Doctors of the Catholic Church....

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 1997 (VIS) - When Pope John Paul II proclaimed St. Theresa of Lisieux Doctor of the Church, she became the 33rd person, and the third woman, to be honoured with this title.

For a person to be proclaimed Doctor of the Church, three requisites are necessary, according to Pope Benedict XIV's well-known definition: an eminent doctrine, a remarkable holiness of life and the declaration by the Supreme Pontiff or by a General Council which has met legitimately.

Following is the list of Doctors of the Church, starting with their name(s), the Pope who proclaimed them and the date on which this occurred:

* 1-4: Saints Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Gregory the Great: Boniface VIII, September 20, 1295.
* 5: Saint Thomas Aquinas: Saint Pius V, April 11, 1567.
* 6-9: Saints Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint John Chrysostom: Saint Pius V, 1568.
* 10: Saint Bonaventure: Sixtus V, March 14, 1588.
* 11: Saint Anselm of Canterbury: Clement XI, February 3, 1720.
* 12: Saint Isidore of Seville: Innocent XIII, April 25, 1722.
* 13: Saint Peter Chrysologus: Benedict XIII, February 10, 1729.
* 14: Saint Leo the Great: Benedict XIV, October 15, 1754.
* 15: Saint Peter Damian: Leo XII, September 27, 1828.
* 16: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux: Pius VIII, August 20, 1830.
* 17: Saint Hilaire of Poitiers: Pius IX, May 13, 1851.
* 18: Saint Alphonsus Liguori: Pius IX, July 7, 1871.
* 19: Saint Francis of Sales: Pius IX, November 16, 1871.
* 20-21: Saints Cyril of Alexandria and Cyril of Jerusalem: Leo XIII, July 28, 1882.
* 22: Saint John Damascene: Leo XIII, August 19, 1890.
* 23: Saint Bede the Venerable: Leo XIII, November 13, 1899.
* 24: Saint Ephrem of Syria: Benedict XV, October 5, 1920.
* 25: Saint Peter Canisius: Pius XI, May 21, 1925.
* 26: Saint John of the Cross: Pius XI, August 24, 1926.
* 27: Saint Robert Bellarmine: Pius XI, September 17, 1931.
* 28: Saint Albert the Great: Pius XI, December 16, 1931.
* 29: Saint Anthony of Padua: Pius XII, January 16, 1946.
* 30: Saint Laurence of Brindisi: John XXIII, March 19, 1959.
* 31: Saint Theresa of Avila: Paul VI, September 27, 1970.
* 32: Saint Catherine of Siena: Paul VI, October 4, 1970.
* 33: Saint Theresa of Lisieux: John Paul II, October 19, 1997.