Born near Barcelona around 1175, Raymond belonged to a noble Catalonian family. He became a canon of the diocese of Barcelona and afterward joined the Dominican Order. He worked for many years in Rome, codifying Canon Law in five books of Decretals at the command of Pope Gregory IX, and in 1238 became the Order’s third Master-General. He is particularly remembered for promoting the fruitful celebration of the Sacrament of Penance (Summa Casuum) and for his compassion towards Christian slaves. He died in 1275.
