Beginning with Pope Saint Paul VI, the Catholic Church began to recognize certain female saints as Doctors of the Church, that is as saints whose teaching is so important that they teach everyone in the Church truths that are essential to the spiritual life. These female doctors of the church are St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena (named doctors of the church by Pope St. Paul VI in 1970), St. Therese of Lisieux (named a doctor of the church by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997), and St. Hildegard von Bingen (proclaimed a doctor of the church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012).

In the Roman Missal and the Liturgy of the Hours, the Common Prayers all assume that a doctor of the church is a priest. The Common of Doctors of the Church, the place the prayers come from, is always connected to the Common of Pastors (ie priests and bishops). In fact, the aforementioned women are the only non-ordained doctors of the church.

Holy Father, Pope Francis, we, the undersigned petitioners present our agreement in a spirit of filial synodality to express our desire that a separate Common of Doctors of the Church be promulgated for the Roman Missal and the Liturgy of the Hours that, not only stands apart from the Common of Pastors, but that also leaves room in the prayers for both men and women saints, whether ordained priests or laymen or laywomen, whether they be religious or secular.

We know that how we pray influences how we believe, which in turn influences how we live (lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi). Since we believe that women are doctors of the church too, as your predecessors have declared, we are simply asking that this also be reflected in the way we pray whenever we are celebrating a female doctor of the church. This way, the members of the church can begin to live out a greater appreciation for the contribution of female doctors of the church.

Praying for your health and that God bless you in your Petrine ministry... Sincerely, 
The undersigned faithful and other people of good will