On Saturday 20th November during the Consistory in which Benedict XVI created 24
new cardinals the stunning San Giorgio al Velabro, once titular church of John Henry
Newman, was assigned to a newly created Italian cardinal. He's former Archbishop,
Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture. Veronica Scarisbrick
went to this English landmark in Rome with historian Stella Fletcher. Rather curiously
a place the now Blessed John Henry Newman never set foot in but one he kept in
his heart: "....in going to the Oratory in Birmingham where Newman lived for decades
in the second half of his life..they have kept his rooms exactly as he left them...and
one thing struck me in particular and that was a picture of this Church on the wall,
he never came here but he knew that this was his Church.. he kept it by him and presumably
in his prayers for the rest of his life...." Find out more about San Giorgio al
Velabro and the Newman connection in this programme produced by Veronica Scarisbrick. Listen: