Knowra Doctor of the Church Doctor of the Church A title granted by the Catholic Church to saints whose writings or teachings are recognized for their lasting contribution to Christian doctrine and spiritual life.
Pope Boniface VIII : The pope who formally recognized Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great as Doctors of the Church in 1298. His 1298 decree established the familiar Western group of four early Doctors.
Canonization : The Catholic Church's formal declaration that a deceased person is a saint and may be publicly venerated. Every Doctor of the Church is first recognized as a saint.
Augustine of Hippo : A fourth- and fifth-century bishop and theologian whose writings profoundly shaped Western Christianity. His works on grace, sin, and the church exemplify the title's lasting doctrinal influence.
General Roman Calendar : The calendar that sets dates for liturgical celebrations in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Doctors of the Church receive liturgical commemorations in the calendar.
Women Doctors of the Church : The four women recognized as Doctors of the Church: Teresa of Ávila, Catherine of Siena, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Hildegard of Bingen. Their proclamations expanded a title historically held mostly by men.
Thomas Aquinas : A thirteenth-century Dominican theologian whose synthesis of Christian theology and Aristotelian philosophy shaped Catholic thought. Pope Pius V declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1567.
Catholic theology : The systematic study and exposition of God, revelation, and Christian doctrine within the Catholic tradition. The title recognizes teaching that contributes substantially to this body of thought.
Catherine of Siena : A fourteenth-century Italian mystic and lay member of the Dominican Order known for spiritual writings and church reform advocacy. Her 1970 designation showed that the title could honor a woman and a non-cleric.
Liturgy of the Hours : The Catholic Church's cycle of daily prayer, consisting chiefly of psalms, readings, and hymns. Readings from Doctors' writings appear in the office of readings.
Thérèse of Lisieux : A nineteenth-century French Carmelite nun whose spiritual autobiography presents her path of trust and simplicity. Her 1997 recognition showed that modern-era writing could meet the title's standard.
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