Friday, May 10, 2013

Someone to Grab Onto When Things Get Tough.

Here's a list of our Doctors of the Church   We are given them as a gift to us for all areas of our lives.  If we're ever in need let's remember them.  Then Trust.

There could be some of your confirmation saints among them.  Maybe someone you know will be confirmed soon.  This might help them.
Before the Pope can proclaim a person a Doctor they have to be a saint. It is a rare honor. Usually, it happens to a person who shows eminent (sound) holiness and a type of spirituality that is exceptional.
 The Pope proclaims such a person because of overwhelming support by the entire church. This saintly person has a powerful message, example and contribution that will benefit the church members.
 
 For that reason the Holy Father wants the whole church to know about this "extra-ordinary" and extraordinary person and proclaims the individual "Doctor" of the Church.
 
Next to the office of the Pope, the highest church office is a cardinal. Cardinals are selected by the Pope and only the cardinals elect a Pope. The Pope alone proclaims a Doctor.

The Thirty-five  Doctors of the Church

 
Original Four Doctors of the Latin (Western) Church
recognized by: Pope Boniface VIII, 1295
 
1..  Pastoral Doctor
      St Ambrose (340-97)
      Opponent of Arianism in the West. Bishop of Milan.
 
2.    Doctor of Biblical Science
       St Jerome (343-420)
     
3.    Doctor of Grace
       St Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
       
4.    Doctor of Hymnology
       St Gregory the Great (540-604)
       Defended papal supremacy. Worked for clerical/monastic reform.
       
 
Original Four Doctors of the Eastern Church
recognized by St. Pius V in 1568
 

5.   Doctor of Orthodoxy
      St Athanasius (297-373)  

     Bishop of Alexandria. Dominant opponent of Arianism.

6.   Doctor of Monasticism
      Saint Basil the Great (329-379)
      Cappadocian.
 
7.    Doctor of Theologians
       St. Gregory Nazianzen (330-90)
     
8.    Doctor of Preachers

       St. John Chrysostom (347-407)
       "golden-voiced" orator
 
                      +++

 
9.   Angelic Doctor
       St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-74)
       Added by Saint Pius V in 1568
 
10.  Seraphic Doctor
       St Bonaventure (1217-74)
       Franciscan theologian.
       Added by Sixtus V in 1588
 
11.  Doctor of Scholasticism
       St Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
       Archbishop of Canterbury.
       Added by Clement XI in 1720
 
12.   Doctor of Education
        St Isidore of Seville (560-636)
        Added by Innocent XIII in 1722
       
13.   Doctor of Homilies
        St. Peter Chrysologus (400-50)
        Added by Benedict XIII in 1729
 
14.   Doctor of Doctrine
        Saint Leo the Great (400-61)
       Added by Benedict XIV in 1754
 
15.  Doctor of Reform and Renewal
       St. Peter Damian (1007-72)
       Added by Leo XII in 1828
 
16.  Devotional and Eloquent Doctor
       St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
       "Mellifluous" Doctor because of his eloquenceCictercian
       Added by Pius VIII in 1830

17.  Doctor of Christ's Divinity
       St. Hilary of Poitiers (315-68)
       Added by Blessed Pius IX in 1851
 
18.  Morality and Marian Doctor
       St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
       Founder of Redemptorist Order
       Added by Blessed Pius IX in 1871
 
19.  Doctor of Authors and the Press
       St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
       Bishop, leader in Counter- Reformation.
       Added by Blessed Pius IX in 1877
 
20.  Doctor of Faith and against Heresy
         St Cyril of Jerusalem (315-87)
         Bishop and opponent of Arianism in the East.
         Added by Leo XIII in 1883
 
21.   Doctor of the Incarnation
         St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444)
         Patriarch. Opponent of Nestorianism. Made key contributions to Christology.
       Added by Leo XIII in 1883

   22.  The Icon or Image Doctor
        St. John Damascene (675-749)
        Added by Leo XIII in 1883

 23.  Doctor of English History
       The Venerable Bede (673-735)
       Added by  Leo XIII in 1899
 
24Doctor of Deacons and Poets
       St Ephrem the Syrian (306-73)
       Biblical exegete and ecclesiastical writer. Called "Harp of the Holy Spirit."
       Added by Benedict XV in 1920
 
25.  Doctor of Catechetical Studies
        St. Peter Canisius (1521-97)
       Added by Pius XI in 1925

26.  Mystical Doctor
         St John of the Cross (1542-91)
         Added by Pius XI in 1926
 
27.  Doctor of Science
         St. Albert the Great (1200-80)
        Dominican.
        Added by Pius XI in 1931
 
28.  Doctor of Church State Relations
         St. Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
         Added by Pope Pius XI in 1931
 
29.  Evangelical Doctor
         St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231)
         Franciscan.
         Added by Pius XII in 1946
 
30.  Doctor of Science
         St Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619)
         Added by Blessed John XXIII in 1959
 
31.   Doctor of Prayer
         St Teresa of Avila (1515-82)
         Spanish  nun/mystic. First woman Doctor. Co-founder of the Discalced Carmelites
       Added by Paul VI in 1970
 
32.  Doctor of Unity
         St Catherine of Siena (1347-80)
        Mystic.  Dominican
         Added by Paul VI in 1970
 
33.  Doctor of Confidence and Missionaries
        St Therese of Lisieux (1873-97)
        French Carmelite nun. Known as The Little Flower, "Story of a Soul" has become classic    inspiring millions to follow her "Little Way" of  holiness.
       Added by John Paul II in 1997
 
These two Doctors of the Church were added by Pope Benedict XVI  to help us through the Year of Faith and bring us closer to who Christ meant us to be.  Let's remember that they are ready and able to help.

34.   St. John of Avila
         Added by Benedict XVI in 2012
 
35.  Hildegard of Bingen
       Benedictine nun during the height of the German Middle Ages, a true master of
 theology and a great scholar of the natural sciences and of music.
        Added by Benedict XVI in 2012

Thank you to Our Lady's Warriors from Catholic Media Coalition for your site.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent !

LouAnn said...

Thank you Carolyn for all the work about the doctors of the church, etc. That was cool!

VOCAL said...

You're welcome. It truly was a labor of love and I didn't know so much about them either. The last two, John of Avila and Hildegard almost escaped me.