Doctors of the Church are great saints known for their defense and explanation of the truths of the Catholic faith. The original eight Doctors of the Church were named by acclamation, or common acknowledgment; the rest have been named by various popes, starting with the addition of St. Thomas Aquinas to the list by Pope St. Pius V in 1568.
This title indicates that the writings and preachings of such a person are useful to Christians "in any age of the Church." Such men and women are also particularly known for the depth of understanding and the orthodoxy of their theological teachings. While the writings of the Doctors are often considered inspired by the Holy Spirit, this does not mean they are infallible. It does mean that they contributed significantly to the formulation of Christian teaching in at least one area.
Today, there are 35 Doctors of the Church: 27 from the West and 8 from the East; four women; 18 bishops, 12 priests, one deacon, three nuns and one consecrated virgin; 26 from Europe, three from Africa, six from Asia. Who are they? (Follow the links below to read more about each doctor.)
Pictured: A stained-glass image of St. Hildegard of Bingen, the newest Doctor of the Church, depicting her at work composing hymns
LATIN (WESTERN) DOCTORS
1 – St. Ambrose, 340-397 (Pastoral Doctor): Archbishop of Milan, one of the most influential Church figures of the 4th century.
2 – St. Jerome, 345-420 (Doctor of Biblical Science): A Christian apologist, best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin, what's known as the Vulgate.
3 – St. Augustine, 354-430 (Doctor of Grace): Bishop of Hippo, philosopher and theologian, and one of the most important figures in the Church.
4 – Pope St. Gregory the Great, 540-604 (Doctor of Hymnology): The first pope with a monastic background.
GREEK (EASTERN) DOCTORS
5 – St. Athanasius, 295-373 (Doctor of Orthodoxy): Remembered for his role in the conflict with Arianism and for his affirmation of the Trinity. He argued against political leaders and errant theologians so much and was exiled so often that he earned the nickname "Athanasius Contra Mundum" (Athanasius Against the World").
6 – St. Basil the Great, 330-379 (Doctor of Monasticism): Noted scholar, lawyer and public speaker, he converted from paganism in a dramatic fashion: selling everything he had, giving the money to the poor, and becoming a monk. His Monastic Rule forms the basis of virtually all religious life in the Eastern Churches. He, his brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and his best friend, St. Gregory Nazianzus, are known as "the Cappadocian Fathers" after the region of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) from which they came.
7 – St. Gregory Nazianzus, 330-390 (Doctor of Theologians, Doctor of the Trinity): Archbishop of Constantinople who once was attacked during Mass by an Arian mob, which wounded him and killed a fellow bishop. Convened the Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381 to resolve questions about the Nicene Creed and help unify the Eastern and Western Churches, but got so frustrated that he resigned in the middle of it.
8 – St. John Chrysostom, 345-407 (Doctor of Preachers): Perhaps the greatest preacher in Church history. Known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking, he was nicknamed "chrysostomos" (Greek for "golden tongued"). The themes of his talks were always practical, explaining how to apply the Bible in everyday life, and he lived a simple, unpretentious lifestyle even after being pushed into becoming archbishop of Constantinople. There he denounced the lavish lifestyles of local Church and political leaders – making him popular with the laity but causing his exile to a desolate area along the Black Sea, where he died from ill health.
EARLY CHURCH DOCTORS
9 – St. Ephraem, 306-373 (Doctor of Deacons and Poets): Died tending plague victims in 373.
10 – St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315-368 (Doctor of Christ's Divinity): Sometimes called the "Hammer of the Arians," so popular that he was unanimously elected bishop of Poitiers in Gaul (modern France) in about 353.
11 – St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-387 (Doctor of Faith and against Heresy): Bishop of Jerusalem who was deposed and exiled more than once by jealous opponents. Disagreed at first with the Nicene Creed's clause that Jesus is "consubstantial with the Father," but by the Ecumenical Council of 381 he voted for the wording, seeing no better alternative to unifying the Eastern and Western Churches.
12 – St. Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444 (Doctor of the Incarnation): Bishop of Alexandria when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. He wrote extensively and was a leading defender of Christ's identity as fully divine and fully human.
13 – Pope St. Leo the Great, 390-461 (Doctor of Doctrine): First pope to have been called "the Great," reaffirmed papal authority, perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.
14 – St. Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 (Doctor of Homilies): Made Bishop of Ravenna, Italy, in about 433 by Pope Sixtus III, after Sixtus had a vision of St. Peter and St. Apollinaris (the first bishops of Rome and Ravenna) showed him a young man and said he would be the next Bishop of Ravenna. When Sixtus met Peter shortly afterwards, he recognized him as the young man in his vision and consecrated him as bishop even though he was only a deacon at the time.
15 – St. Isidore, 560-636 (Doctor of Education): Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades. At a time when the remnants of the Roman Empire were crumbling and aristocratic violence and illiteracy were spreading, he helped convert the royal Visigothic Arians to Catholicism and played a prominent role in developing Visigothic legislation – regarded by historians as having influenced the beginnings of representative government.
16 – St. Bede the Venerable, 673-735 (Doctor of English History)
17 – St. John Damascene, 676-749 (The Icon or Image Doctor, or Doctor of the Assumption): A Syrian Christian monk and priest, and the last of the Church Fathers. Wrote extensively on the Assumption of Mary.
