Questions Answered – December 2025

What Is a Doctor of the Church?

Question One: Dear Father Cush, what is a Doctor of the Church? Does the Church have any specific requirements for a saint to be declared a Doctor of the Church? Are all the Fathers of the Church also Doctors of the Church?

Answer: In the Catholic Church, the title “Doctor of the Church” is given to certain saints whose writings and theological contributions are considered of particular importance for the life and doctrine of the Church. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional holiness, profound doctrinal insight, and a deep commitment to the faith. The title is meant to honor their contributions to the understanding of the faith, and it is not a liturgical rank but a recognition of their teaching authority and the influence of their work on Christian theology and doctrine.

The title Doctor comes from the Latin word docere, meaning “to teach,” and thus a Doctor of the Church is a “teacher of the faith.” They are recognized not only for their writings but also for their wisdom, virtue, and their ability to contribute to the development of Church doctrine.

The Church considers the following criteria when declaring someone a Doctor of the Church. First, holiness of life, i.e. the individual must be a canonized saint, having lived a life of exceptional virtue and holiness. Second, orthodoxy of doctrine, meaning their writings and teachings must be in full conformity with Catholic doctrine. They must not only be holy but also have provided sound theological contributions that have been widely recognized as beneficial for the Church’s teaching. The third criterion is magnitude of contribution: The individual’s theological and doctrinal contributions must be of great significance for the Church. This includes their influence in shaping Christian thought, either through theology, biblical exegesis, liturgy, or pastoral practice. Fourth and finally, recognition by the Church: The person’s work and writings must have been recognized by the Church as a whole as being of enduring importance. This recognition is often formalized through papal declaration.

Over the years, the process for declaring someone a Doctor of the Church has become more formalized, but it remains a recognition of both the person’s virtue and their theological significance.

Not all the Fathers of the Church are recognized as Doctors of the Church. While many Doctors of the Church are also considered Church Fathers, being a Church Father does not automatically mean one is a Doctor of the Church. Church Fathers are early Christian writers and theologians who contributed significantly to the development of Christian doctrine and the defense of the faith. The title “Father” is often given to those who lived in the early centuries of the Church, especially in the first 800 years. Their writings and teachings helped form the theological and doctrinal foundations of Christianity.

Doctors of the Church are typically Church Fathers, but the title of Doctor goes beyond mere recognition of influence in the early Church. The Doctor title is often reserved for those whose theological works were considered exceptionally influential in shaping the Church’s doctrinal development through the centuries. For instance, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, and Saint Gregory the Great are both Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Saint John Chrysostom, a Church Father, is also a Doctor of the Church.

However, not all Church Fathers were granted the title of Doctor. For example, Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, though revered as a Church Father for his role in the early Church, has not been declared a Doctor of the Church.

The Beatific Vision According to Aquinas

Question Two: Dear Father Cush, what does Saint Thomas Aquinas teach about the Beatific Vision? Is it true that Saint Thomas stated that some saints will see God with more clarity than others?

Answer: Saint Thomas Aquinas provides a deep and systematic understanding of the Beatific Vision in his theological work, particularly in the Summa theologiae. He teaches that the Beatific Vision is the direct and immediate vision of God as He is in Himself, in His divine essence, which is the ultimate fulfillment of human existence and the final goal of the human soul. Aquinas explains that it is the supreme happiness and blessedness of the saints, as they behold God face-to-face.

The Beatific Vision is the ultimate encounter with God, and it surpasses all other forms of knowledge and delight. It is the complete and perfect knowledge of God as He is, which includes both His essence and His attributes. Aquinas explains that this vision is received not through sensible perception (since God’s essence is beyond the capacity of our natural senses) but rather through the intellect in a manner that transcends natural knowledge. In Summa theologiae I, Q. 12, A. 4, Aquinas writes: “The perfect knowledge of God is that in which God is seen by the intellect, not in a manner that is hindered by any creaturely mediation, but as He is in Himself . . . This knowledge is called the Beatific Vision, and it is the highest and final happiness.”

Saint Thomas also teaches that not all saints will see God with the same clarity. He makes a distinction between the object of the vision, which is God’s essence, and the mode or manner of the vision, which can vary according to the degree of grace and the merits of the individual saint. While all the saints in heaven will see God, some will behold Him in greater clarity due to their degree of holiness and the purification they underwent on earth. This is linked to their participation in divine grace.

Aquinas explains in Summa theologiae, Supplement, Q. 94, A. 3: “The clarity of the vision of God will be in accordance with the degree of merit. For the more perfect the soul’s union with God in this life, the greater the clarity with which it will see God in the next.” Thus, those saints who had greater union with God in this life (due to their holiness and purity) will experience a more perfect and clear vision of God in the Beatific Vision. Aquinas speaks of the differences in the degree of glory given to each soul in heaven.

Aquinas explains the concept of areolae, which refers to the degrees of glory or distinctions in the Beatific Vision. According to Aquinas, there is an unequal distribution of glory among the saints in heaven. While all saints share in the Beatific Vision, some saints enjoy it more fully or more clearly than others due to their differing degrees of holiness and sanctity.

In Summa theologiae, Supplement, Q. 94, A. 1, Aquinas teaches: “The areolae (crowns or rays of glory) are a sign of the distinction between the saints, based on the merits of their lives, their degrees of sanctification, and the conformity of their wills to the will of God in this life.” The idea of areolae indicates that the saints’ varying levels of glory reflect the varying degrees of their spiritual perfection and their cooperation with God’s grace during their earthly lives. The more a person cooperated with grace, the more radiant their glory will be in the Beatific Vision.

Aquinas also speaks of the Lumen Gloriae (the Light of Glory), which is the supernatural light by which the soul is able to see God in the Beatific Vision. This light is not natural or created; it is a divine gift that enables the human soul to directly and immediately apprehend the divine essence. The Lumen Gloriae is given to the soul after its purification, either in this life through sanctifying grace or in the next life in purgatory.

In Summa theologiae, Prima Pars, Q. 12, A. 2, Aquinas explains: “The soul’s intellectual vision of God in the Beatific Vision will be enabled by the Lumen Gloriae, the light which is not a natural light, but a supernatural illumination from God, which makes the soul capable of seeing God directly.”

This divine light is a participation in God’s own nature, allowing the soul to behold His infinite goodness and divine simplicity. It is by this light that the soul can see the divine essence directly, which is the ultimate fulfillment of human knowledge and bliss.

Aquinas’ understanding of the Beatific Vision and the degrees of clarity and glory challenges us to consider the reality of God’s goodness and how our own holiness and virtue contribute to our participation in eternal life. His teachings emphasize that all the saved will see God in the Beatific Vision, but some saints will have a more profound vision of God’s essence due to their greater degree of holiness in life. The degrees of glory (areolae) are proportional to the merit and purity with which the soul responded to God’s grace during its earthly journey. The Lumen Gloriae is the source of the supernatural light that enables the soul to see God, transforming it into a divine union and giving the soul a share in God’s eternal happiness.