Doctor of the Church (Latin: doctor "teacher"), also referred to as Doctor of the Universal Church (Latin: Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis), is a title given by the Catholic Church to saints recognized as having made a significant contribution to theology or doctrine through their research, study, or writing.[1]

As of 2025, the Catholic Church has named 38 Doctors of the Church. Of these, the 18 who died before the Great Schism of 1054 are also held in high esteem by the Eastern Orthodox Church, although it does not use the formal title Doctor of the Church.

Among the 38 recognised Doctors, 29 are from the West and nine from the East; four are women and 34 are men; one is an abbess, three are nuns, and one is a tertiary associated with a religious order; two are popes, 19 are bishops, 13 are priests, and one is a deacon; and 28 are from Europe, three are from Africa, and seven are from Asia. More Doctors (twelve) lived in the fourth century than any other; eminent Christian writers of the first, second, and third centuries are usually referred to as the Ante-Nicene Fathers. The shortest period between death and nomination was that of Alphonsus Liguori, who died in 1787 and was named a Doctor in 1871 – a period of 84 years; the longest was that of Irenaeus, which took more than 18 centuries.

Some other churches have similar categories with various names.

Before the 16th century

In the Western church four outstanding "Fathers of the Church" attained this honour in the early Middle Ages: Gregory the Great, Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, and Jerome. The "four Doctors" became a commonplace notion among scholastic theologians, and a decree of Boniface VIII (1298) ordering their feasts to be kept as doubles throughout the Latin Church is contained in his sixth book of Decretals (cap. "Gloriosus", de relique. et vener. sanctorum, in Sexto, III, 22).[2]

In the Byzantine Church, three Doctors were pre-eminent: John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, and Gregory of Nazianzus. The feasts of these three saints were made obligatory throughout the Eastern Empire by Leo VI the Wise. A common feast was later instituted in their honour on 30 January, called "the feast of the three Hierarchs". In the Menaea for that day it is related that the three Doctors appeared in a dream to John Mauropous, Bishop of Euchaita, and commanded him to institute a festival in their honour, in order to put a stop to the rivalries of their votaries and panegyrists.[2]

This was under Alexius Comnenus (1081–1118; see "Acta SS.", 14 June, under St. Basil, c. xxxviii). But sermons for the feast are attributed in manuscripts to Cosmas Vestitor, who flourished in the tenth century. The three are as common in Eastern art as the four are in Western. Durandus (i, 3) remarks that Doctors should be represented with books in their hands. In the West analogy led to the veneration of four Eastern Doctors, Athanasius of Alexandria being added to the three hierarchs.[2]

Catholic Church

The details of the title Doctor of the Church vary from one autonomous ritual church to another.

Latin Church

In the Latin Church, the four Latin Doctors (Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory) had been given a special pre-eminence since the eighth century, but in 1298 Pope Boniface VIII declared them Doctors of the Church.[3] Pope Pius V recognized the four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church (John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Athanasius of Alexandria) in 1568.[4]

To these names others have subsequently been added. The requisite conditions are enumerated as three: eminens doctrina, insignis vitae sanctitas, Ecclesiae declaratio (i.e. eminent learning, a high degree of sanctity, and proclamation by the church). Benedict XIV explains the third as a declaration by the supreme pontiff or by a general council.[2]

The decree is issued by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and approved by the pope, after a careful examination, if necessary, of the saint's writings. It is not an ex cathedra decision, nor does it amount to a declaration that no error is to be found in the teaching of the Doctor. Doctors of the Church are not considered wholly immune from error. Previously, no martyrs were on the list, since the Office and the Mass had been for Confessors. Hence, as Benedict XIV pointed out during his pontificate, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus of Lyons, and Cyprian of Carthage were not called Doctors of the Church.[2] This changed in 2022 when Pope Francis declared Irenaeus of Lyons the first martyred Doctor.

