Pope Francis on Tuesday
marked the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Teresa
of Ávila as a Doctor of the Church, and stressed her importance
even today, especially in highlighting the role of women in the
Church and in society.
Opening his message to Archbishop Gil Tamayo of Ávila, Spain,
Pope Francis noted that St Teresa was the first woman to become
a Doctor of the Church, Vatican News reported.
He said the title was a recognition of the "precious teaching
that God has transmitted to us through her writings and the
testimony of her life."
Fifty years ago, on 27 September 1970, Pope St Paul VI conferred
the title of Doctor of the Church on St. Teresa of Ávila.
The Catholic University of Ávila, which is dedicated to the
Spanish mystic, is celebrating this historic anniversary with an
international congress entitled "Exceptional woman," as Pope
Paul VI described her himself. It runs until 15 April.
Saint Teresa was born in 1515 and died in 1582. Pope Francis
wrote in his message that even now, nearly half a millenium
since her death, wrote that "the flame that Jesus lit in Teresa
continues to shine in this world, always in need of courageous
witnesses, capable of breaking down any wall, whether physical,
existential or cultural."
He also cited her intelligence and tenacity, which she joined to
"a sensitivity to beauty and a spiritual motherhood toward all
those who approached her work."
The Pope added that she was an example of the "extraordinary
role that women have played throughout history in the Church and
in society."
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
