Blessed Newman

It was both the climax and centerpiece of Pope Benedict's UK visit ... the beatification of the 19th theologian and Anglican convert, Cardinal John Henry Newman, during an open-air mass at Cofton Park in the city of Birmingham. A key event where Pope Bendict broke his own rules so he personally could preside over the beatification. Our correspondent in Britain, Philippa Hitchen filed this report.......


“A man of gentle scholarship, deep wisdom and profound love for the Lord.”
That’s how Pope Benedict described the great 19th century theologian John Henry Newman as he presided at the beatification Mass in a windy Cofton Park, less than a mile away from the spot where his earthly remains were laid to rest.
Descendants of Newman’s family and the American deacon Jack Sullivan’s whose miraculous healing from a crippling spinal disorder had been a key part of the beatification process, mingled with the huge crowd that had been gathering on the grassy slopes since the early hours. A giant portrait of the elderly cardinal dominated the simple white dome set up over the altar where bishops from across England, Scotland and Wales sat to hear the Pope pronounce the words that so many of them had been longing to hear..

“..With our apostolic authority we declare that the Venerable Servant of God Cardinal John Henry Newman, Priest of the Congregation of the Oratory, shall henceforth be invoked as Blessed and that his feast shall be celebrated every year on the ninth of October, in the places and according to the norms established by Church law. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

As he began his homily the Pope noted that this day of Newman’s beatification coincides with the 70^th anniversary of one of the key moments of the World War II, the Battle of Britain where the nation’s air forces repelled a sustained German bombing attack on cities across the country.

“…For me as one who lived and suffered through the dark days of the Nazi regime in Germany, it is deeply moving to be here with you on this occasion, and to recall how many of your fellow citizens sacrificed their lives, courageously resisting the forces of that evil ideology. My thoughts go in particular to nearby Coventry, which suffered such heavy bombardment and massive loss of life in November 1940.”

Returning to the legacy of the newly beatified founder of the nearby Birmingham Oratory, the Pope recalled how, throughout his long life, the saintly Englishman had applied his keen intellect and his prolific pen to the most pressing questions of his day.

“..His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilized society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance for Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world…”

In particular the Pope noted just how much Newman’s vision for education has shaped the work and ethos of Catholic schools and colleges today..

“..Firmly opposed to any reductive or utilitarian approach, he sought to achieve an educational environment in which intellectual training, moral discipline and religious commitment would come together…”

As the Pope pointed out, Newman is best known around the world for his intellectual legacy, his writings which have so profoundly influenced both the Anglican and Catholic traditions, But, he said, it’s the simple warmth and humanity of this much loved man, during his years of ministry among the people of Birmingham, that caused so many thousands of mourners to line the streets for his funeral in August 1890. As members of the British royal family commemorated the Battle of Britain in London’s Westminster Abbey, Pope Benedict urged Christians to take up Newman’s struggle to save the soul of the nation, enabling the ‘kindly light’ of faith to shine and to guide the steps of all people in these lands.