St John Henry Newman to be declared a Doctor of the Church

JHNewman

The Vatican has announced Saint John Henry Newman will be declared a Doctor of the Church following the approval of Pope Leo XIV.

The Holy Father “confirmed the positive opinion” of the declaration during an audience with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

A Doctor of the Church is a title given by a Pope to a saint recognised as having made a significant contribution to theology or doctrine. Newman was noted for his teachings on conscience and doctrinal development.

Born in 1801, Saint John Henry Newman became an Anglican priest in 1825 before converting to Catholicism in 1845 and becoming one of its greatest members of the 19th century. Though he never served as a Bishop, he was made a cardinal in 1879.

He died in 1890 and was canonised by Pope Francis in 2019.

“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,” Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark said.

“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.”

The last person to be declared a Doctor of the Church was Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, a 2nd century Bishop whose writings gave great insight into the life of the early Church. Pope Francis declared him a Doctor of the Church in 2022.

Saint John Henry Newman will be the second British-born Doctor of the Church. Saint Bede the Venerable was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1899. He was a 8th century scholar who wrote extensive theological pieces and Biblical commentaries.

Another Doctor of the Church, Anselm of Canterbury, was not born in Britain but served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109 and was famed for his resistance to the English kings William II and Henry I.