant' Eustachio, and Antonio Facchinetti of Santi Quattro Coronati, Cardinal Deacons of the Holy Roman Church. Before them, when duly assembled, the beloved son Michael Llot, Doctor of Sacred Theology, ^a professed brother of the same Order of Preachers and legitimately appointed Procurator in this cause — in which duty he had diligently labored for six continuous years — produced certain documents pertaining to this very cause; but since many proofs could still be added, letters were sent to the Archbishop of Tarragona and to the Bishops of Barcelona and Vic with appropriate authority, so that they might extract at Barcelona all other documents and proofs made in previous years in this matter, and carry out whatever else seemed to be required for this cause, and transmit everything to us. When these had been drawn up with full legality, confirmed with the highest authority, and transmitted with due diligence and fidelity, we committed them to three men outstanding in learning, integrity, and experience: namely, Seraphinus Olivarius Razzalius, Dean, Peter Francis Gipsius, and Francis Penia, Auditors of Causes of our Palace, to read, weigh, and most carefully assess the merits of the entire cause with the greatest care and whatever diligence they could muster. While they were diligently and carefully engaged in this task, Philip II, the Catholic King of Spain, whose memory is in benediction, departed this life — greatly to our sorrow and that of the entire Christian world and to its detriment. Wherefore our most dear son in Christ Philip III, likewise the Catholic King of Spain, his son, heir not only to his kingdoms but also to his paternal virtues, immediately from the very beginning of his reign, so that he might place himself and all his affairs under the protection and patronage of Blessed Raymond, petitioned us by letters and through the same Antonio, Duke of Sessa, also his own ambassador, that we would be pleased to proceed in this cause. We therefore rejoiced greatly and blessed the Lord, who perpetually raises up pious kings to honor His Saints, whom He has chosen for the building up of the body of Christ, which is the Church.

[49] When, therefore, the aforesaid Auditors had devoted long and assiduous labor to examining the proceedings and the entire process, [All proceedings in this cause carefully examined and approved by the Cardinals and the Pontiff.] and had omitted nothing that pertained to the accomplishment of this matter, they delivered to us in writing the entire sequence of what had been done and their own judgment. We ordered their complete report to be delivered through the same Auditors to the same Cardinals of the Congregation of Sacred Rites; and so that the whole cause might be examined by the judgment of more persons, we also joined other Cardinals to the former ones, namely our beloved sons Federico Borromeo of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Terme, Antonio Maria Gallo of Sant' Agnese in Agone, Caesar Baronius of Santi Nereo ^e Achilleo, and Silvio Antoniano of San Salvatore in Lauro, Cardinal Priests by title, and Andrea Peretti of Sant' Angelo in Pescheria, Cardinal Deacon of the Holy Roman Church. We admonished all of them to weigh all the proceedings concerning Blessed Raymond's purity of faith, integrity of morals, and the evidence of his miracles with as much diligence as both the gravity of the matter required and we rightly expected. When they had carefully examined, in private and in many Congregations held among themselves — with our beloved son Pompey Molella, Procurator of our Treasury, always cited and diligently performing his duties — every point and all the proceedings, and had carefully compared the process, the witnesses, the documents, and the arguments of this cause with the opinions of the Auditors, and all things had been brought to the point where they ought to be referred to us, we ordered ^a secret Consistory to be convoked as is customary, in which the aforesaid Cardinal Alphonsus Gesualdus, in his own name and that of the entire Congregation, reported first that the documents, the process, and all the proceedings of this cause had been lawfully drawn up and possessed the force of the greatest authority and proven truth; then, having narrated the entire life of Blessed Raymond and his many miracles, he said that he and the other Cardinals of the said Congregation had come with one voice and one mind to the judgment that Blessed Raymond (if it so seemed good to us) could be added to the catalogue of Saints. When the remaining Cardinals had each in order gone to this judgment with their own vote, we felt great pleasure of soul, because we perceived the holiness of this blessed man shining forth more and more each day. And so that in this most weighty matter we might not relax anything of our accustomed diligence, we ourselves carefully and thoroughly read through the proceedings, and we found the report of the same Auditors of the Rota and of our venerable brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church to be most true.

CHAPTER XI.

The canonization decreed.

[50] The public petition for canonization. Wherefore, ^a few days later, following the practice of the Roman Pontiffs our predecessors, we appointed ^a public Consistory, at which, besides the Cardinals, there were present the Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, Prelates, and our household members; and in it our beloved son Bernardinus Scottus, Advocate of our Consistorial Court, having set forth in ^a copious oration the outstanding charity, innocence of life, and miracles of Blessed Raymond, humbly petitioned us, in the name of our most dear son in Christ Rudolph, the illustrious King of the Romans elected Emperor, and of the same Philip III, Catholic King of Spain, and of the Principality of Catalonia, and of the entire Order of Preachers, that we would be pleased to number Blessed Raymond among the Saints. Hearing this, we blessed the Lord, and giving thanks to God we rejoiced especially that Philip III, the Catholic King, at the very beginning of his reign, was requesting with such ardor this patron for the felicitous administration of his kingdoms.

[51] The response of the Pontiff. And so we replied that his holy petition was most welcome to us and that it pertained above all to the glory of God and the common benefit of the entire Christian commonwealth, inasmuch as God, who is the splendor and glory of His Saints, is more greatly praised in His Saints, and the faithful of Christ obtain the gifts of divine grace the more easily, as intercessors are multiplied, the greater the worship and honor bestowed upon the Saints. Furthermore, commending the singular piety of the King, we said that we desired to satisfy his pious wish; but that the gravity of this matter was so great that we judged it necessary to deliberate still more maturely with our venerable brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and the other bishops. And so we exhorted them all in the Lord to examine with every care and diligence all things pertaining to the life and miracles of Blessed Raymond; and then, praying in the spirit and watching therein (which we ourselves were about to do), to beseech God to give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, by which we might know these heavenly mysteries that cannot be comprehended by human reason, and to enlighten the eyes of our heart, so that we might be able to deliberate what should be determined in this most weighty cause.

[52] Having done these things, we appointed another secret Consistory, at which we wished the Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops who were then in the City, as well as the Notaries of ourselves and of the Apostolic See, and the Auditors and Secretaries of our Palace, to be present; in which, from the abundance of heavenly grace by which our lowliness was established in this supreme Pastoral watch over the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth, we spoke those things that seemed to us to pertain to this cause. Then we asked the same brothers to say precisely, having considered and examined all the proceedings, what the Holy Spirit gave them to speak, The Consistory judges that he should be canonized. and whether Blessed Raymond seemed to them worthy of being enrolled among the Saints. And so first the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, then the Patriarchs, then the Archbishops and Bishops there present, each giving their judgment in his own place, all by common consent judged, from those things that had been established in the entire process, that Blessed Raymond was rightly to be enrolled by us among the Saints. Therefore we gave thanks to God, who makes all our brothers think the same thing in unity of spirit, giving to all one heart and one soul, and we admonished them to invoke, together with us, the grace and help of God meanwhile by prayers, fasting, and almsgiving.

[53] And when all things had already been accomplished according to the prescription and norm of the sacred Canons, intending to perform what remained, after some months we appointed the day of canonization as the third day before the Kalends of May, The day of canonization appointed by the Pontiff. that is, the Sunday in Albis, on which the Paschal solemnity concludes, the white garments of the neophytes are changed while the candor of the soul abides, and the Gospel is read in the Church in which Christ the Lord, after His resurrection, entered to His disciples through closed doors and, having breathed upon them the Holy Spirit, bestowed the power of remitting and retaining sins. In this we found great cause for joy, because we recalled that Blessed Raymond had both been ^a minister of the Sacrament of Penance, and after the miracle of the sea-crossing had entered the monastery of his Order at Barcelona through closed doors; and then also because on the same day of solemnity and joy we, seven years previously, had enrolled among the Saints St. Hyacinth the Pole, of the same Order of Friars Preachers, ^a contemporary of Blessed Raymond. To which delight of our soul no small addition was made by the fact that on this very day the feast of St. Catherine of Siena and of St. Peter Martyr is solemnly celebrated in the Church, who led most holy lives under the same discipline of St. Dominic. Wherefore, on ^a festivity of the entire Church and of the Saints of the same Order so fitting for this most celebrated action, we resolved to decree for Blessed Raymond that honor which is bestowed upon holy Confessors.

CHAPTER XII.

The order of canonization.

[54] The procession and rite of canonization. When, therefore, the appointed Sunday in Albis, that is, this present day, had arrived, we, together with our venerable brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, the Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops who had assembled in our Pontifical Chapel for this purpose, vested in sacred vestments, began the hymn Ave Maris Stella, with our chapel choir continuing the rest, to implore the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and thus singing in the ways of the Lord, with the Prelates, Officials, and household members of the Roman Curia and the secular and religious clergy preceding in ^a long procession, each bearing lighted tapers, we processed from our Apostolic Palace to the most august basilica of the Prince of the Apostles, adorned with various kinds of ornaments, and having entered it we knelt before the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, praying that God would direct this most celebrated action to the praise and glory of His name. From there we ascended to the upper part of the church, admirable for its lofty and sublime vault, where ^a great platform had been erected at royal expense before the altar of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, at which we were about to celebrate the sacred Pontifical Mass, and everything shone with burning torches and tapers; and around it many images beautifully depicted Blessed Raymond standing upright, bearing in his right hand ^a key in memory of the power and office of the Penitentiary, and in his left ^a book as ^a memorial of his doctrine and the Decretals. There it immediately occurred to us that we had served in the very same offices as Blessed Raymond, namely that of Chaplain, or Auditor of Causes of the Apostolic Palace, before we were elevated to the number of Cardinals, and in the very dignity of Cardinal we had held the office of Grand Penitentiary — though not as perfectly and exactly — and therefore we besought God in ^a spirit of humility, not without tears, that if anything in those offices had been omitted or committed by us through our weakness, His goodness and clemency would pardon us through the merits and intercession of Blessed Raymond. Then, having been brought to the platform, we prayed before the same altar of the Prince of the Apostles that he would be present to us with his aid and protection. Soon, taking our seat on the lofty throne opposite the altar, we received the same Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops, vested in sacred vestments, paying us the customary obedience; then our beloved son Odoardo, Cardinal Farnese of Sant' Eustachio, Protector of the Kingdom of Aragon, in the name of the Catholic King, once, ^a second time, and ^a third time humbly petitioned us to enroll Blessed Raymond among the Saints; to each of his petitions we responded appropriately, and in the intervals between them we added Litanies, hymns, and prayers.

