Doctor of the Church

Doctor of the Church, also referred to as Doctor of the Universal Church, 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.
, 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 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 ordering their feasts to be kept as doubles throughout the Latin Church is contained in his sixth book of Decretals.
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.
This was under Alexius Comnenus. 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 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.

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 had been given a special pre-eminence since the eighth century, but in 1298 Pope Boniface VIII declared them Doctors of the Church. Pope Pius V recognized the four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church in 1568.
To these names others have subsequently been added. The requisite conditions are enumerated as three: eminens doctrina, insignis vitae sanctitas, Ecclesiae declaratio. Benedict XIV explains the third as a declaration by the supreme pontiff or by a general council.
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. 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".
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 and Catherine of Siena by Pope Paul VI; Therese of Lisieux 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, 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. 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. 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. 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, then declared both John of Ávila and Hildegard of Bingen Doctors of the Church on 7 October 2012.
Pope Francis declared the 10th-century Armenian monk Gregory of Narek the 36th Doctor of the Church on 21 February 2015. 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.
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. 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." 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.

List of Doctors

'
* 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 Pope, OSB Dialogues
Libellus responsionum
Pastoral Care
Moralia in Job Pope Boniface VIII
2 Ambrose* One of the four Great Latin Fathers Bishop of Milan Ambrosian hymns
Exameron
De obitu Theodosii Pope Boniface VIII
3 Augustine of Hippo* One of the four Great Latin Fathers

Doctor gratiae
Bishop of Hippo De doctrina Christiana
Confessions
The City of God
On the Trinity Pope Boniface VIII
4 Jerome* One of the four Great Latin Fathers Priest, monk Vulgate
De Viris Illustribus Pope Boniface VIII
5 Thomas Aquinas Doctor angelicus

Doctor communis

Doctor Humanitatis
Priest, Theologian, OP Summa Theologiae
Summa contra Gentiles Pope Pius V
6 John Chrysostom* One of the four Great Greek Fathers Archbishop of Constantinople Paschal Homily
Adversus Judaeos Pope Pius V
7 Basil the Great* One of the four Great Greek Fathers Bishop of Caesarea Address to Young Men on Greek Literature
On the Holy Spirit Pope Pius V
8 Gregory of Nazianzus* One of the four Great Greek Fathers Archbishop of Constantinople On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius Pope Pius V
9 Athanasius* One of the four Great Greek Fathers Archbishop of Alexandria On the Incarnation
The Life of Antony
Letters to Serapion Pope Pius V
10 Bonaventure Doctor seraphicus
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

Doctor Marianus
or 1034 Archbishop of Canterbury, OSB Proslogion
Cur Deus Homo Pope Clement XI
12 Isidore of Seville* Archbishop of Seville Etymologiae
On the Catholic Faith against the Jews Pope Innocent XIII
13 Peter Chrysologus* Bishop of Ravenna Homilies Pope Benedict XIII
14 Leo the Great* Doctor unitatis Ecclesiae
Pope Leo's Tome Pope Benedict XIV
15 Peter Damian Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, monk, OSB De Divina Omnipotentia
Liber Gomorrhianus Pope Leo XII
16 Bernard of Clairvaux Doctor mellifluus
Priest, OCist Sermones super Cantica Canticorum
Apologia ad Guillelmum
Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae Pope Pius VIII
17 Hilary of Poitiers* Bishop of Poitiers Commentarius in Evangelium Matthaei Pope Pius IX
18 Alphonsus Liguori Doctor zelantissimus
Bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti, CSsR The Glories of Mary

