St. Irenaeus to be named Doctor of the Church (Vatican Press Office)

Pope Francis will formally name St. Irenaeus, the 2nd-century bishop and martyr, a Doctor of the Universal Church, the Vatican has announced.

At an audience on January 20, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, reported to the Pontiff that the Congregation had approved the title for St. Irenaeus. The Pope himself had said last October that he wished to honor St. Irenaeus as the “Doctor of Unity,” describing him as “a great spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christianity.”

St. Irenaeus was the author of many influential works, many of which are now lost, but his work Against Heresies remains a popular study. He will be the 37th Doctor of the Church, and the first who is also recognized as a martyr.