Technically, Origen and Tertullian are “ecclesiastical.writers,” not Fathers. It is not about them not being bishops!
Tertullian started out as an orthodox lay theologian. But he ended up getting bitter about Catholics who did bad stuff during the persecutions, getting involved with a cult around the time his wife died, and becoming a heretic. So some of his writings are beloved, some are helpful but should be taken with a grain of salt, and some are totally ridiculous and bad.
Origen was a great teacher who taught saints, converted pagans, and ended heresies. He laid the foundations for all Christian theology and Biblical studies. But he was also big on floating wild ideas, and he had students who went heretical after his death and claimed their heresies were straight from Origen. So for a while his writings were condemned along with various fakes of his writing. But Origen himself was always clear about wanting only to teach what the Church teaches, and going along with bishops. So after his death, various super-orthodox saints and theologians “rescued” his works that were orthodox. But because of the controversy, he has never been officially canonized or named a Father or Doctor of the Church; he is just a brilliant holy guy and an ecclesiastical writer.
I love Tertullian, and he is a tragedy. I love Origen, and sometimes he was a twit. Bring along your grains of salt.