Dogmatic Works: Moral Theology
The Council of Trent
The Histories of Heresies and their Refutation
Truth of the Faith Pope Pius IX
19 Francis de Sales Doctor caritatis
Bishop of Geneva, CO Introduction to the Devout Life
Letters of Spiritual Direction Pope Pius IX
20 Cyril of Alexandria* Doctor Incarnationis
Archbishop of Alexandria Commentaries on the Old Testament
Thesaurus
Discourse Against Arians
Dialogues on the Trinity Pope Leo XIII
21 Cyril of Jerusalem* Archbishop of Jerusalem Catechetical Lectures
Summa doctrinae christianae Pope Leo XIII
22 John Damascene* Priest, monk Fountain of Knowledge
Octoechos Pope Leo XIII
23 Bede the Venerable* Anglorum doctor
Priest, monk, OSB Ecclesiastical History of the English People
The Reckoning of Time
Liber epigrammatum
Paenitentiale Bedae Pope Leo XIII
24 Ephrem* Deacon Commentary on the Diatessaron
Prayer of Saint Ephrem
Hymns Against Heresies Pope Benedict XV
25 Peter Canisius Priest, SJ A Summary of Christian Teachings Pope Pius XI
26 John of the Cross Doctor mysticus
Priest, Mystic, OCD Spiritual Canticle
Dark Night of the Soul
Ascent of Mount Carmel Pope Pius XI
27 Robert Bellarmine Archbishop of Capua, Cardinal, Theologian, SJ Disputationes de Controversiis Pope Pius XI
28 Albertus Magnus Doctor universalis
Bishop of Regensburg, Theologian, OP On Cleaving to God
On Fate Pope Pius XI
29 Anthony of Padua Doctor evangelicus
Priest, OFM Sermons for Feast Days Pope Pius XII
30 Lawrence of Brindisi Doctor apostolicus
Priest, Diplomat, OFMCap Mariale Pope John XXIII
31 Teresa of Ávila Doctor orationis
Mystic, OCD La Vida de la Santa Madre Teresa de Jesús
The Way of Perfection
The Interior Castle Pope Paul VI
32 Catherine of Siena Mystic, TOSD The Dialogue of Divine Providence Pope Paul VI
33 Thérèse of Lisieux Doctor amoris

Doctor synthesis
OCD The Story of a Soul
Letters of Saint Therese Pope John Paul II
34 John of Ávila Priest, Mystic Audi, filia
Spiritual Letters Pope Benedict XVI
35 Hildegard of Bingen Visionary, theologian, polymath, composer, abbess OSB, physician, philosopher Scivias
Liber vitae meritorum
Liber divinorum operum
Ordo virtutum, Pope Benedict XVI
36 Gregory of Narek Monk, poet, mystic, theologian Book of Lamentations Pope Francis
37 Irenaeus of Lyon* Doctor unitatis
130 202 2022 Bishop, theologian, Martyr '
Against Heresies Pope Francis
38 John Henry Newman 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

