Pope to soon declare 37th doctor of the church: St. Irenaeus

ROME (AP) — A 2nd-century saint known as a bridge between eastern and western Christianity has taken another step toward being declared a doctor of the church, one of the highest honors in the Catholic Church. The head of the Vatican’s saint-making office, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, told Pope Francis during an audience Thursday that the office’s members had agreed that St. Irenaeus should receive the honor, and proposed that Francis declare it, the Vatican said. The audience was something of a formality since Francis had already announced last October that he intended to make the announcement soon, though no date has been set.