Doctors of the Church

Paradoxplace Medieval Christian Church Page Links

THE 33 DOCTORS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The title of Doctor of the Church was invented by the Anagni born Pope Boniface VIII (who also invented Jubilee Years). He proclaimed Saints Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great as the inaugural Doctors of the Church on 20 September 1295.

The next Doctor to be proclaimed was St Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 (49)), proclaimed by Pope Saint Pius V on April 11, 1567. In 1568, the same Pope proclaimed Eastern Saints Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianus and John Chrysostom.

The Franciscan San Bonaventura (1221 - 1274 (53)) was proclaimed Doctor by Pope Sixtus V on March 14, 1588.

Other than the above, all the Church Doctors listed below were not proclaimed until the 1700s, 1800s and 1900s, so they would not have been known as such to the medieval inhabitants of Paradoxplace. For example (with links to paradoxplace pages) Saint Anselm (proclaimed 1720), Saint Isodore (1722), Saint Bernard (1830), Saint Bede (1899), Saint Anthony (1946), and Saint Catherine of Siena (not outed until October 4, 1970).

The title "Doctor of the Church" is the sole gift of the Pope.

Information shown on this page comes from the web page "Introduction to the Doctors"

WESTERN ROMAN CHURCH DOCTORS

Proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII, September 20 1295

1 St Ambrose, 340-397 (Pastoral Doctor)

2 St Jerome, 345-420 (Doctor of Biblical Science)

3 St Augustine, 354-430 (Doctor of Grace)

4 St Gregory the Great, 540-604 (Doctor of Hymnology)

EASTERN CHURCH DOCTORS

Proclaimed by Pope Saint Pius V, 1568

5 St Athanasius, 295-373 (Doctor of Orthodoxy)

6 St Basil the Great, 330-379 (Doctor of Monasticism)

7 St Gregory Nazianzus, 330-390 (Doctor of Theologians)

8 St John Chrysostom, 345-407 (Doctor of Preachers)

DOCTORS FROM THE EARLY CHURCH

9 St Ephraem, 306-373 (Doctor of Deacons and Poets)

10 St Hilary (of Poitiers), 315-368 (Doctor of Christ's Divinity)

11 St Cyril of Jerusalem, 315-387 (Doctor of Faith and against Heresy)

12 St Cyril of Alexandria, 376-444 (Doctor of the Incarnation)

13 St Leo the Great, 390-461 (Doctor of Doctrine)

14 St Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 (Doctor of Homilies)

15 St Isidore, 560-636 (Doctor of Education)

16 St Bede, the Venerable, 673-735 (Doctor of English History)

17 St John Damascene, 676-749 (The Icon or Image Doctor)

18 St Peter Damian, 1007-1072 (Doctor of Reform and Renewal)

CHURCH DOCTORS WHO LIVED IN THE MIDDLE AGES

19 St Anselm, 1033-1109 (Doctor of Scholasticism)

20 St Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153 (Devotional and Eloquent Doctor)

21 St Anthony of Padua, 1195-1231 (Evangelical Doctor)

22 St Albert the Great, 1200-1280 (Doctor of Science)

23 St Bonaventure, 1217-1274 (Seraphic Doctor) (proclaimed by Pope Sixtus V, March 14, 1588)

24 St Thomas Aquinas, 1225-1274 (Angelic Doctor) (proclaimed by Saint Pius V, April 11, 1567)

25 St Catherine of Siena, 1347-1379 (Doctor of Unity)

CHURCH DOCTORS OF THE COUNTER REFORMATION

26 St Teresa of Avila 1515-1582 (Doctor of Prayer)

27 St Peter Canisius, 1521-1597 (Doctor of Catechetical Studies)

28 St John of the Cross, 1542-1591 (Mystical Doctor)

29 St Robert Bellarmine, 1542-1621 (Doctor of Church State Relations)

30 St Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559-1622 (Doctor of Conversions and Missions)

31 St Francis de Sales, 1567-1622 (Doctor of Authors and the Press)

MODERN ERA CHURCH DOCTORS

32 St Alphonsus Liguori, 1696-1787 (Morality and Marian Doctor)

33 St Therese of Lisieux, 1873-1897 (Doctor of Confidence and Missionaries)

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