St. John of Avila to be declared Doctor of the Church

Madrid, Spain, Jan 15, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Representatives of the Spanish Bishops Conference have announced that the cause to have St. John of Avila declared “Doctor of the Church” will soon receive official approval.

The announcement took place during a meeting in Madrid between bishops from Spain and Portugal.  The Bishops Conference of Portugal, where St. John of Avila is also highly revered, has also asked Pope John Paul II to make a “Doctor of the Church” the saint who is patron of the Spanish diocesan clergy.

Portuguese bishops announced they would soon be sponsoring initiatives making known the life, work, and message of this great Spanish saint.

During the two-day meeting, the newly-published complete works of John of Avila, consisting of four volumes, were presented to the Spanish Bishops Conference by a distinguished Catholic publisher.

Work on the saint’s writings and thought began shortly after his canonization in 1970, with the commission appointed by the Spanish bishops concluding their studies and reports to the Holy See in 1999.

Sources say the cause is supported by Cardinal Darío Castrillón, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.

St. John of Avila was a close friend of St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Francis of Borgia.  He was born in 1500 in Almodóvar del Campo, Spain, and died in 1569 in Montilla, where his remains are buried. 

Doctors of the Church receive this title on account of the great advantage the whole Church has derived from their doctrine, which is useful for all times as a firm and secure source of the truth.