Long venerated as a saint widely, but not recognized by the Roman Catholic church universally, Hildegard's discovery and promotion by feminists has led to much study of her life. And now it has led Pope Benedict XVI to include Hildegard on the official register of saints, as of May 10, 2012, and, in October 2012, to name her a Doctor of the Church.
Some feminists have maintained that Hildegard, while a model of an educated woman active in the public sphere, was herself no feminist: she advocated a more conservative theology of the church, and she saw women's role very traditionally even where she went beyond that tradition herself.
"Doctor of the Church" means that the church accepts and recommends the teachings of that saint and finds them in accord with doctrinal authorities. Some have pointed out the irony of women being named Doctors of the Church, when the Biblical verses saying that women should not teach in the church are used to defend excluding women from the priesthood.
Learn more about the women who have been named as Doctors of the Church in the past:
And learn more about Hildegard of Bingen and some other religious women of the medieval era:
