Doctor of the Church, Eminent Doctrine, sounds complicated, I found that if one paces
the words we can grasp their hidden meaning. The words eminent and doctrine mean
the following; To be eminent means, “Rising above other; prominent or to be of high rank
or station.” That which is doctrine is, “A body of principles, presented for acceptance
or belief; a statement of official government policy” [American Heritage Dictionary,
4th Edition, 2007]. So as you can see, it takes a lot of hard work to become a doctor,
of any kind. This however was not all of the questions I had about being Doctors of
the Church; the next place I needed to look was in the very lives of these saints.
Saint John of Avila was born at Almodovar del Campo,
Spain, on January 6th 1499. He was ordained a priest at
the the age of twenty six after having rejected his parents
inheritance. A gifted preacher, his teachings converted Saint
John of God to Catholicism. He was falsely accused in the
inquisition and was nearly sentenced to death during that
time because of his profound preaching. He personally knew
Saints Ignatius of Loyola and Theresa of Avila. Interestingly
enough he was the only priest at that time to approve St.
Theresa’s biography as authentic . St. John of Avila was also
well known for his dedication to the the formation of priests
and seminaries, both of which were included in his speech
at the council of Trent. St. John also was known for his
fervor in spreading the teachings of the council for the rest
of his life. Saint John of Avila died on May 10th, 1569, yet it
was during this last decade of his life that Saint John wrote
some of his most profound letters and teachings,