Ramon Llull: Life, Works, and Missionary Efforts
Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull (1232-1316) is considered one of the creators of literary Catalan and one of the first to use a Romance language to transmit philosophical, scientific, and technical knowledge, in addition to novels. He was a writer, mystic, scientific popularizer, missionary, theologian, Franciscan monk, and alchemist. He wrote in Occitan, Catalan, Arabic, and Latin.
From Birth to Conversion
Llull was born in Palma de Mallorca between 1232 and 1233. He was the son of Ramon Amat Llull and Isabel d’Erill, a family of Catalan nobility. Before marrying, the couple joined the court of King James I, and their rise was meteoric. During his years at court, Llull lived a luxurious life and had several relationships with young ladies.
During this time, he composed love songs and picaresque verses in Occitan, suitable for performance by troubadours. He later married Blanca Picany, and they had two children, Domènec and Magdalena.
In 1263, Llull experienced five visions of Christ crucified, which caused him to leave his family and dedicate himself to preaching. During these years, Llull focused on spreading Christianity in Muslim lands. Thanks to a Saracen captive, he learned Arabic.
Llull later retreated to a cave in Mallorca, where he devoted himself to meditation and contemplation. Finally, he entered the monastery of La Real, where the monks taught him Latin, grammar, and both Islamic and Catholic philosophy.
Missionary Work and Other Endeavors
In 1274, Llull established the Miramar monastery on his native island. The aim of this monastery was to train missionaries to Christianize the Arabs.
Llull began a personal crusade, as the Pope did not want to listen. His mission to Christianize the Arabs and Jews took him to Europe (Germany, France, and Italy), Cyprus, the Holy Land, Asia Minor, and the Maghreb.
During these travels, he wrote many works and attempted to establish new Catholic monasteries in the areas he visited.
In 1286, Ramon Llull received the title of professor at the University of Paris. A year later, he went to Rome to request funding from the Church for a crusade to convert all infidels in the Holy Land, but again, nobody listened.
In 1295, he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1299, Llull was authorized by King James II of Majorca to express his ideas in mosques and synagogues of his kingdom.
In 1307, Ramon Llull went to North Africa to continue preaching but was nearly stoned. He then went to Pisa, but the ship he was on sank. Llull was one of the few survivors of the wreck and managed to reach his destination.
Council of Vienne
Between October 1311 and May 1312, Llull participated in three solemn sessions of the Council of Vienne. The council had to decide whether:
- It was appropriate to undertake a new crusade.
- To reform the Catholic Church.
- The Templars were guilty of heresy and blasphemy (the Pope had condemned them earlier).
Surprisingly, Llull supported the suppression of the Templars and advocated for missionaries to be taught Hebrew, Arabic, and other Oriental languages. However, Llull did not succeed in organizing a new crusade.
After the council, Llull went to Tunis to continue his missionary work. Llull died in 1315 or 1316, while returning from Tunis to Majorca. He is buried in the convent church of San Francesco in Palma.