Born in Catalonia, Spain, he was already an accomplished academic and preacher when he joined the Dominicans in 1222. Called to Rome as papal confessor in 1230, he collected conciliar and papal degrees in a standard work used by canon lawyers for nearly 700 years. Returning to Spain in 1236, he devoted himself to converting Muslims and Jews, establishing schools to teach Arabic and Hebrew, and launching the Inquisition in Catalonia. He was Dominican master general for two years.