[55] He is canonized. At last, when all those things that have been established by the Roman Pontiffs in this kind of matter had been completed and carried through, having implored by common prayers the aid of the Holy Spirit, to the honor of the holy and undivided Trinity, for the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian religion, by the authority of the same holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own, with the counsel and common consent of our venerable brothers the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church and of all the Patriarchs, Archbishops, and Bishops present in the Roman Curia, we defined Blessed Raymond de Penafort, expressly professed of the Order of Friars Preachers and buried in the church of St. Catherine of the same Order at Barcelona, of whose innocence of life and miracles we are fully assured, to be ^a Saint, and we decreed that he should be enrolled in the number and catalogue of the Holy Confessors, as by the present document we define, decree, and enroll him, establishing that the entire Church shall devoutly celebrate his feast and office each year on January 7, as for one Confessor not ^a Pontiff, according to the norm prescribed in the Rubrics of the Roman Breviary. Moreover, to all the truly penitent and confessed who each year on that day shall piously and devoutly visit the aforesaid church of St. Catherine of Barcelona, in which his body is deposited, Indulgences granted by the Pontiff. we granted and bestowed, as we do grant and bestow, the same indulgences and remissions of sins that have been granted to the other monasteries and churches of the said Order on the feast days of the Saints of the same Order.

[56] And so, when all things pertaining to the canonization of Blessed Raymond had been duly performed, and ^a hymn had been sung to the praise and thanksgiving of God, and the divine aid had been invoked through the merits of St. Raymond by ^a special Prayer A prayer composed by the Pontiff himself. in his honor, which we ourselves composed and recited in ^a clear voice, we celebrated ^a solemn Mass of the Octave of the Lord's Resurrection at the same place and altar of the Prince of the Apostles, with ^a commemoration of the same Blessed Raymond, and to all the faithful of Christ who were present both at the canonization and at the Mass, we granted, to the praise of God and the glory of His Saint, ^a plenary indulgence of all their sins. Wherefore let us bless God, wonderful in His Saints, and render Him immortal thanks, because we have received His mercy in the midst of His temple, namely ^a new intercessor in the Church, by whose merits and suffrages we may be aided in all the perils of soul and body. And it came about by ^a singular gift of divine providence that in these most difficult times, in which the Catholic religion is continually assailed by the weapons of enemies, all the faithful of Christ have obtained this patron and advocate, to obtain first of all peace and tranquility for the Church, the desired concord among Christian princes, and the light of truth for heretics who wander from the way of salvation in the darkness of errors.

[57] Moreover, because it would be exceedingly difficult to convey these present letters of ours to each and every place, we wish that copies of them, even printed copies, subscribed by the hand of ^a public Notary and sealed with the seal of some person constituted in Ecclesiastical dignity, should be given the same credence everywhere as would be given to these present letters if they were displayed or shown. Let no man whatsoever, therefore, be permitted to infringe this document of our definition, decree, enrollment, statute, concession, bestowal, and will, or with rash audacity to contravene it; and if anyone shall presume to attempt this, let him know that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God and of His holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Given at Rome at St. Peter's, in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord 1601, the third day before the Kalends of May, in the tenth year of our Pontificate.

I, Clement, Bishop of the Catholic Church. "Look upon us, O God our protector." I, Ptolemy, Bishop of Porto, Cardinal Comensis. Julius Antonius, Bishop of Palestrina, Cardinal of S. Severina. Jerome, Bishop of Sabina, Cardinal Rusticucci. Alexander, Bishop of Albano, Cardinal of Florence. I, Antonio Maria, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Trastevere, Cardinal Salviati. I, Augustine, Cardinal Priest of S. Marco, Cardinal of Verona. I, Simeon, Cardinal Priest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina, Cardinal of Terranova. I, Dominic, Cardinal Priest of S. Crisogono, Cardinal Pinelli. I, Brother Jerome, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria sopra Minerva, Cardinal of Ascoli. I, Antonio, Cardinal Priest of S. Stefano al Monte Celio, Cardinal Sauli. I, Brother Gregory, Cardinal of S. Agostino, Cardinal of Montalcino. I, Paul, Cardinal Priest of S. Cecilia, Cardinal Sfondrati. I, Benedict, Cardinal Priest of S. Prisca, Cardinal Giustiniani. I, Francis Maria, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Aracoeli, Cardinal ^a Monte. I, Octavius, Cardinal Priest of S. Alessio, Cardinal Paravicini. I, Jerome, Cardinal Priest of S. Pancrazio, Cardinal Mattei. I, Octavius, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria del Popolo, Cardinal d'Acquaviva. I, Flaminio, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria della Pace, Cardinal Piatti. I, Lucius, Cardinal Priest of SS. Quirico and Giulitta, Cardinal Sassi. I, Francis Maria, Cardinal Priest of S. Bartolomeo all'Isola, Cardinal of Siena. I, Camillo, Cardinal Priest of SS. Giovanni ^e Paolo, Cardinal Borghese. I, Caesar, Cardinal Priest of SS. Nereo ^e Achilleo, Cardinal Baronius, Librarian of the Holy Roman Church. I, Lawrence, Cardinal Priest of S. Lorenzo in Pane ^e Perna, Cardinal Blanchetti. I, Francis, Cardinal Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme, Cardinal Avila. I, Francis, Cardinal Priest of S. Tommaso in Parione, Cardinal Mantica. I, Pompey, Cardinal Priest of S. Balbina, Cardinal Arrigoni. I, Dominic, Cardinal Priest of S. Pietro in Montorio, Cardinal Toschi. I, Arnold, Cardinal Priest of S. Eusebio, Cardinal d'Ossat. I, Paul Aemilius, Cardinal Priest of S. Marcello. I, Silvio, Cardinal Priest of S. Salvatore in Lauro, Cardinal Antoniani. I, Robert, Cardinal Priest of S. Maria in Via, Cardinal Bellarmine. I, Bonviso, Cardinal Priest of S. Biagio dell'Anello, Cardinal Bonvisi. I, F., Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata, Cardinal Sforza. I, Peter, Cardinal Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere, Cardinal Aldobrandini, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. I, Cinzio, Cardinal Deacon of S. Giorgio. I, Bartholomew, Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Portico, Cardinal Cesi. I, John Baptist, Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin, Cardinal Deti. M. Vestrius Barbianus.

CERTAIN DEEDS AND MIRACLES

From Michael Llot and others.

Raymond de Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (Saint)

By Michael Llot, from Nicholas Aymericus.

[1] Very many glories of St. Raymond have been recounted thus far; more would remain to be narrated, had not the writers passed so cursorily over the last thirty-five years of his life, which he spent as ^a private individual, freed from the Generalship of his Order; rather than having arranged his deeds chronologically or distributed them among the various offices of his virtues. For, to pass over his piety and the other exercises of the religious life, The reputation of St. Raymond's prudence. the esteem for his prudence among kings and pontiffs was immense. We shall establish this by three testimonies; then we shall subjoin certain miracles from various authors.

[2] In the Roman Curia: Peter Marsilio, in Book 4 of the Life of King James, Chapter 47, as cited by Francis Diago, sets forth what authority he possessed in the Roman Curia as follows: "The Roman Curia follows after him with heartfelt affection, and having tested him in many ways when present, bearing ^a fuller confidence in his holy and sincere circumspection, it entrusted to him, as matters arose, now the provision to be made for an Archbishop, now the confirmation of Bishops and Abbots, now the examination of certain Prelates, now the deposition of the examined (as of ^a certain wicked Bishop of Urgel), now the absolution of excommunicated persons and dispensation for those affected by irregularity. Often the Roman Pontiff would send to him, often determining what should certainly be done, but more often committing the matter to him if it seemed to him that it should be done."

[3] In the Royal Court. King James also and the other Princes had ^a magnificent estimation of his wisdom and prudence. This Bernardinus Gomesius Miedes confirms in his Life of James the Conqueror, Book 19, with this eulogy of Blessed Raymond: "It happened on the sacred day of the Epiphany that Raymond de Penafort, the third General Master of his Order after Blessed Dominic, His illustrious eulogy. departed this life there. Truly no more illustrious example of the highest erudition, religion, and ancient sanctity in Spain did those times produce than this man. Inasmuch as he, ^a Catalan by birth, most learned in Theology and Canon Law, held such great authority among all the Pontiffs of his time that he was chosen by Gregory IX as his Confessor and Penitentiary; and the burden was laid upon him of collecting that great work of the Decretals from various and innumerable volumes into one. And not only did he prove himself ^a most fierce champion of Christian liberty against the Jews, but he was also the most constant persecutor of heretics throughout all of Spain. How highly the King valued his counsel. The King also, having often made use of his most wise counsels, confessed that in carrying them out nothing had not gone excellently for him, and that he had frequently been liberated from evil as if by divine intervention," etc.

[4] The same King James also sent Raymond as ambassador to the Roman Pontiff to intercede that Manfred, the illegitimate son of Frederick and usurper of the Sicilian kingdom, might be released from ecclesiastical censures; He is sent to Rome as legate. for Manfred was offering his daughter Constance with an ample dowry and ^a certain hope of succeeding to Sicily to Peter, the son of James, as wife. "Sent to Pope Alexander (IV of that name)," says our Mariana in Book 13, Chapter 13, "as legate was Raymond de Pennafort of the Dominican Order, ^a prudent, learned, and holy man, who by that authority in which he was most powerful, would establish peace between the Pontiff and Manfred." Others hold that he was sent not to Alexander but to Urban IV.

[5] The holy man was also exercised by adversities. Indeed, it is ^a law established by divine providence for the candidates of the heavenly kingdom that all who wish to live piously in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3:12. Nor could there be lacking occasion for one who was diligently intent upon the conversion of the Moors and Jews, thereby provoking more sharply the leaders of those sects; who as the author and minister of the Inquisition was pursuing heretics with untiring zeal; and how great their hatred of him was is clear from this alone: that they most cruelly slaughtered several of his helpers in this holy war, and would have dared the same against him had not the power of God restrained their nefarious designs. He suffered much. What is more, he also had as adversaries some men who were otherwise pious, inflamed perhaps by zeal for the glory of God, but not according to the knowledge of His hidden counsels. They had been offended chiefly because he had abdicated the office of governing the entire family — an example they considered insufficiently useful, as they supposed, for future times, and dangerous to those very persons. Michael Llot attests to this in Chapter 11: "Since," he says, "a great disturbance throughout the entire Order had followed upon the renunciation of the office of the Generalate, there were some who persecuted the blessed man, entirely free from all fault, with slanders and murmurings."

[6] The same Llot, in Chapter 7, relates two miracles wrought at Barcelona through the merits of the same Saint while he was still living, from the life written by Nicholas Aymericus. "When he had arrived at Barcelona (having returned from Rome and performed that miracle at the port of Tossa), and had visited Lady Elyssenda Aymerica of the same city, who had been tormented by ^a long and severe illness of fevers, for the sake of consolation, together with her cousin Brother William Pontius, who had been assigned to him as ^a companion, and had first strengthened her with the sweetness of his words, and had exhorted her to the virtue of patience, God filled the heart of the aforesaid sick woman with such joy and consolation that, seizing with the greatest devotion in her hand the cloak of the aforesaid Blessed Father, she besought him with the utmost prayers and with all the humility she could, to pour out prayers to God in her very presence for her infirmity; for she hoped and trusted that by the merits of the same Saint she would soon be freed from so vehement an anguish of fevers. He heals fevers by his prayers. When the Blessed Father, ^a lover of humility, refused to grant this and wished to excuse himself from her with modest words, he could not manage it. For, having seized the fringes of his cloak, she would not let him go until she had obtained what she asked. The petition having therefore been granted to her by the Blessed Father, and the prayer completed, she obtained what she had sought with the greatest perseverance. For from that hour she was entirely freed from all anguish of fevers and attained perfect health."

