Questions Answered – February 2026

Who Are the Doctors of the Church?

Question One: Last November, Saint John Henry Newman was named a Doctor of the Church. How does one become a Doctor of the Church?

Answer: The title of Doctor of the Church is among the highest honors the Catholic tradition can bestow, carrying with it both authority and distinction. The word doctor comes from the Latin for “teacher,” and in this context it refers to those saints whose writings and teaching have provided the Church with extraordinary insight into divine revelation. A Doctor of the Church, then, is not simply a holy figure but one who, through learning and sanctity, has enriched Catholic theology and doctrine in an enduring way.

The Church has long held to three classic criteria for declaring someone a Doctor. The first is eminens doctrina, or eminent learning. The saint’s teaching must offer outstanding insight into the mysteries of faith and serve to illuminate Catholic doctrine for the faithful across generations. The second is insignis vitae sanctitas, or holiness of life. The saint must have lived a life of heroic virtue, providing not only intellectual clarity but also a witness of sanctity. The third is ecclesiae declaratio, or proclamation by the Church. This means that the Pope, or at times an ecumenical council, must officially confer the title. These criteria were systematically outlined by Pope Benedict XIV in the eighteenth century and continue to guide the Church’s discernment.

Unlike the process of canonization, which involves juridical procedures, the recognition of miracles, and extensive investigation into a candidate’s life, the declaration of a Doctor of the Church does not require the same formal process. Instead, it is an act of papal proclamation, usually undertaken after petitions from bishops, theologians, or the faithful. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and sometimes the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, studies the writings of the proposed Doctor to ensure their orthodoxy and significance. The Pope then issues an apostolic letter or declaration conferring the title. Historical examples include St. Thomas Aquinas, proclaimed Doctor by Pope Pius V in 1567, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, named Doctor by Pope John Paul II in 1997. The latter is particularly striking, as she was not a systematic theologian but was recognized for her profound spiritual doctrine of the “Little Way,” which the Church judged to be of universal significance.

The question naturally arises: must one already be a saint in order to be named a Doctor of the Church? The answer is yes. Only canonized saints may receive the title. This is because the recognition of eminent holiness (insignis vitae sanctitas) is a necessary criterion, and such holiness is formally verified only through canonization. To put it simply, all Doctors are saints, but not all saints are Doctors.

As of today, the Church recognizes thirty-eight Doctors of the Church. They range from the great Western and Eastern Fathers — such as Augustine, Ambrose, Jerome, and John Chrysostom — to more recently added figures like St. Hildegard of Bingen and St. Gregory of Narek. They represent a wide diversity of vocations: bishops, monks, nuns, priests, and even a laywoman, St. Catherine of Siena, who as a Dominican tertiary exercised enormous influence in the life of the Church.

The Luminous Mysteries: Origin and Importance

Question Two: I love praying the Rosary, but I don’t like the Luminous Mysteries. They are too new for me! How and why did Pope Saint John Paul II come up with them?

Answer: The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary stand out as one of Pope St. John Paul II’s most striking contributions to Catholic devotional life, representing both his Marian devotion and his desire to renew the spiritual practice of the faithful for the new millennium. Traditionally, the Rosary contained fifteen mysteries — Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious — dating back to the Middle Ages and popularized through the work of St. Dominic and later by Pope St. Pius V. By the late twentieth century, John Paul II, who had long been devoted to the Rosary, desired to revitalize this prayer so that it could draw Christians more deeply into the mystery of Christ. In his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae of October 16, 2002, he proclaimed a “Year of the Rosary” (2002–2003) and introduced a new set of mysteries: the Mysteria Lucis, or “Mysteries of Light.”

In Rosarium Virginis Mariae, John Paul II proposed five new mysteries centered on Christ’s public ministry. These include Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan, the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist. Each mystery emphasizes a key moment in the revelation of Christ’s identity and mission. The Pope observed that these mysteries fit naturally between the Joyful Mysteries, which focus on the hidden life of Christ, and the Sorrowful Mysteries, which emphasize His Passion. He stressed that the addition was not mandatory but optional, intended to enrich the Rosary with greater Christological depth. As he explained: “To bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary, it would be suitable to make an addition . . . These could be fittingly called ‘mysteries of light’” (RVM §19).

The reasons for the Pope’s proposal were both pastoral and theological. First, he wished to highlight the Christological center of the Rosary. While the prayer is unmistakably Marian, John Paul II emphasized that it is, at its heart, a Christ-centered prayer: “The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer” (RVM §1). By adding the Luminous Mysteries, he filled a notable gap in the meditation of Christ’s life — His public ministry — which was previously not explicitly represented in the Rosary. Second, he wanted the Rosary to lead the faithful more deeply into the life of Christ and the fullness of the Gospel. “The addition of these new mysteries . . . is meant to give the Rosary fresh life and to enkindle renewed interest in the Rosary’s place in Christian spirituality” (RVM §21).

Beyond this, John Paul II viewed the Rosary as a prayer for peace and for families, a devotion capable of sustaining Christian households and evangelizing the world. In this light, the Luminous Mysteries emphasize the sacraments and the proclamation of the Kingdom — both vital for strengthening family life and mission. Finally, as he prepared for the twenty-fifth year of his pontificate, he sought to renew Marian devotion in a way that would invite Catholics to contemplate Christ more fully, with Mary as their guide and model of faith.

The theological significance of the Luminous Mysteries lies in their focus on sacramental and ecclesial themes. They draw attention to Baptism, the Eucharist, preaching, conversion, and the anticipation of glory. In doing so, they bring the Rosary into deeper harmony with the Church’s liturgy, particularly with the sacraments of initiation and the Paschal Mystery. They also reflect John Paul II’s broader vision of the Church as mystery, communion, and mission, themes he had articulated earlier in Novo Millennio Ineunte.