The Doctors' works vary greatly in subject and form. Augustine of Hippo was one of the most prolific writers in Christian antiquity and wrote in almost every genre. Some, such as Pope Gregory the Great and Ambrose of Milan, were prominent writers of letters. Pope Leo the Great, Pope Gregory the Great, Peter Chrysologus, Bernard of Clairvaux, Anthony of Padua and Lawrence of Brindisi left many homilies. Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross and Therese of Lisieux wrote works of mystical theology. Athanasius of Alexandria and Robert Bellarmine defended the church against heresy. Bede the Venerable wrote biblical commentaries and theological treatises. Systematic theologians include the Scholastic philosophers Anselm of Canterbury, Albertus Magnus, and Thomas Aquinas.

In the 1920 encyclical Spiritus Paraclitus, Pope Benedict XV refers to Jerome as the church's "Greatest Doctor".[5]

Until 1970, no woman had been named a Doctor of the Church. Since then four additions to the list have been women: Teresa of Ávila (also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus) and Catherine of Siena by Pope Paul VI; Therese of Lisieux[6] by Pope John Paul II; and Hildegard of Bingen by Benedict XVI. Teresa and Thérèse were both Discalced Carmelites, Catherine was a Dominican tertiary, and Hildegard was a Benedictine.

Traditionally, in the Liturgy, the Office of Doctors was distinguished from that of Confessors by two changes: the Gospel reading Vos estis sal terrae ("You are the salt of the earth"), Matthew 5:13–19, and the eighth Respond at Matins, from Sirach 15:5, In medio Ecclesiae aperuit os ejus, * Et implevit eum Deus spiritu sapientiae et intellectus. * Jucunditatem et exsultationem thesaurizavit super eum. ("In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, * And God filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding. * He heaped upon him a treasure of joy and gladness.") The Nicene Creed was also recited at Mass, which is normally not said except on Sundays and the highest-ranking feast days. The 1962 revisions to the Missal dropped the Creed from feasts of Doctors and abolished the title and the Common of Confessors, instituting a distinct Common of Doctors.

On 20 August 2011, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he would soon declare John of Ávila a Doctor of the Church.[7] It was also reported in December 2011 that Pope Benedict intended to declare Hildegard of Bingen as a Doctor of the Church, though she had not yet been canonized.[8] Pope Benedict XVI declared Hildegard of Bingen a saint on 10 May 2012, clearing the way for her to be named a Doctor of the Church,[9] then declared both John of Ávila and Hildegard of Bingen Doctors of the Church on 7 October 2012.[10]

Pope Francis declared the 10th-century Armenian monk Gregory of Narek the 36th Doctor of the Church on 21 February 2015.[11] The decision was somewhat controversial, as Gregory was a monk of the Armenian Apostolic Church, a non-Chalcedonian church that was not in communion with the Catholic Church during Gregory's life and has sometimes been described as monophysite. However, the Armenian Apostolic Church does not accept monophysitism, and in 1996, Pope John Paul II and Catholicos Karekin I, patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, signed a joint declaration which said that the division between the two churches was due to historical misunderstandings, not a real difference in Christology. Further, Gregory had been recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church since it received the Armenian Catholic Church into full communion.[12]

Saint Cardinal John Henry Newman was proclaimed a doctor of the Church on All Saints Day, Saturday, November 1, 2025 by Pope Leo XIV at Saint Peter's Square at Vatican City.[13] He was named co-patron of Catholic education joining Saint Thomas Aquinas. On 31 July 2025, a statement from the Holy See Press Office reported that during an audience granted to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Pope Leo XIV had "confirmed the affirmative opinion of the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, would be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman."[14] In November 2023, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops had voted to support a petition by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales for the Vatican to name John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church.[15][16]

List of Doctors

(For earlier authorities on Christian doctrine, see Church Fathers and Ante-Nicene Fathers)

* indicates a saint who is also held in high esteem by the Eastern Orthodox Church.