[7] "When Brother Bernard Romeus, ^a lay brother of the same Order, had heard with the greatest interest of this miracle — who for the space of two years had been tormented by ^a most violent headache and had come into such ^a weakness of the brain that he was quite unable to bear any noise or any violent commotion without the greatest distress — he prostrated himself at the feet of Blessed Father Raymond with the greatest humility and earnestly begged him merely to lay his hands upon his weakened head. For through such ^a laying on of hands he hoped in the Lord He dispels ^a headache by his touch. to be freed from the aforesaid most grievous distress of the head. When the laying on of hands had been performed by Blessed Raymond, he felt such consolation not only in his head but also in his whole body that he firmly believed that some power had gone forth from the Blessed Father and had been received, through his merits, in his head and body. And the outcome of the event proved this; for neither the aforesaid pain of the head, nor any weakness at all, troubled him any further. Very many other miracles also were wrought by the same Blessed Father during his lifetime." Thus far Llot. Both miracles are also reported by Domenec, who says in the first case that Elysenda was suffering from ^a quartan fever, as does Diago in Chapter 19, who adds that she was cured by the prayers of St. Raymond around the feast of the Nativity.

MIRACLES AFTER DEATH,

By Michael Llot.

Raymond de Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (Saint)

By Michael Llot, from Nicholas Aymericus.

CHAPTER I.

Various cures. From the process of canonization.

[1] All these diligent efforts, then, having been set forth and presented of old for the purpose of obtaining the canonization of Blessed Father Raymond, since miracles are necessary for obtaining that same canonization, it will be worthwhile to narrate the miracles by which Blessed Raymond was made illustrious. Although these have been innumerable and beyond counting from the day of his death, we shall adduce only those that are found contained in the authentic Process ^a formed in the year 1318. The first of these is as follows:

[2] Bartholomew de Deo, ^a citizen of the city of Barcelona, being held by ^a grave illness, came to such an extremity that he could neither speak nor perceive anything, nor was he of sound mind, so that, although ^a great clamor was made around him with bronze vessels to revive his strength, he perceived nothing at all. When the physicians examined him and the remedies administered by them availed nothing, they declared that Bartholomew de Deo would die that night. With this opinion all those standing by also agreed, since they saw the same sick man placed at death's door, affirming that on that night, which was the feast of St. Lucy, he would beyond doubt die. Yet there was present Bernard de Vineolis, who, seeing the mother and two sisters of the said Bartholomew weeping and lamenting his death most bitterly, separated them from the company of the others and said to them: "I have heard from many trustworthy testimonies of this city that God has wrought many miracles through the merits of Blessed Raymond de Penafort: A dying man recovers by the invocation of St. Raymond. therefore do not weep, but with humble contrition of heart and devout prayer commend him to God through the merits of the aforesaid Blessed Raymond. For I hope that, if you do this, the aforesaid sick man will immediately obtain health." And indeed the mother and sisters of the sick man carried out this counsel immediately without any delay, and entering ^a private room of the house, on bended and bare knees, they commended him to Blessed Raymond in devout prayer, asking that the sick man be freed from the danger of death in which he was placed, through his intercession. When this prayer had been made, immediately the said Bartholomew, who for ^a long space of time had been beside himself, spoke in the presence of all those standing by and said that he had been cured through the merits of Blessed Raymond, and that while he lay in danger of death he had seen, in ^a certain vision, ^a demon who wished to suffocate and kill him, and that immediately Blessed Raymond came to meet him, St. Raymond appears to one being suffocated by ^a demon. clothed in white vestments, as ^a most venerable old man, with ^a great company of Friars Preachers, all walking with lighted tapers in their hands; and he prevented him from being killed by the demon and suddenly restored to him speech and health. When his mother and sisters understood this, marveling greatly at so sudden ^a recovery of health and at the aforesaid vision, they recognized immediately that the sick man had beyond doubt been freed from the danger of death and restored to perfect health through the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. For which benefit received they gave immense thanks to God, and they announced to all that the aforesaid miracle had been wrought through the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. The truth of this miracle was confirmed by nine testimonies corroborated by oath.

[3] Jaumonus Basseti, son of James Basseti, ^a citizen of Barcelona, was suffering from ^a most acute daily fever; Another dying man healed by him. and when on ^a certain day it seemed to him that he was departing this life, in the presence of all those standing by he had the habit of the Friars Preachers brought to him. Having said this, he immediately lost his sight and speech. When his grandmother, and Lady Margaret, wife of Berengar Enya, and other relatives and kinsmen saw him placed at the point of death, they all, with tears and the greatest devotion, on bended knees, commended him to Blessed Father Raymond, earnestly beseeching him to be freed from the dangers of death through his holy intercessions. When this prayer had been made, immediately the said James opened his eyes and spoke, and was entirely freed from the said infirmity, so that he no longer felt the fever. Understanding that this miracle had been wrought through the merits of Blessed Father Brother Raymond de Penafort, he immediately went to the church of the Preachers, and having offered ^a taper to the said Blessed Father Brother Raymond, he gave thanks, as he himself, under oath, testified before the Judge, together with his sister Margaret and two other witnesses.

[4] In the aforesaid year, on the sixth day before the Kalends of April, before the aforesaid Judge, Likewise another miracle. Paschala, wife of Berengar Gisbert, ^a citizen of Barcelona, related under oath ^a certain miracle wrought through the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. When she had come, for the sake of visiting her parents, together with Sibilia de Porta, to ^b the castle of Mayans in the diocese of Urgel, she learned that Novella, her kinswoman, the daughter of Raymond Michael, was at the point of death. She had suffered ^a most grievous illness and at that time remained in such ^a state that she neither spoke, nor saw, nor perceived anything, but, placed in the agony of death, was suffering most greatly. When the same Paschala saw her, and her mother was weeping with many tears over the death of the aforesaid sick woman, and other relatives who had gathered there, the same Paschala approached the mother to console her and among other things said to her that she should devoutly and with the greatest intention of heart commend her daughter Novella, laboring at the point of death, to the merits of Blessed Raymond de Penafort of the city of Barcelona, through whose merits and intercession God was daily working many miracles. After her narration and consolation, she departed from her presence and house. After her departure, the mother of the sick woman and others of the relatives commended the aforesaid Novella to the merits of Blessed Raymond with humble and devout prayer. When this prayer had been made, in an instant of time the sick woman was freed from the aforesaid danger of death and, without any interval and without the aid of medicine, was restored to perfect health. Not unmindful of so singular ^a benefit, the said Novella, after some space of time, made her way to Barcelona to the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond, and there, together with ^a taper offered to him, she gave thanks. Testimony of this miracle was also borne by Lady Sibilia de Porta, who was present throughout, likewise under oath.

[5] William de Villaragut, ^a knight of Barcelona, while following the court of King James, fell into such an illness that he was judged by all to be leprous. Another suddenly healed of leprosy. This was also confirmed by the physicians who had visited him. Wherefore, as the disease of leprosy grew worse, he reached such ^a state that he could neither ride nor transact his business at the King's court. For he was so horrible in appearance that he dared in no way to appear with other knights. When one night the aforesaid knight was suffering greatly on account of his illness and had fallen into ^a fever, Bertrand de Molendinis, ^a Canon of the Church of Barcelona, in whose house the aforesaid sick man was dwelling, hearing the sound of the bell of the Convent of the Order of Friars Preachers, came at midnight to the sick man, moved by compassion, and urged him to commend himself in those torments to the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. For he hoped and trusted that, if he did this, he would recover entirely through the intercession of the same Saint. And when the Canon had departed, the aforesaid sick man, who could neither sleep nor rest, oppressed on every side by anguish and pains, invoked Blessed Raymond with the greatest devotion and faith for the remedy of his leprosy. When this prayer had been made, and he rested ^a little, he immediately found himself sound and well, and cured of all leprosy, so that in the morning, rising from his bed, he rode out and proceeded in good health to transact his affairs; and giving thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, he ordered ^a wax image to be placed at the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond in memory of the miracle. This miracle, most well known to all in the city of Barcelona, was confirmed under oath by two witnesses.

[6] ^c Berengaria de Bagiis, of the city of Barcelona, daughter of Peter de Bagiis and his wife Arsendis, A certain woman, dead or appearing dead, suddenly lives and is well. having been oppressed for ^a long space of time by an illness of fevers, came to the end of her life, so that, since the physicians had utterly despaired of her recovery, no medical remedy was given to her. But on ^a certain night she lost her sight and speech, so that she appeared to all to be at the point of death. When her mother, full of tears, saw her daughter placed in the agony of death, and — as Arnold de Horto deposes — already dead, she resolved to bring her to the monastery before the sepulchre of Blessed Father Raymond and there to pour out prayers for her, with the intention that her daughter might be restored to life. And as she planned, so it happened. For Arnold de Horto took the aforesaid sick woman in his arms — not speaking, nor seeing, nor perceiving anything, but as one dead; for the same Arnold testifies that she then had more weight than she had ever had before, so that he could then scarcely carry her, whereas when alive, since she was very frail, he carried her with the greatest ease. They therefore came to the door of the monastery, and since it was midnight and they found the door closed, Arnold laid the said Berengaria on the threshold of the door of the monastery church. There the mother, with abundant tears and the greatest devotion, made her prayer to Blessed Raymond, asking that through his merits and intercession her daughter might be freed from the danger in which she was placed, or be brought back to life if she was dead. While the said mother persisted for some time in this prayer, and Arnold de Horto wished again to take Berengaria in his arms, they found her opening her eyes. She immediately spoke to them and was entirely cured of all illness. When her mother saw this, overflowing with the greatest joy and gladness, she gave immense thanks to God and Blessed Raymond. When the thanksgiving had been made, Arnold de Horto took up the aforesaid Berengaria, now much lighter than before, and conducted her sound and well to her home. This miracle, indeed, was confirmed under ^a previously given oath by the same Arnold de Horto and by the same sick woman herself.

[7] Subitana, daughter of William de Caneto, of the city of Barcelona, ^d was oppressed by so great ^a vehemence of pain in the joints of her feet Prolonged and great pains dispelled. and in the joint of her left arm, that she was entirely contracted and disabled in her feet and left arm, and could do nothing or perform any work with that arm. This pain endured in the same woman for ^a space of seven years. When, therefore, she was worn out and disabled, and on ^a certain day was being greatly tormented by this pain, her mother Raimunda, having heard that God was working many miracles through the merits of Blessed Raymond de Penafort, vowed her daughter to Blessed Raymond, and promised that, if her daughter recovered her health, she would bring ^a wax image in the stature and form of the disabled and contracted person to the sepulchre of the aforesaid Saint. When she had made this vow, her daughter was immediately cured without any human remedy and entirely freed from all her affliction; and therefore, giving thanks to God and Blessed Raymond and fulfilling the vow, she reported the miracle, confirmed under oath with another witness.

