The Vatican will consider the case of awarding the title of Doctor of the Church to Edita Stein. She is a German Christian philosopher of Jewish origin, sister of the Carmelite congregation, martyr and saint. Father Miguel Marques Calle, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite Order, submitted an official request to Pope Francis.
Silvija Krivteža – Vatican
The possibility of awarding Edita Shtein the title of Doctor of the Church has been discussed for several years. In 2022, as part of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the martyrdom of Edita Shtein, Father Roberto Maria Pirastu, the Definitor General of the Barefoot Carmelite Order, announced that a special commission had been established to examine this issue. At that time, it was proposed that Teresa Benedict of the Cross, as this is her religious name, could be given the title “Doctor Veritatis” – “Doctor of Truth”, because the center of her philosophical studies was always the truth, which after her conversion she discovered in the person of Jesus Christ. According to the Italian Carmelites, the official request to declare Edith Stein as a Doctor of the Church was submitted to the Vatican on April 18 of this year.
Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891 in Breslau (today’s Wroclaw), grew up in the Jewish faith. She distanced herself from all religions in her youth. However, she continued to search for the truth, mainly studying modern philosophy. Edith Štejna converted to Catholicism in 1921. She later joined the Carmelite Sisters, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. In 1942, he was arrested and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. She died in a gas chamber on August 9, 1942. She is one of the guardians of Europe.