No. Image Name Titles Born Died Promoted Activity Notable writings Pope
1 Gregory the Great* One of the four Great Latin Fathers 540 (c.) 604 1298 Pope, OSB Dialogues
Libellus responsionum
Pastoral Care
Moralia in Job 		Pope Boniface VIII
2 Ambrose* One of the four Great Latin Fathers 340 (c.) 397 1298 Bishop of Milan Ambrosian hymns
Exameron
De obitu Theodosii
3 Augustine of Hippo* One of the four Great Latin Fathers

Doctor gratiae
(Doctor of Grace)		 354 430 1298 Bishop of Hippo (now Annaba) De doctrina Christiana
Confessions
The City of God
On the Trinity
4 Jerome* One of the four Great Latin Fathers 347 (c.) 420 1298 Priest, monk Vulgate
De Viris Illustribus
5 Thomas Aquinas Doctor angelicus
(Angelic Doctor)

Doctor communis
(Common Doctor)

Doctor Humanitatis
(Doctor of Humanity/Humaneness)		 1225 1274 1567 [17] Priest, Theologian, OP Summa Theologiae
Summa contra Gentiles 		Pope Pius V
6 John Chrysostom* One of the four Great Greek Fathers 347 407 1568 Archbishop of Constantinople Paschal Homily
Adversus Judaeos
7 Basil the Great* One of the four Great Greek Fathers 330 379 1568 Bishop of Caesarea Address to Young Men on Greek Literature
On the Holy Spirit
8 Gregory of Nazianzus* One of the four Great Greek Fathers 329 389 1568 Archbishop of Constantinople On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius
9 Athanasius* One of the four Great Greek Fathers 298 373 1568 Archbishop of Alexandria On the Incarnation
The Life of Antony
Letters to Serapion
10 Bonaventure Doctor seraphicus
(Seraphic Doctor)		 1221 1274 1588 Cardinal Bishop of Albano, Theologian, Minister General, OFM Commentary on the Sentences of Lombard
The Mind's Road to God
Collationes in Hexaemeron 		Pope Sixtus V
11 Anselm of Canterbury Doctor magnificus
(Magnificent Doctor)

Doctor Marianus
(Marian Doctor)		 1033 or 1034 1109 1720 Archbishop of Canterbury, OSB Proslogion
Cur Deus Homo 		Pope Clement XI
12 Isidore of Seville* 560 636 1722 Archbishop of Seville Etymologiae
On the Catholic Faith against the Jews 		Pope Innocent XIII
13 Peter Chrysologus* 406 450 1729 Bishop of Ravenna Homilies Pope Benedict XIII
14 Leo the Great*[18] Doctor unitatis Ecclesiae
(Doctor of the Church's Unity)		 400 461 1754 Pope Leo's Tome Pope Benedict XIV
15 Peter Damian 1007 1072 1828 Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, monk, OSB De Divina Omnipotentia
Liber Gomorrhianus 		Pope Leo XII
16 Bernard of Clairvaux Doctor mellifluus
(Mellifluous Doctor)		 1090 1153 1830 Priest, OCist Sermones super Cantica Canticorum
Apologia ad Guillelmum
Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae 		Pope Pius VIII
17 Hilary of Poitiers* 300 367 1851 Bishop of Poitiers Commentarius in Evangelium Matthaei Pope Pius IX
18 Alphonsus Liguori Doctor zelantissimus
(Most Zealous Doctor)		 1696 1787 1871 Bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti, CSsR (Founder) The Glories of Mary

Dogmatic Works: Moral Theology
The Council of Trent
The Histories of Heresies and their Refutation
Truth of the Faith

