ROME (SE): St. John Henry Cardinal Newman is set to be recognised as a Doctor of the Church, the Holy See Press Office announced on July 13, Vatican News reported. Following a meeting with Marcello Cardinal Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Pope Leo XIV “confirmed the affirmative opinion of the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, which will soon be conferred on St. John Henry Newman.”
Born in 1801, Cardinal Newman was an Anglican priest for eight years and celebrated as one of the most brilliant minds in the Anglican tradition. He had a profound desire to know God, which he referred to as His “kindly Light,” symbolising the light of Truth—truth about Christ, the essence of the Church, and the teachings of early Church Fathers speaking to a still united Church. He lived and worked in Oxford, the focal point of his faith, where his beliefs gradually developed towards Catholicism.
In 1845, he articulated his spiritual journey in Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, a culmination of his enduring quest for that Light, which he ultimately discovered within the Catholic Church. He discerned it as the Church birthed from the heart of Christ, rooted in the martyrs and the ancient Fathers, evolving through history like a flourishing tree, according to Vatican News.
[Pope Leo XIV ] confirmed the affirmative opinion of the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, which will soon be conferred on St. John Henry Newman
Shortly thereafter, he sought to be received into the Catholic Church, an event that occurred on 8 October 1845. He later described this moment as “like coming into port after a rough sea,” and expressed that “my happiness on that score remains to this day without interruption.”
In 1879, Pope Leo XIII elevated him to cardinal. Upon receiving the news, Newman shed tears of joy, proclaiming, “The cloud is lifted forever.” He continued his apostolic work with unwavering dedication until his passing on 11 August 1890. On his tomb, he requested only his name and a brief phrase be engraved, encapsulating the remarkable journey of his 89 years: “Ex umbris et imaginibus in Veritatem,” [From shadows and images into the Truth.]
Pope Benedict XVI beatified him in 2010, honouring a man of profound prayer who “lived out that profoundly human vision of priestly ministry in his devoted care,” addressing the needs of the sick and poor, comforting the grieving, and caring for those in prison.
The motto chosen by Cardinal Newman was “Cor ad cor loquitur” [Heart speaks to heart]. He was canonised in 2019 by Pope Francis, who, in the encyclical, Dilexit nos, highlighted the importance of this motto. The pope noted that beyond any intellectual debate, the Lord saves us through his heartfelt communication with us.
This realisation led Cardinal Newman, a notable thinker, to understand that his most meaningful encounters with himself and the Lord were not solely derived from his readings or reflections, but from his prayerful exchange, heart to heart, with the living Christ.
It was within the Eucharist that Cardinal Newman found the vibrant heart of Jesus, capable of liberating us, imbuing our lives with meaning, and granting us true peace.