[8] Michael de Sala, ^a citizen of the city of Barcelona, having first taken an oath, said that he had been oppressed by ^a daily fever for fifteen days; and he came to such ^a state One at the point of death suddenly recovers. that he could neither see, nor speak, nor do anything. And when he was visited by the physicians who were the most distinguished in the city of Barcelona, they left him as though dead, so that ^e the candle that is customarily lit on the day of death was lit for him as well. When his wife, named Romia, saw him tormented by so many and such great agonies and considered as dead by all his friends, with an abundance of tears and the greatest devotion ^f she poured out prayers to Blessed Raymond de Penafort, that through his merits her husband might be freed from that danger in which he was placed. When God had heard this prayer through the merits of Blessed Raymond, immediately, in an instant of time, the aforesaid Michael de Sala was freed from the extreme danger of death; for he recovered his sight, speech, and complete health. For all of which they gave thanks to God and Blessed Raymond. That this miracle was most true was also affirmed under oath by the aforesaid Romia, wife of Michael de Sala. Four other witnesses also did the same, confirming the same truth.

[9] Master John, ^a physician of Barcelona, having first taken an oath, asserted that his daughter named Margaret had fallen into ^a most severe fever, A dead girl raised. and in the course of this illness had died, so that he saw with his own eyes that she had expired and exchanged life for death, and the signs of death followed upon the same Margaret, so that she was judged dead by all those standing around. When Romia, his wife and the mother of the aforesaid Margaret, saw this, she rushed with haste, with the greatest abundance of tears, crying out and wailing, and with her prayer, strengthened by the greatest faith, she set forth to the same Blessed Raymond her need and asked that through his merits God would restore to her her beloved daughter Margaret and cause her to rise from the dead. While the mother, full of sorrows, persevered in this prayer for the space of many hours (for Margaret remained dead from the ninth hour until the evening of the same day), and would not leave the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond, at the hour after Compline, through the merits of Blessed Raymond, her daughter Margaret was raised from the dead, in the sight of all those present; and when she opened her eyes and immediately ate, she was entirely freed from all illness and fever. This same physician testifies to this, and four women who were present at this great miracle wrought through the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. This miracle, indeed, remains confirmed by the oath of five witnesses.

[10] Bernard Oliverius, ^a citizen of Barcelona, having fallen into ^a most severe illness, was tormented for ^a space of twenty days by ^a daily fever, by which he came to such ^a state A dying man healed. that all his friends and relatives declared that death was to be expected for him very soon, and the physicians, having utterly despaired of his life, bade him farewell as though dead, and announced that he would die the following day around the third hour. When, therefore, he was placed at the point of death and the death of Bernard Oliverius was expected by all, he was asked whom among the Saints he had as his patron and advocate. He immediately replied: Blessed Raymond de Penafort, of the Order of Preachers. Having said this, as the disease was oppressing him greatly, his wife and those who were present, commending him in devout prayer to the merits of his advocate Blessed Raymond, besought that he might be freed from that danger and from the sufferings by which he was being pressed. When this prayer had been made, immediately, in an instant of time, the said Oliverius, cured of his illness, recognized that all the aforesaid daily fever had been removed from him, and so he showed himself sound and well to all those standing by. All those present there, perceiving this to be ^a miracle, gave thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, and four witnesses reported this truth, confirmed by their own names and under oath, before the Judge.

[11] Dominic Arnold, ^a citizen of Barcelona, having had for the space of two years ^a very large fleshy growth, ^g commonly called ^a lupia, in the joint between his hand and arm, A man healed of ^a long-standing lupia. on account of which during the winter he was disabled and incapacitated, and having applied many remedies on the advice of physicians that had availed him nothing, all the physicians consequently determined that he could not be cured except by excision, which, since the lupia was situated at the joint, could not be performed without great danger. On ^a certain day, having come to the monastery of the Friars Preachers for the purpose of hearing the word of God, he made his prayer with the greatest devotion before the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond, and with the greatest humility he besought from the merits of the aforesaid Saint ^a remedy for his infirmity, and he vowed that he would give ^a certain alms to the Brothers of the same Convent. Having said this, on the following Monday the aforesaid Dominic found himself entirely free and completely cured. Giving thanks for this miracle, he went to the sepulchre and fulfilled his vow, and reported the miracle confirmed by two witnesses.

[12] A paralytic recovers. Mary, daughter of William de Solerio, ^a citizen of Barcelona, was paralytic, contracted, and disabled in her hands and feet, and the other members of her body, so that she could not turn herself by herself, nor rise from her bed, nor feed herself, nor do anything else. When she had remained thus contracted and incapacitated for ^a long space of time, ^a certain Paschala who was visiting her gave her the excellent counsel that she should invoke Blessed Raymond de Penafort with special devotion as ^a remedy for her infirmity. Accepting this counsel with good grace, she commended herself to Blessed Raymond with the greatest devotion. While persisting in this prayer she immediately fell asleep, and it seemed to her that she was speaking with her Confessor, Brother William de Villa-maiori, of the Order of Preachers, who was saying to her that she would immediately obtain health through the merits of Blessed Raymond. And soon she saw Blessed Raymond entering the room where she was sleeping, who, approaching her, touched ^h her. When the same Mary was awakened from this sleep, she found herself sound and cured of all illness, so that she immediately rose from her bed and ate, and performed other tasks as if she had never been paralytic. And on the following day, walking on her own feet, she went to the church of the Preachers and placed ^a wax image at the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond in memory of the miracle, and confirmed it under oath.

[13] Bononata, wife of James de Roffex, ^a citizen of Barcelona, having ^a son Arnold de Roffex, of the age of six or eight months, A dead child raised. held by ^a most severe illness, saw him dead on ^a certain day, so that no sign of life whatsoever appeared in him. When she was weeping vehemently and was tormented in ^a wonderful manner by the death of her son, ^a certain sister of hers came to her — the daughter of William de Solerio, named Mary, then wife of Bernard de Tosthec. When she had considered the matter and seen the aforesaid child with her own eyes, trusting in divine mercy and having confidence in Blessed Raymond, she admonished the mother of the aforesaid infant to go with the dead child to the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond and there to pour out prayers to God and Blessed Raymond for raising him from the dead. When all this had pleased the mother, and ^a certain nurse named Bartholomea had taken the dead child in her arms, they went to the convent of the Friars Preachers and before the sepulchre of Blessed Father Raymond made ^a devout prayer full of tears, asking that through the merits of Blessed Father Raymond the aforesaid dead child be recalled to life. When this prayer had been made without any hesitation in faith, it achieved its effect. For while they persevered in prayer, the child himself began to breathe, and to open his eyes, and to cry, and to exercise the other operations of life, so that, cured in an instant of time, he suffered no further fever. Having given thanks to God and Blessed Raymond for all this, they returned to their home, abounding in great joy and gladness; and in the aforesaid year, before the judge, they deposed this truth under oath.

a. December 13.

CHAPTER II.

The dead raised. From Nicholas Aymericus.

By Michael Llot, from the Process of canonization.

[14] Since, however, in the preceding chapter the raising of three dead persons (if all things are rightly considered) has been confirmed by their witnesses, corroborated under oath before the Judge, it will not be foreign to our purpose to set forth certain others restored to life through the merits of Blessed Raymond. Although these are not found contained in the Process mentioned above, they have nevertheless been found in the most ancient and venerable writings. Since these are full of truth in every respect and written by ^a most weighty author, and confirmed by the instruments of notaries, they are to be received by all as most true without any scruple of doubt. For when the most Reverend Father, Brother ^a Nicholas Aymericus (whom I name for the sake of honor), Master of Sacred Theology, Nicholas Aymericus wrote the life of St. Raymond. and formerly Inquisitor of heretical depravity in the kingdoms of Aragon, was living in the year 1360, among other most noteworthy things that he left in writing for posterity — preserved to the present day in the Convent of the Preachers at Gerona in the Principality of Catalonia — there was the life of Blessed Father Raymond de Penafort, adorned with almost innumerable miracles. No one will doubt what firmness, strength, and truth these contain, if he contemplates the gravity of the aforesaid Father Inquisitor, his admirable doctrine, always joined with ^a praiseworthy life. For since he flourished in the times of ^b Urban V and ^c Gregory XI, he was always held in the greatest honor and reverence by the most Serene King of Aragon, ^d Peter. And since he was most learned in divine Theology and in Canon and Civil Law, after the elevation of Brother ^e Nicholas Rossel to the dignity of Cardinal, he was appointed Inquisitor of the entire kingdom of Aragon to the applause of all men. In which office he conducted himself so laudably that he provided ^a model for all Inquisitors in his Directory of Inquisitors, by which they might administer the most holy office of Inquisitor with the greatest rectitude. Since, therefore, the aforesaid Father Inquisitor was living in nearly those times after the death of Blessed Raymond, he left in writing ^a great many miracles wrought through the prayers and merits of Blessed Raymond, most worthy of consideration. From these we shall select those that seem best to serve our purpose.

[15] Another miracle, then, worthy of wonder, beyond those commemorated above, occurred in the city of Manresa in the diocese of Vic. In that city, when William Andrew, ^a citizen of the same, A dead child raised by the merits of St. Raymond. had had his son placed in ^a most severe illness for an entire year, and greatly oppressed, one day, for the sake of recreation and consolation, he was tending the child himself in his arms with fatherly care. While the father was gazing upon him and had fixed his eyes upon him, he saw that the child had breathed his last between his arms. This expiration was immediately followed in the tiny dead body by an evacuation, ^a blackening of the face, ^a swelling of the lips to the thickness of two fingers, and other signs of death appeared in the same child. When the sad report of the little one's death had sounded in the ears of the absent mother, she betook herself to the portico of her house, fell on her knees, and began to weep exceedingly, and commended her son with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Father Raymond, earnestly beseeching with the utmost prayers that life might be restored to her son. And when she had persisted for some time in prayer, he opened his eyes and spoke, and was entirely restored to health. When the father had been made aware of this prayer, considering the matter attentively, he constantly asserted before all those standing around that through the merits of Blessed Father Raymond his son had received life. And so that the truth of the matter might be established, the father of the aforesaid infant wished it to be confirmed and attested before ^a public Notary, under an oath given by him, by command of Lord Arnold, Bishop of Barcelona, together with others who were present at this miracle, all of whom deposed to the aforesaid truth under oath.

[16] There is also ^a certain knight named Bernard de Baiona, ^a citizen of the city of Barcelona, who, having in his house ^a certain young man nearly consumed by the torment of an illness of fevers for ^a space of twenty days, placed him one day on the floor of his room for the sake of refreshment; A dead man raised by the application of earth from the sepulchre of St. Raymond. on which the young man immediately collapsed, ^f could neither speak nor breathe, and had lost the use of his senses. Wherefore he was judged by those standing around to be completely dead. When many gathered at so unexpected ^a calamity, and some of them had with them some of the earth that is extracted from the tomb of Blessed Raymond, one of those standing there tied the earth of Blessed Raymond around the young man's neck, and also placed ^a tiny amount of the aforesaid earth in his mouth. When this had been done, the young man immediately began to breathe and to speak, and, restored to his former life and health, he escaped from his illness entirely unharmed. This truth was confirmed under oath before Lord Arnold, Bishop of Barcelona, by the aforesaid Bernard, and his wife, and another knight named Spinol, and others who were present at the aforesaid miracle.

