Doctors of the Church

St. Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church

Doctors of the Church

Last Updated: 2022

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Introduction

Doctors of the Church: Alphabetically | By Year of Birth

Introduction

A "Doctor of the Church" (Lat. Doctores Ecclesiae) may be defined as: "An ecclesiastical writer, noted both for the greatness of his learning and the holiness of his life, whose feast has been extended to the whole Western Church with a Mass and Office either of his own or of the common of Doctors" (Catholic Dictionary)

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "Certain ecclesiastical writers have received this title on account of the great advantage the whole Church has derived from their doctrine... 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... The decree is issued by the Congregation of Sacred Rites and approved by the pope, after a careful examination, if necessary, of the saint's writings. It is not in any way an ex cathedra decision, nor does it even amount to a declaration that no error is to be found in the teaching of the Doctor. It is, indeed, well known that the very greatest of them are not wholly immune from error."

See below for a list of individuals that have been designated 'Doctors of the Church'.

[top]

Doctors of the Church

(Alphabetically)

Doctor Name	Years Lived⁺
St. Albert the Great Doctor Expertus, Doctor Universalis, Universal Doctor	1206-1280
St. Alphonsus Liguori Doctor of Moral Theology	1696-1787
St. Ambrose of Milan*	340-397
St. Anselm of Canterbury Doctor Marianus, Marian Doctor	1033-1109
St. Anthony of Padua Evangelical Doctor / Doctor of the Gospel	1195-1231
St. Athanasius** Doctor of orthodoxy	297-373
St. Augustine of Hippo* Doctor of Grace, Doctor Gratiae, Doctor of Doctors	354-430
St. Basil the Great**	329-379
St. Bede the Venerable	673-735
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Mellifluous Doctor, "Honeysweet Doctor"	1090-1153
St. Bonaventure Seraphic Doctor	1217-1274
St. Catherine of Siena	1347-1380
St. Cyril of Alexandria Doctor of the Incarnation	376-444
St. Cyril of Jerusalem 'Doctor of Catechesis'	315-386
St. Ephraem (Ephrem) of Syria	306-373
St. Francis de Sales	1567-1622
"St. Gregory of Narek" Note: The decision of Pope Francis in February 2015 to declare this individual a 'Doctor of the Church' has caused controversy given that this 'Armenian poet and monk' reportedly: (1) lived outside communion with Rome (click here for the necessity of being in communion with the Pope for salvation), (2) may have held heretical views (click here for more on heresy), and (3) was not included in the Church's lists of saints prior to Vatican II. Note that this proclamation of a possible heretic/schismatic as a 'Doctor of the Church' - although regarded as scandalous by many Catholics - clearly does not fall under papal infallibility. Some consider this honor to be 'just one more misguided ecumenical gesture' (click here for more on ecumenism). For Additional Information, Consider These Links (click to view): Can there be saints outside the Church? \| Issues with modern canonizations (Note that this individual was NOT formally canonized) \| More on the Church's dogmatic teaching regarding 'No Salvation Outside the Church' \| Are canonizations infallible? (User-Submitted Article: "What's Up With The Recent Papal Canonizations?") (Note again that this individual was NOT formally canonized)	950-1003
St. Gregory of Nazianzus (or St. Gregory Nazianzen)**	330-390
Pope St. Gregory the Great*	540-604
St. Hilary of Poitiers	315-368
St. Hildegard of Bingen	1098-1179
St. Irenaeus of Lyon (or Lyons) [New 2022]	130-202
St. Isidore of Seville	560-636
St. Jerome* Doctor of Biblical Studies	342-420
St. John Chrysostom** Doctor of the Eucharist	347-407
St. John of Avila	1500-1569
St. John of Damascus (or "St. John Damascene") Doctor of Christian Art, Doctor of the Assumption	676-749
St. John of the Cross Doctor of Mystical Theology	1542-1591
St. Lawrence of Brindisi Apostolic Doctor	1559-1619
Pope St. Leo the Great Doctor of the Church's Unity	400-461
St. Peter Canisius 'Doctor of Catechetical Studies'	1521-1597
St. Peter Chrysologus Doctor of Homilies	406-450
St. Peter Damian	1007-1072
St. Robert Bellarmine	1542-1621
St. Teresa of Avila (or "St. Teresa of Jesus") Doctor of Prayer	1515-1582
St. Therese of Lisieux (or "Little Flower", or "St. Teresa of the Child Jesus or "St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face")	1873-1897
St. Thomas Aquinas Angelic Doctor, Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, Common Doctor, Universal Doctor, Doctor of the Eucharist	1225-1274

