St Catherine of Siena: Doctor of the Church
Hearing her teaching?
This is the second in my short series on St Catherine of Siena. It expresses some of the frustration I feel that her writing and teaching is not more readily accessible.
2. A Doctor of the Church
St Catherine of Siena is one of just four women who are recognized as Doctors of the Church. A Doctor of the Church is a person who has made a significant contribution to the Church’s understanding of the faith and whose life and teaching can help and guide us today. St Catherine’s understanding of the faith is expressed, firstly, in an important book she wrote called the Dialogue, which records a conversation she had with God, and secondly, through her letters of which there are some 380. There is also a collection of some of her prayers written down by those who heard her praying them.
The letters were written in St Catherine’s native language of Tuscan. They have been translated into English in four volumes by a scholar who is an expert in St Catherine’s life and work. I have managed to track down volumes one and four but have found it impossible to find volumes two and three. [Note: Since originally writing this, I have managed to locate the two volumes I didn’t have. It was not an easy task, though, and it cost a substantial amount of money!] None of the volumes are still in print.
This is someone the Church considers so important that she is recognized not only as a saint but as both a patron saint of Europe and an authoritative teacher of the faith. It seems incredible, then, that her writings are completely inaccessible to all but a few privileged scholars.
It begs the question, why?
The answer is partly sexism. The writings of major male theologians are very easy to access in whatever language you care to read them in. But it is only partly the answer.
The major reason, I believe, is that St Catherine very directly asks us a question that we prefer not to answer, and it is a simple one: ‘Do we know and love God?’ Love God, that is, not for our own sake and for what we can get out of him but for his own
sake and whatever the cost.
It is a question that it seems even the Church doesn’t want to have to answer.
St Catherine of Siena,
pray for us.