[17] In confirmation of this matter, we also find what we read happened to the son of Peter de Baga, ^a citizen of the city of Barcelona. One dead of dysentery is raised. For his son, named Berengar, having been afflicted for three weeks by ^a flux of the bowels, which physicians call dysentery, and being unable to be helped by the remedies of medicine, was seen by his parents and others standing around to be dead on ^a certain day. For when he was pulled by the hair and nose by his mother and others, no sense or movement at all appeared in him, so that all who saw him affirmed without doubt that he had expired. A tear was also seen to have flowed from his eye, which is an indication of death; and then the natural warmth had entirely receded from his body, and especially from his extremities. Wherefore his mother, grieving vehemently over the death of her son and trusting in the merits of Blessed Raymond, resolved to bring him to the church of the Friars Preachers, to the sepulchre of Blessed Father Raymond, and to offer him thus dead to Blessed Raymond with tears and prayers. When she had carried this out and was bearing her dead son in her own arms, she found the door of the aforesaid church of the Friars Preachers closed. Since she could not enter (for it was the hour after Compline), with bared knees, kneeling before the door, with the greatest tears and fervent prayer she humbly invoked Blessed Raymond on behalf of raising her son from the dead, asking that he who bestowed so many and such great benefits on others, and even on animals, would deign to confer this one benefit upon her as well. In that place, after ^a short interval of time, her son revived. When the boy opened his eyes and saw his sister there weeping and lamenting together with his mother, he asked her, saying: "Why do you weep so, my sister? Know that I have been cured through the merits of Blessed Raymond and freed from death by his help." This miracle indeed was reported to the aforesaid Lord Bishop by the mother of the aforesaid boy and his sister, under oath duly given.

[18] Nor should another miracle be passed over in silence, which we read occurred at Collioure in the diocese of Elne; where ^a woman of the best reputation and good repute, named Raimunda, wife of Bernard the Cobbler, being pregnant, A woman gives birth to ^a child dead for four days. and having labored too much one Tuesday of Lent in the year 1280 in making bread, soon felt the most grievous and violent pains. And because the suitable time for giving birth had not yet arrived, she feared that, as had happened to her on other occasions, she would have ^a miscarriage; and she suffered these pains continuously for the space of four days. During those four days, since she did not feel the said child within her as before, she believed without doubt that it was dead and that she was placed in danger of dying. For this reason her husband summoned ^a certain midwife named Ortafana. When the midwife had seen her, she told the sick woman to invoke some Saints in her peril. She immediately called her husband and told him to vow her to Blessed Raymond de Penafort of the city of Barcelona, in whose merits and intercession she trusted that she would escape from that danger. And the outcome proved the matter. For when the husband, full of tears, took his wife's hands and made ^a vow on her behalf to Blessed Raymond, promising that if his wife were delivered from the birth he would bring her to Barcelona to give thanks to the aforesaid Saint, immediately the woman felt herself delivered from childbirth without any pain, giving birth to ^a dead daughter. The said midwife and husband held this dead daughter in their hands for ^a long space of time, and turning her over in every part, they always found her dead. Seeing this, the said Bernard, renewing the vow, turned together with his wife to the said Blessed Raymond and prayed for the dead daughter, saying: "O Lord Blessed Raymond de Penafort, we beseech you to grant ^a soul together with God to this creature; and we promise you one pound of wax." When this prayer had been made, The child revives. immediately evident signs of life appeared in the aforesaid dead daughter. For she opened one eye, and moved one of her legs ^a little, then she cried, and finally she lived for many years. When the aforesaid midwife had seen all this, under oath, together with Bernard the Cobbler and Raimunda his wife, they made their confession in honor of Blessed Raymond before the public Notary Peter Sansa of the same town, on the sixth day before the Kalends of June in the aforesaid year. We affirm, on the testimonies of the most weighty men whom we have commemorated above, and of all those who have written about the life and miraculous works of Blessed Raymond, that these miracles reached the number of forty. Since we also find that many others, placed at the point of death and destitute of all human remedy whatsoever, laboring, were suddenly and instantly cured through the merits of Blessed Raymond — of which mention will be made in the following chapter.

CHAPTER III.

Those cured in extreme danger. From Nicholas Aymericus.

[19] Although in the preceding chapter we saw six miracles wrought in persons placed at the extremity of life, aided by no human assistance whatsoever, but proceeding from the merits of Blessed Raymond, our plan requires us to add to them others of no less consideration, force, and weight. In the town of Ripoll, therefore, in the diocese of Vic, there was ^a certain woman named Avineva, A dangerous fever cured. who, having been tormented for an entire year by fevers and pains of the chest and right side, came to such ^a state that she could neither eat nor help herself in any way, so that she saw death close before her eyes. Although she had invoked the help of many Saints, no remedy followed. She herself, and the husband and sister of the sick woman, on ^a certain day on which the signs of death appeared in her, resolved to have recourse to Blessed Raymond de Penafort and to implore his aid in that extreme necessity by devout prayer. When this was done, she was entirely freed from her pains and instantly restored to health without any medicine. Having obtained this benefit through the merits of Blessed Raymond, she came to Barcelona, and together with her sister and husband, before the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond, she gave immense thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, and confirmed the miracle under oath.

[20] A man recovers from ^a prolonged fever. Peter de Cassellis, of the parish of St. Peter de Villamaior in the diocese of Barcelona, having been severely afflicted by ^a quartan fever for an entire year, lay in bed for two continuous months at the end of the year, the quartan having changed into ^a continuous fever; nor could he rise from his bed or move without the help of another. When he had come to the extremity of life and no hope of health or life remained, but he was laboring at the point of death, beyond sense and memory, his wife and sister, on bended knees, with eyes raised to heaven, most devoutly vowed him to the merits of Blessed Raymond, adding that if through the merits of Blessed Raymond they were freed from the danger of death, they would, together with the same sick man, visit the sepulchre of the same Blessed Raymond on bare feet. When, therefore, this vow had been made, the sick man immediately recovered the sense and memory that he had lost. ^a At which time the sick man saw, as he afterward confessed, ^a dove entering the room, which, touching his head lightly and overshadowing his face, restored health to his whole body, and then flew in the direction of Barcelona. He indeed remained sound and well always, and coming to Barcelona on bare feet, he fulfilled his vow, and confessed the truth under oath before witnesses and ^a public Notary.

[21] Likewise ^a child given up for dead. James Torrent, ^a little boy of the city of Barcelona, having labored at the point of death for ^a long time, nothing else was expected by those standing around than that he would breathe his last. His nurse, looking upon him with eyes of mercy, vowed him with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. And after the vow, she went to him and, offering him milk, immediately received him sound and well and entirely freed from all danger. This was confirmed under oath by the mother of the aforesaid boy.

[22] A certain woman named Guillelma Ollaria, laboring for five weeks with ^a continuous fever, having come to such an extremity of life Likewise ^a woman. that the Sacrament of Extreme Unction had been administered to her, as best she could she invoked the merits of Blessed Raymond, inducing those standing around to do the same and commend her to the merits of Blessed Raymond. When this commendation had been made, she soon felt herself free from all danger and in ^a short space of time healthy, as she herself confirmed under oath.

[23] In the Parish of St. Martin de Riu de Arenas, in the diocese of Gerona, there was ^a woman named ^b Algares, bedridden for ten weeks with fever, A dropsical woman healed. dropsy, and difficulty of breathing, burdened by illness to such ^a state that, laboring at the point of death, no hope of life remained. When her relatives saw her, and ^a certain nephew of the aforesaid Lady, on bended knees and with hands raised to heaven, most devoutly commended her to the merits of Blessed Raymond. When this commendation had been made, without anyone's help the sick woman turned herself toward the wall, and was immediately restored to health and soundness, as she herself and others of those standing around said and confirmed under oath when visiting the sepulchre of the holy man.

[24] The wife of Berengar de Ravira, of the city of Barcelona, having ^a son placed at the point of death, having recourse with firm faith and hope to the suffrages of Blessed Raymond, Likewise another child given up for dead. she ordered the boy, placed in the last agonies, to be brought to his sepulchre. Commending him in devout prayer to the merits of Blessed Raymond, before he was brought back from the church, he escaped sound and well. Thus, filled with great joy and gladness, she gave thanks to Blessed Father Raymond.

[25] Arnold, son of Raymond de Sancta Catharina, so called, Likewise another. of the city of Barcelona, having labored with ^a most severe illness for fifteen days, was so afflicted and tormented that for three nearly continuous days he labored at the point of death. His father and mother, having applied the help of many remedies to no avail, commended him to the merits of Blessed Raymond, and immediately, without any natural aid, the boy recovered and obtained perfect health; and having given thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, they confirmed this truth under oath.

[26] The danger of shipwreck averted. More than seventy men were also snatched from the danger of death who, having entrusted their lives to ^a vessel and crossing from the city of Barcelona to the Balearic Islands, were in the midst of the sea when ^a wind rushing upon the vessel from the opposite direction drove it back to the shores of the opposite land of Tarragona; and then, another contrary wind arising, it drew them back again to within sight of the aforesaid island. And as the sea swelled more and more, with the waves raging and foaming, for the space of three days the storm grew worse, so that the rising waves, as if reaching the height of mountains, threatened the submersion of all. With the danger of death pressing upon them and the hope of escape having fled from the hearts of all, Ferrarius de S. Martino rose up with tears and said: "Let us invoke the suffrages of Blessed Raymond, who, when he was alive, was accustomed to be merciful to sinners and ^a consoler to the grieving." When he had said this, the helmsman climbed to ^a high place and with loud voice, the others responding with the same words, invoked the help of God and of Blessed Brother Raymond de Penafort, tripling his prayers and his cries. ^c The result was that, ^a short space of time passing, the sea grew calm and immediately there was ^a great calm, so that on the following day they all arrived at the Balearic Islands safe and sound. They narrated this miracle to all and confirmed it with their names.

[27] An infant nearly suffocated is healed. Subirana, of the city of Barcelona, having poured milk into the mouth of her small son with too great an abundance, the little child seemed suffocated from the excessive infusion of milk, so that he could neither see nor breathe, nor use his senses. When his mother firmly believed that he had expired, she carried him, thus as if dead, from one house to another, shedding the most bitter tears over the death of her son and seeking counsel and ^a remedy from her neighbors. When she could find none, she most devoutly invoked the merits of Blessed Raymond on behalf of her nearly dead son, and immediately the boy revived and opened his eyes, and his mother's greatest sorrow was turned into joy. On the following day, coming to the church of the Friars Preachers with the boy, she gave thanks to Blessed Raymond and announced to all the miracle wrought in her son.

CHAPTER IV.

Paralytics and others healed. From Nicholas Aymericus.

