Raymond Nonnatus

About Raymond Nonnatus

Raymond Nonnatus was a Mercedarian friar dedicated to ransoming Christian captives from Muslim captivity. His surname "Nonnatus" (not born) refers to his delivery by caesarean section after his mother died in labor—he was literally "not born" in the normal way. Raymond joined the newly founded Mercedarian Order (Order of Our Lady of Mercy), established to ransom Christian captives from Muslim lands. He went to Algeria where, after using all funds to ransom slaves, he exchanged himself as hostage for remaining captives. While captive in Algeria, Raymond continued evangelizing Muslims and supporting Christian captives, leading to many conversions. His Muslim captors, angered by his preaching, pierced his lips with a red-hot iron and padlocked his mouth shut to prevent him from speaking about Christ. Raymond endured this torture for eight months until the Mercedarians ransomed him. Pope Gregory IX made him cardinal, but Raymond died at Cardona while traveling to Rome, never reaching the papal court. He is patron of midwives and childbirth due to his unusual birth. Canonized 1657, he exemplifies heroic charity.