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Blessed Raymond Lull

[Blessed Raymond Lull]
Also known as

Doctor Illuminatus
Ramon Llull
Ramon Lull
Ramon Lullus
Raymond Lullus
Raymond Lully

30 June

Profile

Seneschal, courtier and troubador at the court of King James of Aragon from about 1246. Married Blanca Picany in 1257. In 1263 he received a vision of Christ crucified, and was converted on the spot.

Franciscan tertiary. Friend of Raymond of Penyafort Worked to convert Muslims in the Iberian peninsula, and then in north Africa. He tried to interest the Vatican and assorted European royal courts in this work, travelling throughout Italy, France, England and Germany in search of support, but received little help. He learned Arabic, founded a school for Arabic study on Majorca in 1276, and encouraged the study of Arab language and culture. Travelled three times to Tunis to preach to the Muslims, but was forcibly deported.

Raymond wrote over 300 works in Latin, Arabic and Catalan on theology, logic, philosophy; wrote fiction and poetry. Known as a alchemist, he had no training in occult arts, and invented his own Christian-based concepts to explain alchemical mysteries. Reputed to have solved the “lead-into-gold” mystery; legend says he worked on it to finance missionary work. He had a small but devoted band of followers known as Lullists who continued their work after his death, though some of them drifted away from the Church in search of alchemical knowledge. His work in this area has been the source of controversy for centuries, and non-Christian occult groups have seen him as a “master” or whatever term they use.

Born

c.1234 at Palma, Majorca, Spain

Died

some writers indicate he was martyred by stoning in Tunis c.1315, but there is no evidence for it
some writers indicate that he died in Bougie, Algeria in 1325
may have died of natural causes during the return ocean voyage from Tunis
buried at the church of San Francisco, Palma, Majorca, Spain