Fathers of the Church...
Church Fathers were the closest to the Apostles and whatever we have,
came to us through them. To qualify as a Church Father, four conditions
had to have been met.
1. He had to have lived before the year 800.
The last Father in the East was St. Damascene 674-749, and of the West
was, St. Bede the Venerable 672-735.
2. He had to have followed the orthodox teaching, faithful to the true
doctrines of the Church.
3. He had to have Sanctity. All major Fathers and most minor Fathers were
canonized Saints, and lived virtuous lives.
4. He had to have the sanction of the Church, a general acceptance.
They are divided into 2 groups, 39 Latin and 49 Greek
Fathers. Some of the most prominent ones are:
Latin Fathers, Western:
St. Irenaeus of Lyons (d 202), Bishop.
St. Cyprian (d 258), Bishop.
St. Damasus I (d 384),
St. Ambrose of Milan (d 397), Bishop of Milan.
St. Jerome (d 420), priest.
St. Augustine (d 430), Bishop of Hippo.
St. Peter Chrysologus (d 450), Archbishop of Ravenna.
St. Leo the Great (d 461), Pope.
St. Fulgentius (d 533), Bishop of Ruspe.
St. Benedict (d 546), father of Western monasticism.
St. Gregory the Great (d 604), Pope.
St. Isadore (d 636), Archbishop of Seville.
St. Bede the Venerable (d 735), Doctor, last Father of Western Church.
Greek Fathers, Eastern... * means
an Apostolic Father.
St. Clement of Rome * (d
97), Pope
St. Ignatius of Antioch * (d 107), Bishop
of Antioch.
St. Polycarp * (d 155), Bishop of Smyrna.
St. Justin Martyr (d 165), apologist.
St. Clement of Alexandria (d 215), theologian.
St. Hippolytus (d 236), martyr.
Eusebius (d 340), Bishop of Caesarea.
St. Julius I (d 352), Pope.
St. Athanasius (d 373), Archbishop of Alexandria.
St. Basil the Great (d 379), Archbishop of Caesarea.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus (d 390), Bishop of Sasima
St. Gregory of Nyssa, Basil's brother (d 395)
St. John Chrysostom (d 407), Patriarch of Constantinople.
St. Nilus (d 430), priest and monk.
St. John Damascene (d 749), last Father of the Eastern Church.
Here is a comprehensive
list by
subject, of some of their writings.
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