Doctor of the church?

Since  the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Dec. 31 there are people who think he should be named a future doctor of the church. Cardinal Thomas Collins, archbishop of Toronto, said on Vatican Radio that “he is an amazing man.” He said, “I don’t know whether he will be named a doctor of the church; certainly he should.”

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, archbishop emeritus of Regensburg, Germany, said Pope Benedict will be remembered as a “true doctor of the church today.”

Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict’s biographer, called the pope “a doctor of the church for the modern era.”

Pope Benedict was acknowledged as intellectually gifted and aspired to be a teaching pope. He was also influenced by doctors of the church, including   St. Augustine of Hippo, whom he wrote a dissertation on, and St. Bonaventure.

During his papacy, Pope Benedict named two doctors to the church: the 16th century Spanish priest St. John of Avila and 12th century nun St. Hildegard of Bingen.

But what will it take for the deceased pope to be declared a doctor?

First, he must be canonized a saint. 

Next, doctors of the church must be teachers of faith who have demonstrated exemplary holiness and have deepened the church’s understanding of the Catholic faith. Additionally, they must be known for their depth of understanding and the orthodoxy of their theological teachings. They must be officially  declared doctors by papal acclamation. 

“... doctors of the church must be teachers of faith who have demonstrated exemplary holiness and have deepened the church’s understanding of the Catholic faith.”

Furthermore, their title “doctor” shows that they have contributed significantly to Christian teaching in at least one area in a way that impacted later generations. This does not mean that their teachings are infallible. 

It was not until the 13th century that the fluid process of being named a doctor was formalized. 

Even though it’s uncertain if Pope Benedict will earn the rank of “doctor” in the community of saints, clergy, scholars and theologians believe Pope Benedict stands the test of time to become one.