+ Dates may be approximate

* One of the Four Doctors of the Western Church

** One of the Four Doctors of the Eastern Church

[top]

Doctors of the Church

(By year of birth)

Years Lived⁺	Doctor Name
130-202	St. Irenaeus of Lyon (or Lyons) [New 2022]
297-373	St. Athanasius** Doctor of orthodoxy
306-373	St. Ephraem (Ephrem) of Syria
315-386	St. Cyril of Jerusalem 'Doctor of Catechesis'
315-368	St. Hilary of Poitiers
329-379	St. Basil the Great**
330-390	St. Gregory of Nazianzus (or St. Gregory Nazianzen)**
340-397	St. Ambrose of Milan*
342-420	St. Jerome* Doctor of Biblical Studies
347-407	St. John Chrysostom** Doctor of the Eucharist
354-430	St. Augustine of Hippo* Doctor of Grace, Doctor Gratiae, Doctor of Doctors
376-444	St. Cyril of Alexandria Doctor of the Incarnation
400-461	Pope St. Leo the Great Doctor of the Church's Unity
406-450	St. Peter Chrysologus Doctor of Homilies
540-604	Pope St. Gregory the Great*
560-636	St. Isidore of Seville
673-735	St. Bede the Venerable
676-749	St. John of Damascus (or "St. John Damascene") Doctor of Christian Art, Doctor of the Assumption
950-1003	"St. Gregory of Narek" Note: The decision of Pope Francis in February 2015 to declare this individual a 'Doctor of the Church' has caused controversy given that this 'Armenian poet and monk' reportedly: (1) lived outside communion with Rome (click here for the necessity of being in communion with the Pope for salvation), (2) may have held heretical views (click here for more on heresy), and (3) was not included in the Church's lists of saints prior to Vatican II. Note that this proclamation of a possible heretic/schismatic as a 'Doctor of the Church' - although regarded as scandalous by many Catholics - clearly does not fall under papal infallibility. Some consider this honor to be 'just one more misguided ecumenical gesture' (click here for more on ecumenism). For Additional Information, Consider These Links (click to view): Can there be saints outside the Church? \| Issues with modern canonizations (Note that this individual was NOT formally canonized) \| More on the Church's dogmatic teaching regarding 'No Salvation Outside the Church' \| Are canonizations infallible? (User-Submitted Article: "What's Up With The Recent Papal Canonizations?") (Note again that this individual was NOT formally canonized)
1007-1072	St. Peter Damian
1033-1109	St. Anselm of Canterbury Doctor Marianus, Marian Doctor
1090-1153	St. Bernard of Clairvaux Mellifluous Doctor, "Honeysweet Doctor"
1098-1179	St. Hildegard of Bingen
1195-1231	St. Anthony of Padua Evangelical Doctor / Doctor of the Gospel
1206-1280	St. Albert the Great Doctor Expertus, Doctor Universalis, Universal Doctor
1217-1274	St. Bonaventure Seraphic Doctor
1225-1274	St. Thomas Aquinas Angelic Doctor, Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, Common Doctor, Universal Doctor, Doctor of the Eucharist
1347-1380	St. Catherine of Siena
1500-1569	St. John of Avila
1515-1582	St. Teresa of Avila (or "St. Teresa of Jesus") Doctor of Prayer
1521-1597	St. Peter Canisius 'Doctor of Catechetical Studies'
1542-1591	St. John of the Cross Doctor of Mystical Theology
1542-1621	St. Robert Bellarmine
1559-1619	St. Lawrence of Brindisi Apostolic Doctor
1567-1622	St. Francis de Sales
1696-1787	St. Alphonsus Liguori Doctor of Moral Theology
1873-1897	St. Therese of Lisieux (or "Little Flower", or "St. Teresa of the Child Jesus" or "St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face")

+ Dates may be approximate

* One of the Four Doctors of the Western Church

** One of the Four Doctors of the Eastern Church

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