19 Francis de Sales Doctor caritatis
(Doctor of Charity)		 1567 1622 1877 Bishop of Geneva, CO Introduction to the Devout Life
Letters of Spiritual Direction
20 Cyril of Alexandria* Doctor Incarnationis
(Doctor of the Incarnation)		 376 444 1883 Archbishop of Alexandria Commentaries on the Old Testament
Thesaurus
Discourse Against Arians
Dialogues on the Trinity 		Pope Leo XIII
21 Cyril of Jerusalem* 315 386 1883 Archbishop of Jerusalem Catechetical Lectures
Summa doctrinae christianae
22 John Damascene* 676 749 1890 Priest, monk Fountain of Knowledge
Octoechos
23 Bede the Venerable* Anglorum doctor
(Doctor of the English)[19]		 672 735 1899 Priest, monk, OSB Ecclesiastical History of the English People
The Reckoning of Time
Liber epigrammatum
Paenitentiale Bedae
24 Ephrem*[20] 306 373 1920 Deacon Commentary on the Diatessaron
Prayer of Saint Ephrem
Hymns Against Heresies 		Pope Benedict XV
25 Peter Canisius 1521 1597 1925 Priest, SJ A Summary of Christian Teachings Pope Pius XI
26 John of the Cross Doctor mysticus
(Mystical Doctor)		 1542 1591 1926 Priest, Mystic, OCD (Reformer) Spiritual Canticle
Dark Night of the Soul
Ascent of Mount Carmel
27 Robert Bellarmine 1542 1621 1931 Archbishop of Capua, Cardinal, Theologian, SJ Disputationes de Controversiis
28 Albertus Magnus[21] Doctor universalis
(Universal Doctor)		 1193 1280 1931 Bishop of Regensburg, Theologian, OP On Cleaving to God
On Fate
29 Anthony of Padua Doctor evangelicus
(Evangelical Doctor)		 1195 1231 1946 Priest, OFM Sermons for Feast Days Pope Pius XII
30 Lawrence of Brindisi Doctor apostolicus
(Apostolic Doctor)		 1559 1619 1959 Priest, Diplomat, OFMCap Mariale Pope John XXIII
31 Teresa of Ávila[22] Doctor orationis
(Doctor of Prayer)		 1515 1582 1970 Mystic, OCD (Reformer) La Vida de la Santa Madre Teresa de Jesús
The Way of Perfection
The Interior Castle 		Pope Paul VI
32 Catherine of Siena 1347 1380 1970 Mystic, TOSD The Dialogue of Divine Providence
33 Thérèse of Lisieux Doctor amoris
(Doctor of love)

Doctor synthesis
(Doctor of synthesis)[23]		 1873 1897 1997 OCD The Story of a Soul
Letters of Saint Therese 		Pope John Paul II
34 John of Ávila 1500 1569 2012 Priest, Mystic Audi, filia
Spiritual Letters 		Pope Benedict XVI
35 Hildegard of Bingen 1098 1179 2012 Visionary, theologian, polymath, composer, abbess OSB, physician, philosopher Scivias
Liber vitae meritorum
Liber divinorum operum
Ordo virtutum,
36 Gregory of Narek[24] 951 1003 2015 Monk, poet, mystic, theologian Book of Lamentations Pope Francis
37 Irenaeus of Lyon*[25] Doctor unitatis
(Doctor of Unity)[26] 		130 202 2022 Bishop, theologian, Martyr Proof of the Apostolic Preaching
Against Heresies
38 John Henry Newman[27] 1801 1890 2025 Cardinal, theologian, Catholic convert, CO Apologia Pro Vita Sua
Tract 90
An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
Grammar of Assent 		Pope Leo XIV

Proposed Doctors

In October 2018, on the occasion of the canonization of Oscar Romero, martyred Archbishop of San Salvador, José Luis Escobar Alas, the current Archbishop of San Salvador, petitioned Pope Francis to name Romero a Doctor of the Church.[28]

In October 2019, the Polish Catholic Bishops Conference formally petitioned Pope Francis to consider making Pope John Paul II a Doctor of the Church in an official proclamation, in recognition of his contributions to theology, philosophy, and Catholic literature, as well as the formal documents of his papacy.[29]

In January 2023, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco proposed that Pope Benedict XVI be declared a doctor of the Church "as soon as possible", in view of his theological intelligence and contribution to the formation of current doctrine of the Catholic Church, such as the new catechism.[30][31] In January 2024, Archbishop Georg Gänswein also spoke in favor of the pontiff's canonization and his elevation to the status of doctor of the church.[32]

In April 2024, during a private audience Pope Francis received a formal request from the superior general of the Discalced Carmelites, Miguel Márquez Calle, to declare Teresa Benedicta of the Cross a Doctor of the Church. The Discalced Carmelites first launched an international commission to gather the necessary documentation required for the declaration in 2022, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of her conversion to Catholicism and the 80th anniversary of her martyrdom.[33]

