Blessed Doctor Illuminatus
Blessed Ramon Llull (born c. 1232 AD in Palma de Mallorca, Majorca, Spain; died c. 1316 AD at sea near Majorca or in Tunis, North Africa) — known by the honorific title "Doctor Illuminatus" (the Illuminated Doctor) — was a Catalan-Majorcan philosopher, theologian, mystic, missionary, poet, and logician who was one of the most prolific and original thinkers of the medieval period. A former courtier who experienced a dramatic conversion at the age of about thirty, he devoted the rest of his long life to the conversion of Muslims and Jews through reasoned argument and dialogue, writing over 250 works in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic. He is venerated as a blessed of the Catholic Church with a feast on June 30 in Majorca and in the Franciscan Order.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Doctor Illuminatus
| Blessed Doctor Illuminatus | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 30 |
| Profession | Philosopher; theologian; logician; mystic; poet; missionary; Franciscan Tertiary; courtier (before conversion); founder of the school at Miramar (1276); teacher at the University of Paris; prolific author (250+ works in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic); Doctor Illuminatus |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Franciscan Third Order; Catalan Catholic tradition; medieval scholasticism; Christian-Muslim and Christian-Jewish dialogue; Majorcan Catholic heritage; Franciscan missionary tradition |
| Patronage | Majorca; Balearic Islands; Catalan language and literature; Christian-Muslim dialogue; philosophers; logicians; computer scientists (as a pioneer of combinatorial logic); missionaries; Franciscan tertiaries; theologians |
| Attributes | Franciscan habit; book (his prolific writing); rotating volvelle wheels (his Art); Arabic script (his Arabic writings); cross (missionary); June 30 feast; Doctor Illuminatus epithet |
| Birthplace | Palma de Mallorca, Majorca, Spain |
| Death Place | At sea near Majorca, or Tunis, North Africa (uncertain) |
| Cause of Death | Natural death (probable); Ramon Llull died around 1316, after a life of extraordinary intellectual and missionary activity; the traditional account says he died of wounds sustained when he was stoned by a Muslim mob in Bougie (modern Béjaïa, Algeria) on his third missionary journey to North Africa; however, historical evidence suggests he may have died at sea while returning to Majorca; he was approximately 83 years old; his death marked the end of one of the most extraordinary intellectual and apostolic careers in medieval Christianity |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of San Francesco, Palma de Mallorca, Spain — his relics; June 30 feast; beatified Pius IX 1847 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; June 30 feast in Majorca and in the Franciscan Order |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Ramon Llull was born around 1232 in Palma de Mallorca, shortly after the Christian reconquest of the island from the Moors by King James I of Aragon. He grew up in a multilingual, multicultural environment of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
He served as a courtier at the Majorcan court and was married with children. Around the age of thirty he experienced a series of mystical visions of Christ crucified that prompted a complete conversion of life. He provided for his family, then gave himself entirely to study, writing, and mission.
He taught himself Arabic (an extraordinary achievement), founded a school at Miramar for teaching Arabic to Franciscan missionaries (1276), and made three dangerous missionary journeys to North Africa. He taught at the University of Paris on three occasions and wrote over 250 works in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic — the first major European author to write theology and philosophy in a vernacular language.
He died around 1316, at approximately 83 years of age, following his third missionary journey to North Africa.
He is known by the epithet "Doctor Illuminatus" (the Illuminated Doctor). His cult was formally confirmed by Pope Pius IX in 1847. His feast day is June 30.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Palma de Mallorca, Majorca, Spain
Death location: At sea near Majorca, or Tunis, North Africa (uncertain)
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Feast day
June 30
Veneration
Blessed Ramon Llull (c. 1232–c. 1316), the "Doctor Illuminatus," was a Catalan-Majorcan philosopher, theologian, mystic, and missionary — author of 250+ works in Catalan, Latin, and Arabic; pioneer of combinatorial logic; Franciscan Tertiary who made three missionary journeys to North Africa; patron of Majorca and of the Catalan language; cult confirmed Pius IX 1847. Feast June 30.
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