[28] A paralytic recovers his strength. We have adduced in Chapter I two paralytics cured through the merits of Blessed Raymond, to whom in this chapter we shall add others. ^a For Brother Ollarius, of the Order of Preachers, ^a son of the Convent of Gerona, was entirely paralytic for many weeks, so that without the help of two men he could not turn himself from one side to the other, nor rise to sit up in bed, nor move at all; and so all the physicians despaired of his recovery. When he saw himself subject to so many troubles and sufferings, he turned his mind with the greatest devotion and abundance of tears to Blessed Raymond, earnestly beseeching him to give him aid in those necessities. And while he persevered in this prayer, it seemed to him that he felt someone saying to him to turn to the other side. Believing this without any hesitation, he turned swiftly and easily, as if he were ^a healthy man, from his right to his left side. Having considered this marvelous occurrence, giving thanks to the same Blessed Raymond, he asked with greater tears that he would restore to him complete health through his merits. When this prayer had been made, he immediately found himself sound and well, and without anyone's help or assistance he rose from his bed and walked alone. When ^b the Brothers of the Convent found him weeping for joy and asked him the cause of his tears, he set forth the miracle wrought through the merits of Blessed Raymond, ^c and sound he rose from the bed and immediately, together with the other Brothers, gave immense thanks to Blessed Raymond for so great ^a benefit received; and he confirmed the aforesaid truth under oath before the Bishop of Gerona.

[29] Mary de Guineda, for an entire year and more, bore paralytic hands and arms from ^a contraction of the sinews, Likewise another. and for the whole year she held those same hands joined together and upright, and could neither separate them, nor do anything with them, nor help herself. When her sister ^d had heard of the very many miracles that God had wrought through Blessed Raymond, one night with the greatest devotion she vowed the aforesaid sick woman to the merits of Blessed Raymond. Whereupon, the following night, while she persevered in this prayer, the sick woman drew back her hands and was restored to perfect health, so that she could feed herself and attend to the other things that were necessary for the conduct of her life.

[30] Likewise another. John Barcadis, ^a citizen of Barcelona, for an entire year and more was so grievously afflicted from the waist downward on the right side by an excessive and continuous pain that he could scarcely move or walk, and could find no remedy through the help of medicine. But having betaken himself with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Raymond, he immediately recovered from his illness and, cured of all pain whatsoever, giving thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, he attained complete health.

[31] Bernard, son of William de Padio, ^a citizen of Barcelona, having been afflicted during the summer for many years with various illnesses and oppressed by the greatest pains, Another sick person cured. for which no remedy of medicine could be applied, obtained perfect health through the merits of Blessed Raymond. For his mother, having conceived great confidence in the merits of Blessed Raymond, humbly commended the aforesaid Bernard, her son, to him and with the greatest devotion and abundance of tears humbly vowed him to the same. When this prayer had been made, her son recovered from all illness and in every summer was entirely freed from pains and sicknesses.

[32] Michael Ermengaudi, full of ulcers and scabs, being so afflicted that he could scarcely help himself, had for ^a year invoked the aid of many Saints Ulcers and scabs cured. so that he might recover his health, and had spent ^a great part of his goods on physicians and the remedies of medicine. Since these availed nothing, he could find no remedy in them. At last, having conceived great confidence in the merits of Blessed Raymond, for the benefit of recovering his health, he vowed himself to Blessed Raymond with all the humility he could, and in ^a short space of time he obtained full and perfect health; and giving thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, he fulfilled his vow.

[33] Berengar de Ilerda, for ^a long space of time, was so grievously tortured from the waist downward on the right side by an excessive pain that he could neither stand without great pain, A man relieved of various pains. danger, and distress, nor without injury to his whole body. When, however, he had invoked the merits of Blessed Father Raymond, asking that through his accustomed goodness he would obtain from God ^a remedy against the aforesaid anguish of pain, he had scarcely finished the words of his prayer when he immediately found himself cured of all pain and restored to perfect health. Not unmindful of this benefit, he gave thanks to God and Blessed Raymond.

[34] The wife of Berengar Burget, ^a citizen of Barcelona, was suffering ^a most grievous and prolonged flow of blood, so that she feared the danger of death and no small harm to her whole body. A flow of blood is stopped. The aforesaid infirmity grew so much worse that it impeded the use of all the senses in the aforesaid sick woman, so that her whole house was filled with tears and cries, since all believed that the aforesaid sick woman would soon die. When Berengar Burget, her husband, saw her, withdrawing from the others, he commended the aforesaid sick woman to the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. Through the help of his merits, within ^a short space of time she was cured of all disease whatsoever and restored to perfect and complete health.

[35] Likewise ^a pain of the navel. Bartholomea, daughter of Bononata, for three weeks was suffering so vehement ^a pain in the navel that she could neither stand upright nor retain any food; but from the anguish of pain she frequently rubbed her head on the ground with ^a miserable agitation, so that sometimes she gravely injured her mouth and face to the point of shedding blood. When her mother saw this, she commended her with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Raymond. And the daughter herself, as ^a sign of devotion, ate some earth extracted from the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond and tied ^a portion of that earth around her own neck. She was immediately freed from the anguish of pain, and in ^a space of time complete health in her whole body followed.

[36] Pain of the kidneys. Bernard Pontius, ^a jurist of Barcelona, being tormented by ^a most grievous pain of the kidneys, began to recall with the greatest devotion the sanctity and merits of Blessed Raymond, and to implore from him ^a remedy for his affliction. When this prayer had been made, he immediately felt ^a mitigation of the pain and received the complete benefit of health.

[37] Bernard de Villar, ^a Cleric of the See of Vic, having had for two years ^a very large fleshy growth on his left arm near the hand, Likewise ^a lupia. commonly called ^a lupia, which caused him the greatest deformity and distress — and having tried in vain everything that should probably have helped toward its cure or reduction — at last, having invoked the merits of Blessed Raymond, in ^a short space of time he was entirely freed from the aforesaid disease.

[38] Pain of the arm. Ferraria Coltelaria was tormented for the space of two years by ^a pain of the arm, so that she could in no way be cured or helped by any remedy of medicine. When the disease had grown so much worse that she had lost the use of her arm, having heard that Blessed Raymond was illustrious for very many miracles, she vowed herself to Blessed Raymond with the greatest devotion, hoping to be freed through his benefit. The outcome proved the matter. For when the prayer had been made, the pain immediately ceased and the arm was restored to its former functions.

CHAPTER V.

Women in childbirth delivered, and others. From Nicholas Aymericus.

[39] Romia, wife of Michael Sala, ^a citizen of Barcelona, when the time of her delivery had come, A woman in childbirth aided; strength obtained for the infant. was so oppressed by pains that for the space of two days she was beside herself, so that she neither saw, nor spoke, nor perceived anything, nor exercised any operation of life, so that all who were present believed she would soon die. When her husband saw her so afflicted by those agonies, raising his eyes to heaven and turning toward the church of the Friars Preachers, he commended her to the merits of Blessed Raymond in devout and humble prayer. When this prayer had been made, immediately at that same moment, without any aid of medicine or other help of nature, coming to herself, Romia his wife gave birth to an infant, of whose life the midwife and those present had no hope; and therefore the same husband, commending the infant to the merits of the aforesaid Blessed Father Raymond, was entirely freed from all danger, and the child lived for very many years. Having obtained all this through the merits and intercession of Blessed Raymond, giving him immense thanks, he deposed and confirmed this miracle under oath.

[40] Lady Guillerma Januaria, being tormented by immense agonies from the pain of childbirth, came to such ^a state that she was judged by all those standing around to be on the point of death. But her mother, ascending to the upper part of the house, Another woman in childbirth relieved. most devoutly, on bended and bare knees, commended her with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Father Raymond, persevering for some time in prayer; immediately her daughter was entirely freed from all danger and from all the pains of childbirth. Having received this miracle, they gave thanks to God and Blessed Raymond.

[41] Valensa, so called, wife of Lord Urgelles, ^a citizen of Barcelona, having lived for ten years with her husband without bearing children, and having never been able to conceive, on the advice of physicians she had tried many medicines useful for conception, which brought her no benefit whatsoever. She therefore resolved to vow herself to the merits of Blessed Raymond. Accordingly she went to the church of the Friars Preachers and placed ^a certain wax image as an offering at the sepulchre of the same Saint, and there commended herself to the merits of Blessed Father Raymond. Barrenness dispelled. Departing from the same sepulchre, within eight days she conceived, and at the appointed time she bore ^a son who lived for very many years.

[42] Lady Ricarda, having lived for sixteen years with her husband without bearing children, and having implored the help of many Saints on this account, and having tried by experience many remedies useful for aiding the conception of offspring, which availed her nothing — trusting in the merits of Blessed Father Raymond, with the greatest humility and with the utmost devotion on bended knees and with an abundance of tears, she implored the help of Blessed Father Raymond, promising that if God through his merits would give her ^a son, she would offer ^a wax image to the sepulchre of the same Saint. Offspring obtained for another. When this vow had been made, on the third night she perceived that she had truly conceived, and she bore ^a son at the proper time. Having received this benefit, she fulfilled her vow, placing ^a wax image at the sepulchre of Blessed Father Raymond, and every year on the day of the birth of the aforesaid son she visited the sepulchre of the aforesaid Saint as long as she lived, and confirmed the miracle under oath. ^a

[43] Francis Rovira, from the day of his birth up to three years and three months of age, was continuously mute and weak, and contracted, and could not raise himself up by himself, nor stand upright, nor move from one place to another. His mother, however, named Saura, seeing her son tormented by so many troubles and agonies, coming to the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond, invoked the merits of the same Saint with humble and devout prayer, promising, if he would free him from such great dangers and miseries, ^a wax image to the stature of her son. A mute, contracted, and weak child cured. When she returned home after completing her prayer, she obtained what she had asked. For after ^a short space of time the aforesaid boy stood upright by himself without anyone's help, walked, and went to the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond. He also spoke, beginning to name his father and mother, which he had never done before. In testimony and witness of this, his parents, his grandmother, and others who were present at this miracle confirmed this truth under oath.

[44] Bernard Pontius, ^a jurist of the city of Barcelona, had been so afflicted for two months in his tongue and throat that he could neither take drink, nor sleep, nor utter any word without great pain and distress. When he had applied the remedies of medicine to recover his health and could obtain no relief whatsoever, he resolved on the feast of Blessed Father Dominic to go to the church of the Friars Preachers, in which, approaching the tomb of Blessed Father Raymond, he commended himself with the greatest devotion to his merits, imploring his aid. A pain of the throat cured. When the prayer had been made and he was returning home, he found himself entirely free from all disease, so that he could take drink and food. He also spoke, and was cured of all pain and distress. Thus restored to perfect health, he went again to the monastery and there gave thanks to God and Blessed Raymond, and had ^a wax image placed at his sepulchre. And he confirmed this miracle under oath. His wife, daughter, and the maid of the house also deposed to the same.

[45] Stephania, of the town of St. Peter Dor, having labored for the space of one year with ^a grave illness, at last there occurred ^a certain rupture of the skin in her right eye, so that she could not see. As this illness continued, she was tormented by grave distress and the greatest pain. When she was made aware of the miracles of Blessed Raymond, inflamed with the greatest love for Blessed Raymond, she vowed herself with all the devotion of her heart to the merits of the same Saint, saying: If she were cured through the merits of Blessed Raymond A pain of the eye removed. and recovered her sight, she would go on foot to the place of the sepulchre of the aforesaid Father, which sepulchre was distant from that place by ^a journey of one day. When she had made this vow, she was suddenly cured, and light followed in her eyes. Having received this benefit through the merits of Blessed Raymond, she fulfilled her vow as she had promised.