List of proposed Doctors
Image Name Born Died Church status Notable writings Refs.
Gregory Thaumaturgus c. 213 c. 270 Bishop of Neocaesarea Oratio Panegyrica
Epistola Canonica
Epistola ad Philagrium		 [34]
Epiphanius of Salamis c. 310 403 Bishop of Salamis Ancoratus
Panarion
De mensuris et ponderibus		 [34]
John Cassian c. 360 c. 435 Founder, Abbey of St. Victor De institutis coenobiorum
Collationes		 [34]
Flavius Aurelius Magnus Cassiodorus c. 490 c. 583 Married Layperson;
Founder, Vivarium Monastery		 Expositio psalmorum
De anima
Codex Grandior
Historiae ecclesiasticae tripartitae epitome		 [34]
Maximus the Confessor c. 580 662 Abbot, Philippicus Monastery Epistulae I–XLV
Liber Asceticus
Mystagogia
Opuscula theologica et polemica		 [34]
Theodore the Studite 759 826 Abbot, Stoudios Monastery Refutatio
Theodori Studitae Epistulae
Testamente		 [34]
Mechthild of Hackeborn c. 1241 1298 Benedictine Liber specialis gratiae [35][34]
Gertrude the Great 1256 1302 Benedictine Legatus divinae pietatis
Exercitia spiritualia
Preces Gertrudianae		 [35][34]
John Duns Scotus c. 1265 1308 Religious priest Order of Friars Minor Parva logicalia
Lectura
Ordinatio
Collationes parisienses		 [34]
Angela of Foligno c. 1248 1309 Married Layperson;
Member, Secular Franciscans		 Memoriale
Instruzioni		 [35]
Ramon Llull c. 1233 1316 Layperson;
Member, Secular Franciscans		 Blanquerna
Tree of Science
Ars Magna
The Book of One Thousand Proverbs		 [34]
Heinrich Seuse 1295 1366 Religious priest, Dominicans Little Book of Truth
Horologium Sapientiae
Great Book of Letters
Little Book of Eternal Wisdom		 [35]
Bridget of Sweden
[Birgitta Birgersdotter Gudmarsson]		 c. 1304 1374 Widow, founder of the Order of the Most Holy Saviour Revelationes caelestes
Liber caelestis
Sermo angelicus		 [35][34]
Julian of Norwich c. 1342 c. 1416 Laywoman, mystic, anchorite Revelations of Divine Love [35][34]
Bernardino of Siena 1380 1444 Religious priest, Order of Friars Minor Quadragesimale Seraphim
Sermones extraordinarii
De contractibus et usura		 [35][34]
Thomas à Kempis c. 1380 1471 Professed Priest, Canons Regular of Saint Augustine De Imitatione Christ [34]
Thomas More 1478 1535 Layman, member of the Third Order of Saint Francis, martyr Utopia
Responsio ad Lutherum
A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation
Treatise Upon the Passion		 [35][34]
Thomas of Villanova
[Tomás García Martínez]		 1488 1555 Religious priest, Augustinians;
Archbishop of Valencia		 Tracts
Opera omnia		 [35][36]
Carlo Borromeo 1538 1584 Archbishop of Milan;
Cardinal		 Noctes Vaticanae
Orations, Homilies and Writings		 [34]
Marguerite-Marie Alacoque 1647 1690 Visitandine La Devotion au Sacré-Coeur de Jesus [35][34]
María de Jesus of Ágreda
[María Coronel de Arana]		 1602 1665 Conceptionist nun Mística Ciudad de Dios [35][34]
Louis de Montfort
[Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort]		 1673 1716 Priest, founder of the Company of Mary, member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic Preparation for Total Consecration
Secret of the Rosary
True Devotion to Mary		 [37][38][34]
Veronica Giuliani
[Ursula Giuliani]		 1660 1727 Capuchin Poor Clare Diaria
Lettere		 [39][35]
Columba Marmion
[Joseph Aloysius Marmion]		 1858 1923 Religious priest, Congregation of the Annunciation Christ, the Life of the Soul
Christ in His Mysteries
Christ the Ideal of the Monk
Christ the Ideal of the Priest		 [40][41]
Maria Faustyna of the Blessed Sacrament
[Helena Kowalska]		 1905 1938 Religious sister, Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul [42][34]
Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
[Edith Stein]		 1891 1942 Discalced Carmelite;
Martyr		 On the Problem of Empathy
Finite and Eternal Being
The Science of the Cross		 [33][43][34]
Josemaría Escrivá 1902 1975 Priest, founder of the Opus Dei The Way
Furrow
The Forge
Friends of God		 [44][34]
Dietrich von Hildebrand 1889 1977 Layman The Nature of Love
Transformation in Christ
Liturgy and Personality		 [45][46][34]
Óscar Romero 1917 1980 Archbishop of San Salvador, martyr Cese la represión!
Homilías
Voice of the Voiceless
The Violence of Love		 [28][34]
Teresa of Calcutta
[Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu]		 1910 1997 Religious sister, founder of the Missionaries of Charity Come Be My Light [44][35][34]
John Paul II
[Karol Józef Wojtyła]		 1920 2005 Pope Evangelium vitae
Fides et ratio
Veritatis splendor
Theology of the Body		 [29][47][34]
Benedict XVI
[Joseph Alois Ratzinger]		 1927 2022 Pope Caritas in veritate
Spe salvi
Deus caritas est
The Spirit of the Liturgy
Jesus of Nazareth		 [32][48][34]

