Doctors of the Church

Today, the Roman Catholic Church lists 37 saints officially recognized by papal pronouncement as doctors of the church. Until after the Second Vatican Council, which met from 1962 to 1965 and initiated significant modern reforms in the church, all doctors of the church were men – usually bishops or priests.

There can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. The Church teaches (CCC 159) that; "Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth." "Consequently, methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. The humble and persevering investigator of the secrets of nature is being led, as it were, by the hand of God in spite of himself, for it is God, the conserver of all things, who made them what they are."

Doctors of the Church 

St. Irenaeus, Apologist, fought heretics, a doctor of the church, and leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century

St. Irenaeus, an apologist, fought heretics, a doctor of the church, a leading Christian theologian of the 2nd century, author of the first Catholic Catechism, Champion of the Incarnation, possibly martyred is
Patron Saint of those who work for the unity of the Eastern and Western Churches, Invoked against Christological heresies, and by apologists and catechists.




Cyril the Pillar of Faith and Doctor of the Church

June 27 is Feast Day of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, patron saint of theologians and scholars, is best known for his defense of the doctrine of the Incarnation (that the one Person of Jesus was the divine Son, the Second Person of the Trinity), and for his brilliant exegetical writings.

Today, June 13th 2024 is the Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua.

An Augustinian monk, inspired by the martyrdom of Franciscan missionarie while preaching to Muslims, Saint Anthony of Padua joined the Franciscans hoping to be a missionary. God had other plans for him. He became one of the outstanding philosopher/theologians of the Order.




Chronological list of the Doctors of the Church

https://theconversation.com/why-are-some-roman-catholic-saints-called-doctors-of-the-church-175912

There are over 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. However, only a few dozen of them have been named a doctor of the church, an honorific that recognizes the importance of their teaching, scholarship and writings.

Over time, a handful of Christian saints and teachers became especially renowned for their writings or scholarship. A few from the early centuries of the church were recognized as important teachers, or fathers of the church, by both Western and Eastern churches – which finally split into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, respectively, in the 11th century.

In the Middle Ages, other saintly teachers in Western Europe were acclaimed specifically as doctors of the church by the authority of popes. Some revered theologians began to be known as doctor of a specific idea or characteristic. For example, contemporaries of the medieval theologian St. Albert the Great, who died in 1280, came to refer to him as the “universal doctor” because of the wide range of topics he covered in his writings. Even one or two of the earlier fathers of the church acquired these additional titles, such as St. Augustine. This North African saint, one of the most influential Christian theologians, died in 430 and became known as the “doctor of grace” because of his theories about grace as a free gift of God. In several regions, local communities gave similar titles to other respected figures even if they were not officially recognized as saints.

Catherine of Siena 

Catherine of Siena was of low social status, uneducated, illiterate, from an ordinary family who in the course of a very short life, became an object of fascination to thousands and a counselor to kings, queen and popes. Though she never studied theology and never learned formally to read and write, she came to be recognized as Doctor of the Church and a master of the spiritual life.

https://cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2024/04/catherine-of-sienna-breaking-glass.html

Jerome

St Jerome: From Feminist, Vitriolic, Remorsefully Licentious, Many Enemies, Reluctant Priest, Vulgate Author to Doctor of the Church

September 30 is Feast Day of Saint Jerome.  Saint Jerome is a person one can easily identify with: As a young man drawn to libertinage, with a curious mind, he learns to stand on principle, eventually becoming an ascetic and a Bible Scholar. Saint Jerome was a Feminist, and an easy target of the noted Porphyry's accusation that the Christian communities were run by women and that the favor of the ladies decided who could accede to the dignity of the priesthood.

Gregory

February 27, Feast of Saint Gregory of Narek and Doctor of the Church

 Grigor Narekatsi, anglicized as Gregory of Narek, was an Armenian mystical and lyrical poet, monk, and theologian. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015.

In January 2022, Pope Francis bestowed the title doctor of the church on St. Irenaeus of Lyons, a Christian bishop who died about A.D. 200 For centuries, Christians in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches have venerated him as a saint.