Doctor of the Church (original) (raw)

A Doctor of the Church is a category of theologian used in Roman Catholicism. From their teachings the whole Christian church is held to have derived great advantage. To them eminent learning and great sanctity have been attributed by a proclamation of the Pope or of an ecumenical council (although no ecumenical council has ever exercised its prerogative of proclaiming anyone a doctor of the church).

The Catholic Church lists the following thirty-three Doctors of the Church; date of promotion to Doctor is listed, if available. Note that the use of the term Eastern Orthodox here indicates that the Saint in question was from Eastern Orthodoxy, not that Eastern Orthodoxy itself uses the term Doctor of the Church, which it does not.