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Bishops from across England and Wales have welcomed with joy the news that St John Henry Newman will become a Doctor of the Church.
The news was announced on 31 July, when Pope Leo received in audience Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
During the meeting, the ‘positive opinion of the Dicastery's Plenary Session’ was confirmed, meaning that St John Henry Newman will be proclaimed a Doctor of the Universal Church.
A Doctor of the Church is a person whose teachings on the Catholic faith, through their writing, study, or research, have been deemed of great significance to the Church and to the faith.
Currently, there are 37 Doctors of the Church. Many of them are early Church Fathers, such as Saint Irenaeus of Lyon (declared in 2022), Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, and Saint John Chrysostom. From the Middle Ages, Saints such as Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Teresa of Ávila, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Hildegard of Bingen have all been declared Doctors of the Church. Saint John Henry Newman will not be the most recently alive Doctor, as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who died in 1897, seven years after Newman, was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Saint John Paul II on 19 October 1998.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Archbishop of Westminster, said:
‘I am delighted and thrilled that Pope Leo has announced that he will declare St John Henry Newman to be a “Doctor of the Church”. This request has been before the Holy See for some time, having received declarations of support from many different parts of the world and, of particular importance, from the Bishops of the Church of England. This recognition that the writings of St John Henry Newman are a true expression of the faith of the Church is of huge encouragement to all who appreciate not only his great learning but also his heroic sanctity in following the call of God in his journey of faith, which he described as “heart speaking unto heart”. This moment brings back vivid memories of the Papal Visit in 2010 of Pope Benedict XVI to these countries when he declared the beatification of John Henry Newman. That moment now reaches its fulfilment and gives great joy to all who strive to follow Christ today.’
Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham and Vice President of the Bishops’ Conference, said:
‘Together with the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory, I am immensely grateful to Pope Leo for declaring St John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church. Cardinal Newman is only the third Englishman to be afforded this title, after St Bede the Venerable and St Anselm of Canterbury, for the historic and abiding impact of his teaching on the universal Church. It is remarkable that his writings, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, but considered as one entire corpus of written work, have led to him being declared a Doctor of the Church. His motto Cor ad cor loquitur – Heart speaks to heart – is a key to understanding the influence of St John Henry’s teaching, communicated to us at the deepest level of our being. I pray that this day will hasten the canonisation of Blessed Dominic Barberi, who must be rejoicing that he was chosen to play his part in bringing Cardinal Newman into full communion with the Catholic Church.”’
Archbishop Mark O’Toole, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia, said:
‘What a joy it is to hear that Pope Leo XVI will declare St John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church. I remember the impact studying his Grammar of Assent had on me many years ago, and discovering afresh how it is possible to give a reasoned account for our belief in God. With this declaration, I am sure that many more will be helped in “feeling” their way to God and finding their “home” in the Catholic Church.’
Archbishop John Wilson, Archbishop of Southwark, said:
‘The announcement that St John Henry Newman will become a Doctor of the Catholic Church will fill the hearts of English Catholics with so much joy. It will also be welcomed by Catholics around the world for whom St John Henry is an inspiring theologian and apologist for the Catholic faith. For all his enormous intellect and learning, St John Henry above all lived the humility of a disciple, with a passion for truth. His life shines as an example of what it means to be a true follower of Christ. If we want to grow in holiness, if we are passionate to find the truth and walk in His ways, we first need to humble ourselves before the Lord Jesus, just as St John Henry did. His towering intellect brought him to see‘