[46] A boy named Matthew, of the city of Barcelona, had been entirely deprived of the sight of his right eye for one month, ^a certain whiteness clouding his eye, so that there was absolutely no hope left of recovering his sight by human remedy. When ^a certain kinswoman of his saw him, A film removed from the eye. trusting in the merits and intercession of Blessed Raymond, she commended him with humble devotion to the merits of the same Saint; and immediately the boy was restored to his former health and received his sight completely.

[47] A certain girl named Clara, deprived of sight for three months, could not open her eyes. Her mother, greatly grieving at the blindness of her daughter Sight restored to ^a blind girl. and trusting in the merits of Blessed Raymond, vowed her to Blessed Raymond with all the devotion she could. When this devotion had been made, the girl immediately began to recover, opening her eyes. And in ^a short time she was freed from all blindness. ^b

[48] The daughter of Berengar Semoleres, of the city of Barcelona, had had her right eye so clouded for five weeks that she could see nothing at all; and although she had applied many remedies and medicines, no remedy at all had followed. Her sight preserved for another. When her mother saw her oppressed by so many troubles, she commended her with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Raymond. Through the help of his merits, immediately the aforesaid daughter opened her eyes and received her sight completely.

[49] Raymond de Bybuldone, of the diocese of Gerona, had been deprived of the light of his eyes for four continuous years, so that, since he was ^a cobbler, he could in no way practice his trade, and he did not dare to walk without ^a companion. Turning to the merits of Blessed Raymond, he committed himself to him with all devotion, beseeching that through the merits of the same Saint his sight might be restored. Likewise sight restored to another. To obtain this he made ^a vow. When, therefore, the prayer had been made and confirmed by the vow, he soon perceived the beginning of ^a manifest cure, and in ^a short time he obtained the clarity of the light he had lost.

[50] William Stephen, ^a citizen of Barcelona, was for the space of eight days so afflicted by ^a vehement passion that, being beside himself, he was judged by all to have lost his sight and memory. Therefore he was not permitted by his friends to leave his house. Tormented by these anguishes, as best he knew and could, Another illness cured. he implored the help of Blessed Raymond, and was immediately restored to his former state, so that, through the help of the merits of Blessed Raymond, he seemed to all to be changed into another man, since complete health in his whole body followed.

[51] ^c Puyaceres, ^a merchant of Barcelona, while traveling on account of his business, fell among thieves, who, having stolen his goods A man snatched from the hands of robbers. and leading him captive with them, began to discuss among themselves putting him to death so that they might possess his goods in peace. The same merchant, pondering this within himself and being terrified, vowed himself with the greatest devotion to the merits of Blessed Raymond. The result was that immediately the thieves ^d granted him leave to depart, though retaining all his goods in their possession. All of which goods, when the thieves were captured the following day and brought before the same merchant, were restored to the aforesaid merchant by the Judge. Giving thanks to God and Blessed Raymond for all this, he went to the sepulchre of Blessed Raymond and there reported everything that had happened to him before all.

OTHER MIRACLES

Described in Spanish by Francis Diago.

Raymond de Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (Saint)

From the Spanish of Brother Diago.

[1] A certain young man named Francis had his left jaw loosened by paralysis, so that he could not close his eye and his mouth was foully twisted to the right. There arose in him great sorrow and anguish of soul. Destitute of other remedies, Paralysis cured by the aid of St. Raymond. he implored the help of St. Raymond and immediately obtained his recovery.

[2] For Romia de Paleda, from the parish of St. Baudilus, the right arm had been stiff for five weeks already, entirely devoid of sensation, so that without another's help she could neither raise it nor move it at all. She went to the sepulchre of St. Raymond A stiff arm. and, falling on her knees, with many tears she prayed to the Saint, first moving her fingers, and within three days she was relieved of all her affliction.

[3] The Abbot of the monastery of St. Benedict de Bagiis had been disfigured by ^a foul scab on his head and forehead for five full years. Various remedies had been tried in vain. The stubborn malady spread, and had now nearly reached his very eyebrows. When he had come to Barcelona on business, he heard that miracles were being wrought through the merits of St. Raymond. Mindful therefore of his sanctity, innocence, and benignity (for he had known him intimately while he was still alive, since his election had been confirmed by Apostolic authority through him), he besought him Scabs. to obtain from God that this plague should no longer afflict his head. He added ^a vow that he would go on foot to his sepulchre and offer ten pounds of wax. That his prayers had not been in vain he discovered the following day, when all the scab had been wiped away.

[4] A certain Ermesenda of Castellon, afflicted for four years with asthma, especially in the summer season, came to Barcelona, and in the basilica of St. Catherine (in which the body of St. Raymond was interred in its tomb), having confessed her sins to ^a priest, she began to be more severely tormented than ever before. Asthma. When another pious woman noticed this — one who had accompanied her from home — she urged her to commend herself piously and humbly to St. Raymond. Ermesenda obeyed and was freed from all her ailment as quickly as possible.

[5] Peter Tosellus, ^a Priest of the Church of Granollers, had been tormented for two weeks by so severe ^a dizziness of the head that his brain seemed to be torn from its seat, not without immense pain. When he was present at Matins, he learned from someone that Raymond had departed this life and was being illuminated by heavenly prodigies. Dizziness of the head. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground and piously invoked him. Marvelous to say: the Psalm that the Clergy had already begun had not yet been finished when he rose, free from all distress.

[6] Ulcers. For the Priest Sanctio, his right shin was so filled with ulcers and abscesses that both the pain was sharp and the stench of the pus emanating from them was immense, and he could not sit with the others in the Choir lest he offend them with the foul smell. When the help of St. Raymond was implored, the discharge was immediately checked, the pain departed, and the scars of the ulcers were left as ^a memorial of the benefit.

[7] A certain little girl named Margaret, from her very infancy until the twelfth year of her age, day and night kept the thumb of each hand inserted in her mouth and sucked it like ^a fountain of milk. An ingrained habit corrected. She had been beaten frequently by her mother, yet she did not unlearn that unbecoming habit. Her mother had recourse to the help of St. Raymond, and the daughter desisted from that longstanding habit.

[8] Bernard de Bayona, the knight (of whom we spoke above), had ^a horse so unruly and fierce that ^a bridle could not be put on it without immense labor and danger. A horse tamed. His wife vowed to St. Raymond ^a candle the height of the horse itself if he would tame its ferocity. It was soon rendered entirely gentle.

[9] A ship had set sail from Valencia toward Peniscola, on which two members of the Order of Preachers were being conveyed: Brother Raymond and Brother N. de Sola. When they were ten leagues from Peniscola, the sea immediately became so agitated that they could neither make port nor return to Valencia. The storm lasted five days. A storm calmed. Various vows were made to the Saints above. At last, when all believed that the most certain destruction was imminent for them at any moment, the helmsman of the ship three times with ^a clear voice invoked St. Raymond. Shortly afterward the sea grew calm, and the ship entered the desired port.

[10] Thus far from Francis Diago, who also reviews certain miracles narrated above and some of those that we shall now give from Domenec. It seems appropriate to add here one from Michael Llot, Chapter 19. Luisa Manrique, daughter of the Duke of Najera, married to the Duke of Maqueda, was freed from the greatest dangers A happy delivery. and most grievous pains of childbirth through the merits of St. Raymond, and she named the daughter born in that delivery Raimunda in fulfillment of ^a vow. She frequently visited his sepulchre and was accustomed to proclaim the praises of that Saint with the most grateful words.

OTHER MIRACLES

Written in Spanish by Antonio Vicente Domenec.

Raymond de Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (Saint)

From the Spanish of Antonio Vicente Domenec.

[1] At Barcelona ^a certain man ^a conscious of enormous sins against himself, had often gone to the monastery of St. Catherine the Martyr so as to relieve them by confession, St. Raymond removes the horror of confession. yet he had never been able to bring himself to fall at the knees of ^a priest and open them, returning home each time with the evil uncured. At last he perceived that this was being done by the cunning of the devil. Therefore, prostrating himself at the sepulchre of St. Raymond, he prayed that he might obtain from God the grace of undertaking confession in the proper manner. Heavenly strength was added to him: he immediately performed ^a thorough confession ^b and found peace of soul.

[2] Peter Martin of Barcelona had been tortured by ^a violent pain and dizziness of the head for seven years. He heals ^a headache and dizziness. He implored the help of St. Raymond and inserted his head four or five times into the opening of his ancient sepulchre. Scarcely had another week passed when he was free from all distress and dizziness. The same remedy relieved very many others of the same ailment.

[3] Bernardinus Romanus Falques, ^a Doctor of Medicine, publicly testified Likewise ^a migraine. that he had been tormented by migraine for many years, but that having merely implored the help of St. Raymond he was freed, so that for the twelve consecutive years following he perceived no sign of that infirmity.

[4] Burgeto, an ironsmith, had ^a daughter whose face had been disfigured from the cradle by an ugly blemish. On this account she was afflicted and grieving, when the thought came to her of the little cap that St. Raymond had once worn, which her grandmother was now reverently keeping. He removes blemishes. She asked that it be lent to her for ^a while, and the following night she applied it with great confidence to that blemish; and it was so thoroughly wiped away that on the next day not even ^a trace of it could be seen.

[5] He restores hearing. A servant of John de Togores, who had been completely deaf for three months, visited the sepulchre of St. Raymond and recovered his hearing.

[6] Paul Strada, from the town of Hostalric, was tormented by ^a severe catarrh, so that he could neither take food nor barely even open his mouth. He invoked St. Raymond and resolved to arrange for the divine sacrifice to be offered at his altar. The following night he seemed to see someone of the Order of Preachers (undoubtedly it was Raymond) standing beside him and, when he had fixed his gaze upon him, departing. A wonderful cheerfulness of spirit was infused into the sick man. To his wife entering the bedroom he narrates what he had seen. He heals ^a catarrh. The next day, when Mass was being celebrated at the Saint's altar at his arrangement, he opened his mouth with no difficulty and gradually began to feel better, the catarrh that had occupied his face immediately draining away. As soon as his strength was sufficiently restored for him to go to the church, he noticed that on the altar was painted the image of him who had appeared to him, which was St. Raymond's, bearing keys in his hand.

[7] Peter de Turno dared to disparage the Saint's miracles and rashly blurted out that whoever went blind to his sepulchre returned blind, One who detracted from the Saint is punished, then cured by him. whoever deaf, deaf, whoever lame, lame. Divine vengeance immediately seized the man. He began to be struck by trembling and horror, to grow dim of sight, to be agitated by ^a dizziness of the head so that he thought the ground was sinking and everything turning upside down; ^c the morsel that he had put in his mouth while uttering those impious words nearly suffocated him, since he could neither swallow it into his stomach nor spit it out. What he could not express in words he conceived in his mind as ^a vow: that if he were freed from this danger through the merits of St. Raymond, he would never henceforth detract from his miracles. He immediately spat out the morsel, though he was not immediately free of all his illness ^d, until long afterward, in the monastery of St. Catherine, he himself publicly confessed his crime and expiated it and the other sins he had previously committed by confession, and reverently venerated the Saint's tomb.

