Pope Francis to Declare St. Irenaeus a Doctor of the Church with Title ‘Doctor of Unity’

Catholic World Report ^ | 10/7/21 | Courtney Mares

[marshmallow]

Pope Francis said on Thursday that he plans to declare St. Irenaeus of Lyon a Doctor of the Church with the title “Doctor unitatis,” meaning “Doctor of Unity.”

The pope made the announcement in a speech to the St. Irenaeus Working Group, a group of Catholic and Orthodox theologians who conducted a study together on synodality and primacy.

“Your patron, St. Irenaeus of Lyon — whom soon I will willingly declare a Doctor of the Church with the title Doctor unitatis — came from the East, exercised his episcopal ministry in the West, and was a great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians,” Pope Francis said on Oct. 7.

St. Irenaeus was a second-century bishop and writer revered by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians and known for refuting the heresies of Gnosticism with a defense of both Christ’s humanity and divinity.

The U.S. bishops voted last year in favor of having St. Irenaeus named a Doctor of the Church at the request of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, the then archbishop of Lyon, southern France, and sent their approval to the Vatican for the pope’s consideration.

[nickcarraway]

What? I thought every Catholic before the last 40 years was “too rigid” etc. Didn’t St. Irenaeus also go the “evil Mass.”

[Bayard]

St Irenaeus absolutely should be a Doctor of the Church, the lectionary for his feast day already lists common of doctors as an alternative reading. I’d consider this more a title fixing, because he already is one of the early fathers.

He learned from St Polycarp the Martyr who learned from St John the Evangelist.

Literally an important connection to the Apostolic tradition.