St. John of the Cross

St. John is the author of Dark Night of the Soul. He was a Spanish priest and friar of the Carmelite order of the Catholic Church. He is considered to be one of the co-founders of the Discalced Carmelites, a sect of the Catholic Church. In 1675, eighty-three years after his death, St. John was beatified, which means the Catholic Church acknowledged he went to heaven when he died. It also indicates St. John has to power to intercede with God on the behalf of believers on earth. St. John is also named among the twenty-three doctors of the Catholic Church.

During his lifetime, St. John was dedicated to working for the church and for God. He helped reform the Carmelite order of the Church and also wrote poetry and books about Christianity. He was imprisoned and tortured by the Church when he refused to...