Other recognised Doctors

In addition, parts of the Catholic Church have recognised other individuals with this title. In Spain, Fulgentius of Cartagena,[49] Ildephonsus of Toledo[50] and Leander of Seville[2] have been recognized with this title. In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical Spe Salvi, called Maximus the Confessor "the great Greek Doctor of the Church",[51] though the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints considers this declaration an informal one.[52]

Scholastic epithets

Though not named Doctors of the Church or even canonized, many of the more celebrated doctors of theology and law of the Middle Ages were given an epithet which expressed the nature of their expertise. Among these are Bl. John Duns Scotus, Doctor subtilis ("subtle doctor"); Alexander of Hales, Doctor irrefragabilis ("unanswerable doctor"); Roger Bacon, Doctor mirabilis ("wondrous doctor"); William of Ockham, Doctor singularis et invincibilis ("valuable and invincible doctor"); Jean Gerson, Doctor christianissimus ("most Christian doctor"); and Francisco Suárez, Doctor eximius ("exceptional doctor").[53]

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church recognises Ambrose, Jerome, Gregory, Augustine, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, as well as Ephrem the Syrian, Pope Leo I, John of Damascus, Cyril of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius of Salamis and Gregory of Nyssa.[54][55][56]

Chaldean Catholic Church

The Chaldean Catholic Church honours as doctor Polycarp, Eustathius of Antioch, Meletius, Alexander of Jerusalem, Athanasius, Basil, Cyril of Alexandria, Gregory Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, Fravitta of Constantinople, Ephrem the Syrian, Jacob of Nisibis, Jacob of Serugh, Isaac of Armenia, Isaac of Nineveh, and Maruthas of Martyropolis.[57][58][59][60]

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church honors many of the pre-schism saints as well, but the term Doctor of the Church is not applied in the same way. One consistent use of the category is the trio of Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, recognized as universal teachers and known as the Three Holy Hierarchs.[61] The church also recognizes three saints with the title Theologos (Theologian): John the Evangelist, Gregory of Nazianzus and Symeon the New Theologian.[62]

Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church commemorates on 19 July the feast of Three Holy Russian Hierarchs: Demetrius of Rostov, Mitrophan of Voronezh and Tikhon of Zadonsk.[63]

Armenian Church

The Armenian Apostolic Church recognizes the Twelve Holy Teachers (Vardapets) of the Church

They also recognize their own saints Mesrob, Yeghishe, Movses Khorenatsi, David the Invincible, Gregory of Narek,[66] Nerses III the Builder, and Nerses of Lambron as "Doctors of the Armenian Church" or the "Armenian Doctors".[67][68]

Assyrian Church of the East

The Assyrian Church of the East recognizes Yeghishe, Diodorus of Tarsus, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Nestorius as Doctors of the Church.[69]

Anglicanism

The churches of the Anglican Communion tend not to use the term Doctor of the Church in their calendars of saints, preferring expressions such as "Teacher of the Faith". Those thus recognized include figures from before and after the Reformation, most of whom are chosen among those already recognized as in the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. Those designated as Teachers of the Faith in the Church of England's calendar of saints are as follows:

Since all of the above appear in the calendar at the level of Lesser Festival or Commemoration, their celebration is optional. Similarly, because "In the Calendar of the Saints, diocesan and other local provision may be made to supplement the national Calendar",[70] those Doctors of the Church recognized by the Catholic Church may also be celebrated in the Church of England.

