Quick Bytes
- The Discalced Carmelites propose Edith Stein for the title of “doctor of truth.”
- Stein could become the fifth woman to be declared a Doctor of the Church.
- The Vatican is formally considering the request after the Carmelites’ 2022 commission.
- Stein’s scholarly and spiritual legacy continues to influence the Catholic Church.
Edith Stein: A Journey to Sainthood
The Discalced Carmelites have formally petitioned Pope Francis to honor Edith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, with the prestigious title of “doctor of truth.”
Edith Stein’s remarkable life story began in Breslau, where she was born into a Jewish family in 1891. Despite declaring herself an atheist in her youth, Stein’s encounter with the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila led to her conversion to Catholicism in 1921. Her baptism followed on January 1, 1922, and she later joined the Carmelite order. Stein’s academic achievements, including a doctorate in philosophy, and her subsequent religious devotion, culminated in her writing “The Science of the Cross,” a study on St. John of the Cross. Tragically, her life was cut short in 1942 when she was killed in Auschwitz during the Holocaust.
Stein’s canonization in 1998 by Pope John Paul II and her designation as a co-patroness of Europe in 1999 have solidified her influence within the Church. The Carmelites’ request coincides with the 100th anniversary of Stein’s baptism and the 80th anniversary of her martyrdom. If granted the title, Stein would join an elite group of theologians who have profoundly shaped the Church’s moral and spiritual doctrine. Her pursuit of truth and her statement, “Anyone who seeks truth seeks God, whether or not he is aware of it,” encapsulate the essence of her candidacy for the title of “doctor veritatis.”
Image Credits
- Getty Images: Edith Stein.