18 – St. Peter Damian, 1007-1072 (Doctor of Reform and Renewal)
MIDDLE AGE CHURCH DOCTORS
19 – St. Anselm, 1033-1109 (Doctor of Scholasticism)
20 – St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153 (Devotional and Eloquent Doctor)
21 – St. Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231 (Evangelical Doctor)
22 – St. Albertus Magnus, 1200-1280 (Doctor of Science)
23 – St. Bonaventure, 1217-1274 (Seraphic Doctor)
24 – St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274 (Angelic Doctor)
25 – St. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1379 (Doctor of Unity)
COUNTER REFORMATION CHURCH DOCTORS
26 –Teresa of Avila 1515-1582 (Doctor of Prayer): The first woman to be named a Doctor, in 1970.
27 – St. Peter Canisius, 1521-1597 (Doctor of Catechetical Studies)
28 – St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591 (Mystical Doctor)
29 – St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621 (Doctor of Church State Relations)
30 – St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1622 (Doctor of Conversions and Missions)
31 – St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622 (Doctor of Authors and the Press)
MODERN ERA CHURCH DOCTORS
32 – St. Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787 (Morality and Marian Doctor)
33 – St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 1873-1897 (Doctor of Confidence and Missionaries)
34 – St. John of Avila, 1500-1569: Missionary, preacher, and reformer of clerical life in Spain. Pope Benedict said he was a "profound expert on the sacred Scriptures ... a man of God, he united constant prayer to apostolic action. He dedicated himself to preaching and to the more frequent practice of the sacraments, concentrating his commitment on improving the formation of candidates for the priesthood, of religious and of lay people, with a view to a fruitful reform of the Church."
35 – St. Hildegard of Bingen, 1098-1179: German Benedictine nun who was a named composer when most music was anonymous, a visionary who wrote three books describing the mystical visions she had since the age of 3, a preacher at a time when canon law forbade women to preach, prolific letter-writer to popes, and early scientist, botanist, herbalist, physician and healer. Even invented her own coded language.
— Sources: The Catholic Encyclopedia, www.catholiconline.com, www.doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com
More online
At www.annusfidei.va: Read Pope Benedict XVI's take on Doctors of the Church including St. Augustine, St. Thérese of Lisieux, St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ambrose and others. (Click on "We Believe.")
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastic leader in the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals, men who are chosen by the pope, have been involved in universal Church governance since the 13th century when the pope began consulting them on spiritual and temporal issues.
The term “cardinal” comes from the Latin word “cardinalis,” from the word “cardo,” or “hinge.” According to Church law, they should be “especially outstanding in doctrine, morals, piety and prudence in action” (Canon 351). Interestingly, they do not have to be bishops before becoming cardinals; they just have to be ordained at least to the priesthood, and once the pope chooses them they receive episcopal consecration. They “are obliged to cooperate assiduously” with the pope (Canon 356). If they are not diocesan bishops, they must live in Rome.
The collection of cardinals is called the College of Cardinals, and their principal function is the election of a new pope.
The term “Prince of the Church” regarding cardinals is a historical reference to those who held the equivalent role of a royal prince and in a feudal times ruled a principality. While certain cardinals hold on to this concept of prince in dress and behaviors, Pope Francis has stated that his newly appointed cardinals are not to be called “princes of the church,” but they are to serve the people of God and tackle the sins of the world. At one meeting Pope Francis “blasted” top cardinals for being “lustful of power, living hypocritical lives, suffering from spiritual Alzheimer’s instead of being men of God.” Pope Francis is trying to build a Church that emphasizes inclusion and mercy, focusing on serving the poor and marginalized peoples.
The pope announces new cardinals in a secret consistory – that is, a formal gathering of the College of Cardinals chaired by the pope. Ordinary consistories deal with serious or secret matters. Extraordinary consistories are called when there is a special pastoral, organization or governmental need of the Church.
Currently there are 216 members of the College of Cardinals, 117 of them under the age of 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope.
While the number of cardinals has varied over the centuries, the number nearly doubled in the late 20th century. Pope Francis has appointed about one-third of the cardinals eligible to choose the next pope. Until recently, Europeans dominated the College of Cardinals. Pope Francis expanded the effort to diversify the College to reflect the Church’s global reach. He appointed cardinals from Asia, Africa and Latin America, and from countries that never had a cardinal, including Bangladesh, Lesotho and Malaysia.
Cardinals do not always share the views of the pope who appointed them. Some of their personal priorities differ from that of the pope, and they do not hesitate to publicly take issue with the pope. Such can be more than confusing to people.
Five years ago Pope Francis appointed nine cardinals to advise him on the reform of Church government, particularly the Roman Curia. This international Council of Cardinals, often referred to as the C9, met most recently with Pope Francis in late February. They have made many recommendations, recently proposing that the Congregations be more internationally staffed by a larger number of qualified laymen, women and young people and fewer priests.
Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally is an authority on canon law and frequent lecturer at universities and dioceses. A graduate of The Catholic University of America with multiple degrees including a doctorate in psychology and a licentiate of canon law (JCL), she is a psychologist for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte and a judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Miami.