No.	Image	Name	Titles	Born	Died	Promoted	Activity	Notable writings	Pope
1		Gregory the Great*	One of the four Great Latin Fathers				Pope, OSB	Dialogues Libellus responsionum Pastoral Care Moralia in Job	Pope Boniface VIII
2		Ambrose*	One of the four Great Latin Fathers				Bishop of Milan	Ambrosian hymns Exameron De obitu Theodosii	Pope Boniface VIII
3		Augustine of Hippo*	One of the four Great Latin Fathers Doctor gratiae				Bishop of Hippo	De doctrina Christiana Confessions The City of God On the Trinity	Pope Boniface VIII
4		Jerome*	One of the four Great Latin Fathers				Priest, monk	Vulgate De Viris Illustribus	Pope Boniface VIII
5		Thomas Aquinas	Doctor angelicus Doctor communis Doctor Humanitatis				Priest, Theologian, OP	Summa Theologiae Summa contra Gentiles	Pope Pius V
6		John Chrysostom*	One of the four Great Greek Fathers				Archbishop of Constantinople	Paschal Homily Adversus Judaeos	Pope Pius V
7		Basil the Great*	One of the four Great Greek Fathers				Bishop of Caesarea	Address to Young Men on Greek Literature On the Holy Spirit	Pope Pius V
8		Gregory of Nazianzus*	One of the four Great Greek Fathers				Archbishop of Constantinople	On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius	Pope Pius V
9		Athanasius*	One of the four Great Greek Fathers				Archbishop of Alexandria	On the Incarnation The Life of Antony Letters to Serapion	Pope Pius V
10		Bonaventure	Doctor seraphicus			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 Doctor Marianus	or 1034			Archbishop of Canterbury, OSB	Proslogion Cur Deus Homo	Pope Clement XI
12		Isidore of Seville*					Archbishop of Seville	Etymologiae On the Catholic Faith against the Jews	Pope Innocent XIII
13		Peter Chrysologus*					Bishop of Ravenna	Homilies	Pope Benedict XIII
14		Leo the Great*	Doctor unitatis Ecclesiae				Pope	Leo's Tome	Pope Benedict XIV
15		Peter Damian					Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, monk, OSB	De Divina Omnipotentia Liber Gomorrhianus	Pope Leo XII
16		Bernard of Clairvaux	Doctor mellifluus				Priest, OCist	Sermones super Cantica Canticorum Apologia ad Guillelmum Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae	Pope Pius VIII
17		Hilary of Poitiers*					Bishop of Poitiers	Commentarius in Evangelium Matthaei	Pope Pius IX
18		Alphonsus Liguori	Doctor zelantissimus				Bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti, CSsR	The Glories of Mary Dogmatic Works: Moral Theology The Council of Trent The Histories of Heresies and their Refutation Truth of the Faith	Pope Pius IX
19		Francis de Sales	Doctor caritatis				Bishop of Geneva, CO	Introduction to the Devout Life Letters of Spiritual Direction	Pope Pius IX
20		Cyril of Alexandria*	Doctor Incarnationis				Archbishop of Alexandria	Commentaries on the Old Testament Thesaurus Discourse Against Arians Dialogues on the Trinity	Pope Leo XIII
21		Cyril of Jerusalem*					Archbishop of Jerusalem	Catechetical Lectures Summa doctrinae christianae	Pope Leo XIII
22		John Damascene*					Priest, monk	Fountain of Knowledge Octoechos	Pope Leo XIII
23		Bede the Venerable*	Anglorum doctor				Priest, monk, OSB	Ecclesiastical History of the English People The Reckoning of Time Liber epigrammatum Paenitentiale Bedae	Pope Leo XIII
24		Ephrem*					Deacon	Commentary on the Diatessaron Prayer of Saint Ephrem Hymns Against Heresies	Pope Benedict XV
25		Peter Canisius					Priest, SJ	A Summary of Christian Teachings	Pope Pius XI
26		John of the Cross	Doctor mysticus				Priest, Mystic, OCD	Spiritual Canticle Dark Night of the Soul Ascent of Mount Carmel	Pope Pius XI
27		Robert Bellarmine					Archbishop of Capua, Cardinal, Theologian, SJ	Disputationes de Controversiis	Pope Pius XI
28		Albertus Magnus	Doctor universalis				Bishop of Regensburg, Theologian, OP	On Cleaving to God On Fate	Pope Pius XI
29		Anthony of Padua	Doctor evangelicus				Priest, OFM	Sermons for Feast Days	Pope Pius XII
30		Lawrence of Brindisi	Doctor apostolicus				Priest, Diplomat, OFMCap	Mariale	Pope John XXIII
31		Teresa of Ávila	Doctor orationis				Mystic, OCD	La Vida de la Santa Madre Teresa de Jesús The Way of Perfection The Interior Castle	Pope Paul VI
32		Catherine of Siena					Mystic, TOSD	The Dialogue of Divine Providence	Pope Paul VI
33		Thérèse of Lisieux	Doctor amoris Doctor synthesis				OCD	The Story of a Soul Letters of Saint Therese	Pope John Paul II
34		John of Ávila					Priest, Mystic	Audi, filia Spiritual Letters	Pope Benedict XVI
35		Hildegard of Bingen					Visionary, theologian, polymath, composer, abbess OSB, physician, philosopher	Scivias Liber vitae meritorum Liber divinorum operum Ordo virtutum,	Pope Benedict XVI
36		Gregory of Narek					Monk, poet, mystic, theologian	Book of Lamentations	Pope Francis
37		Irenaeus of Lyon*	Doctor unitatis	130	202	2022	Bishop, theologian, Martyr	' Against Heresies	Pope Francis
38		John Henry Newman		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