Lutheranism

The Lutheran calendar of saints generally does not use the term Doctor of the Church. Instead, it uses the term Confessor to commemorate individuals who made important theological contributions to the faith through their writing or teaching, as well as those who publicly defended and promoted the faith. The calendar of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod lists the following figures as Confessors:[71]

The LCMS calendar of saints also commemorates the following individuals as Theologians:

See also

References

  1. Rice, Fr. Larry (2015). "Doctors of the Church?" (PDF). usccb.org. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
  2. John Chapman (1913). "Doctors of the Church" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  3. Bardenhewer, Otto (1908). Patrology: The Lives and Works of the Fathers of the Church. Translated by Shahan, Thomas J. St. Louis, Missouri: B. Herder. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4699-8884-9. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  4. Geanakoplos, Deno (1989). Constantinople and the West. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 293. ISBN 978-0-299-11884-6.
  5. "Spiritus Paraclitus (September 15, 1920) | BENEDICT XV". www.vatican.va.
  6. "St. Therese, Doctor of the Universal Church – Saint Therese of Lisieux". thereseoflisieux.org.
  7. "Pope to proclaim St John of Avila Doctor of the Universal Church". News.va. Holy See. 20 August 2011.
  8. "Pope to Canonize and Name Hildegard of Bingen as Doctor of the Church". Archived from the original on 7 January 2012.
  9. "ROME REPORTS TV News Agency". www.romereports.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012.
  10. "Pope : Two new Doctors of the Church". news.va. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017.
  11. "San Gregorio di Narek Dottore della Chiesa Universale, 23.02.2015" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 23 February 2015.
  12. Movsesian, Mark (26 February 2015). "The Newest Doctor of the Church". First Things.
  13. CNA. "Pope to make St. John Henry Newman co-patron of Catholic education". Catholic News Agency.
  14. De Carolis, Alessandro (31 July 2025). "St John Henry Newman set to become newest Doctor of the Church". Vatican News.
  15. McKeown, Jonah (16 November 2023). "U.S. bishops express strong support for proposal to name Newman a doctor of the Church". Catholic News Agency.
  16. Morgan, Stephen (2015). "John Henry Newman and the New Evangelization". In Grogan, Paul; Kim, Kirsteen (eds.). The New Evangelization: Faith, People, Context and Practice. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 227. ISBN 9780567657381.
  17. Magnum bullarium romanum, Volume 2 (Novissima ed.). Lyon. 1673. pp. 222–223.
  18. St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the church vaticannews.va.
  19. William of Malmesbury, Gesta pontificum Anglorum 1.29 Hamilton, N.E.S.A. (1870). Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi De Gestis Pontificum Anglorum libri quinque (in Latin). London: Longman. p. 44.
  20. "Encyclical of Pope Benedict XV on St. Ephrem the Syrian". 5 October 1920.
  21. Führer, Markus (20 March 2006). "Albert the Great (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)".
  22. "Proclamation of Saint Teresa of Avila Doctor of the Church". 27 September 1970.
  23. ""C'est la confiance": Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father on confidence in the merciful love of God for the 150th anniversary of the birth of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (15 October 2023) | Francis". www.vatican.va.
  24. McCarthy, Emer. "Pope Francis declares Armenian saint Doctor of the Church". Vatican Radio.
  25. CNA. "Pope Francis to declare St. Irenaeus a Doctor of the Church". Catholic News Agency.
  26. Francis, Pope (21 January 2022). "Decree of the Holy Father for the conferral of the title of Doctor of the Church on Saint Irenaeus of Lyon". The Vatican Press Agency.
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  28. Arocho Esteves, Junno; Vida, Melissa (15 October 2018). "Salvadoran archbishop asks pope to make Romero 'doctor of the church'". Angelus.
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