[8] Pains of the bowels cured by the merits of St. Raymond. Angela Rodes, tortured for five months by severe pains of the bowels, invoked St. Raymond, and having drunk the dust of his sepulchre mixed with an egg, was freed.

[9] Mary, ^e wife of Jimeno Perez Sagra, lord of the Barony of Carcel, had been attacked by ^a lethal illness ^f from the pains of ^a stone. The physicians, having tried many things in vain, determined that the stone must be cut out. A stone. For half an hour the surgeon ^g tried in vain with various instruments to extract it, and at last, having given up hope of ^a cure, he closed the wound. In these torments the pious woman besought St. Raymond ^h to be at her side, promising to arrange for the sacrifice of the Mass to be offered three times at his altar. For three days she drank the dust brought to her from his sepulchre, and on the third day she passed ^a stone the size of an egg without any pain.

[10] ⁱ Mary, wife of Peter Desplanes, commended her son, who was suffering from palpitation of the heart and epilepsy, Epilepsy. to St. Raymond; nor did that deadly illness seize him thereafter.

[11] In the year 1596, on March 6, when the galley of St. Barbara had set sail from Barcelona toward the Balearics, at about the middle of the voyage it was battered by contrary and exceedingly violent winds, so that it was already taking on water on both sides. A storm calmed. Among the passengers was Brother Antonius Arayz of the Order of Minims: he cast the dust of St. Raymond into the sea. ^k The winds subsided, and shortly after ^a calm of the sea followed. On many other occasions Raymond was at hand for those sailing.

[12] Brother Antonius of Naples, ^a Capuchin, already given up by the physicians, implored the benign hand of St. Raymond. A dying man healed. On that night, which was believed to be entirely his last, he seemed to himself, with ^a certain Religious of the family of St. Dominic standing by, to be transferred from ^a hard and rough bed to ^a softer one, and to feel great solace from the presence of that Preacher and relief from his illness. Nor was that an empty vision; for the next day the physicians declared that his health could not have been so restored except by ^a heavenly miracle. He then besought the propitious deity to reveal to him who that Preacher was, through whose agency he believed this benefit had been conferred upon him. Around ten in the morning he beheld St. Raymond seated in ^a splendid chair, gazing upon him with ^a benign and smiling countenance. This vision was continuously presented to him until two in the afternoon; and then he was entirely freed both from that illness and from certain other chronic ailments.

[13] Nor indeed does the Saint turn away even from barbarians and those foreign to our religion when they implore his aid. Maymona, ^a Mohammedan woman, Even unbelievers have experienced the Saint's aid. had suffered for five weeks an immense pain from ^a wound she had received in her left hand that had become ulcerated, and since the surgeons were of no help, at the urging of her master she besought St. Raymond to come to her aid. Once the prayer was conceived, the ulcer was immediately resolved and she obtained her recovery. St. Raymond brought aid to very many other persons of the same sect.

[14] A horse cured. He even allows the streams of his benignity to flow to the very beasts of burden. The neck of ^a horse belonging to William Aimericus, ^a citizen of Barcelona, had swollen so much that it abstained from food and drink for four days. William, when no other remedy was at hand, poured out prayers ^l to St. Raymond. At night he seemed to be advised in his dreams by the Saint to go see his horse, which he would find sound and well. Waking, he hurried to the stable. The swelling of the horse's neck had subsided, and it had already eaten ^a great portion of the food set before it.

[15] Gregory Cucurella, ^a citizen of Barcelona, in the year 1560 was laboring with an acute and continuous fever, so that the physicians had already despaired of his recovery. At midnight, A fever expelled. with the doors of the house bolted, he seemed to see two members of the Order of Preachers, one elderly (undoubtedly Raymond), the other ^a young man. The former touched the sick man with his hand and bade him go to the monastery of St. Catherine, ask for ^a draught of water, drink it with dust from the sepulchre of St. Raymond mixed in, and moreover arrange for ^a Mass to be celebrated at his altar, and not to be anxious about his health any longer. When they had given these instructions, they withdrew from his sight. He woke his wife and declared himself sound and entirely free from the discomfort of fever. Carried at first light to the monastery of the Preachers and having duly performed everything he had been commanded, he returned in good health.

MIRACLES AFTER THE CANONIZATION.

From the same Antonio Vicente Domenec.

Raymond de Pennafort III, General of the Order of Preachers (Saint)

From the Spanish of Antonio Vicente Domenec.

[1] These miracles were approved in the Council of Tarragona, 1602. The miracles that we shall henceforth narrate were performed after solemn heavenly honors had been decreed by the Pontiff for Raymond. Alphonsus Coloma, Bishop of Barcelona, reported them at the Council of Tarragona and showed that they had been confirmed by his authority with legitimate testimonies, and he petitioned that they be confirmed by ^a decree of John Teres, Archbishop of Tarragona, and the other Fathers of that Council. They were entrusted by the Council to grave and learned men, who carefully discussed them and reported that all had been solidly and legitimately attested. The Archbishop therefore decreed, with the approval of the Council, that it seemed ^a good thing if the Bishop of Barcelona should order them to be printed and publicly proclaimed, adding, if it seemed fit, the decree of the Council itself, which had been issued in Session XIII on January 20, 1602. The Bishop ordered them to be printed on the day before the Ides of March and published throughout the entire diocese. We give them here briefly.

[2] Raphaela Basia, daughter of John Basius, ^a citizen of Barcelona, when she was six years old, was struck in the side by ^a grave wound, from which the sharpest pains thereafter arose and such weakness of strength Debility cured by the aid of St. Raymond. that she could neither walk nor stand on her feet at all, but lay almost perpetually bedridden, except that sometimes, supported by crutches, she would creep to the windows or take ^a few steps through the room. At last, in the year 1601, on May 14, when the happy news of St. Raymond's canonization was brought, she was carried by her mother to the monastery of St. Catherine and placed within the chapel of St. Raymond. There, having recited the Lord's Prayer and the Angelic Salutation three times, she seemed to be raised up by someone's help, although no one was standing so near to her that they could have assisted. She therefore rose, aided neither by crutches nor by anyone's help, and began to walk, to the astonishment of her mother and the others who knew her. And thereafter she used no crutches and walked with ^a firm step, mounted ^a carriage by herself and dismounted from it, and nimbly ran up and down all the stairs of her father's house.

[3] Helena Molnera, when she was in her fifth year, fell from some stairs and broke the bone of her left shin, which had to be incised in seven places. The physicians tried many things in vain Gait and strength restored. and at last determined that the bone must be sawed through. Nor was the girl any better for it: she lay continuously bedridden for three full years. Then she could walk ^a little with crutches, and not without immense discomfort. In the year 1601, on the Ides of May, when the canonization of St. Raymond was being celebrated with festive rejoicing, she was led by ^a certain kinswoman of hers to the monastery of St. Catherine, and before the very tomb of the Saint she said the rosary and then recited the Lord's Prayer and the Angelic Salutation seven times and piously invoked St. Raymond. Soon she rose in good health, leaving the crutches with which she had come, for she had no need of them now, walking thenceforth with so steady ^a step as if she had never suffered any adversity, her shin solid and free from all pain — so that the next day she outpaced her mother in walking, who was otherwise not infirm, although for ten full years she had never gone anywhere without crutches.

[4] Catherine Cavallera, wife of James Cavaller, ^a citizen of Barcelona, forty-three years old, testified A hump and various infirmities cured. that she had been suddenly seized by pain and horror, had fallen downstairs, and at that time did not immediately feel the pain, but ^a few days later was alienated from her senses so that she had to be restrained lest she do harm to herself and others. Bonds were placed on her hands and feet, and even her fingers were bound with ropes. Even so the violent motion of her body could not be restrained, and she so injured her own shoulders that she was forced to walk stooped and hunchbacked, nor could she straighten herself up at all, so that when she walked she could see the shadow of her own hump. This ailment held her for three years, during which she could neither stand upright nor walk, and she believed she would labor under this inconvenience for the rest of her life. On the day when, upon the announcement of the canonization of St. Raymond, ^a solemn procession was organized and his most holy body carried around, ^a singular feeling of piety toward the Saint was divinely infused in her. On the following Sunday she went to the monastery of St. Catherine, and entering the chapel of St. Raymond, she implored his help with the greatest emotion of soul she could. She felt the bones of her shoulders separating with ^a cracking noise, and that she had sufficient strength to rise up. She therefore rose, and now found that the malady that had occupied her shoulders had subsided. She gave thanks to God and vowed to visit the Saint's sepulchre barefoot for nine continuous days. Moreover, during the time she began and completed that nine-day devotion, she declared that the bones of her shoulders had shifted with ^a cracking noise. Thereafter she walked with an upright neck, shoulders, and entire body, and with ^a vigorous step. This miracle was attested under oath by Catherine herself, her husband, and other women.

[5] Elizabeth Barba, daughter of Antiquus Barba, from the village of Castellar in the diocese of Barcelona, fell into ^a most troublesome illness, A manifold infirmity cured. so that no part of her body lacked its own pains, and she was rendered so weak that she could in no way move her right arm and could move her left only with immense discomfort; she had to be dressed and managed in all things by another person; often food had to be put in her mouth, which even so she sometimes could not swallow. Her neck and head were foully twisted to the left side. Her molars and other teeth were so joined and locked together that she could only mutter through her teeth. These evils grew worse day by day, with immense pain and dizziness of the head. Now destitute of human remedies (for even the physicians had abandoned her as incurable), her family carried her by litter to Barcelona to consult other physicians there. Setting out on the journey, they heard that many miracles were being wrought through the merits of St. Raymond, recently enrolled in the register of the Saints. The sick woman entreated her husband to carry her to the Saint's sepulchre. When her family had placed her in her hand-litter in the chapel not far from the tomb of St. Raymond and were kneeling and pouring out prayers, scarcely ^a quarter of an hour had passed when the litter burst apart with ^a cracking noise, Elizabeth showed by nods and gestures that she was well, turned herself about and raised herself up, and asked her husband in now clear and distinct words to give her his hand as she wished to rise. The husband could scarcely do this, so quickly had she raised herself to her feet; she was moving both arms and joining her hands freely, as ^a not inconsiderable crowd of people looked on. The pain of all the other limbs was also entirely wiped away; the faculty of speech was restored. Without anyone's assistance she went to the high altar of that basilica, dedicated to St. Catherine, and returned on foot to the lodging, which was located far from there, even though ^a heavy rain was falling. She took food and drink with her own hands, which she had not been able to do before. All this was attested under oath by Elizabeth herself, her husband, and Doctor Barba, ^a relative of hers.

[6] A stiffness of the arm removed. On December 23 of the year 1600, the left arm of Isabella Campos, wife of James Campos, became so stiff that she could neither raise it, lower it, nor move it at all, nor even spread her fingers. When the news of St. Raymond's canonization was brought, she visited his sepulchre with her husband and son on the very Ides of May 1601. With their prayers joined together, they implored the Saint's aid. Immediately the strength was restored to her hand and arm, which human skill had been unable to heal for so long ^a time.