The Cause of the Canonisation of John Henry Cardinal Newman

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Cardinal John Patrick Foley: Newman should be declared a Doctor of the Church

Categorised as News and published Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
Cardinal John Foley at the Oratory, Birmingham: John Henry Newman, ‘an outstanding figure’
POPE BENEDICT XVI APPROVES NEWMAN’S BEATIFICATION

Cardinal John Foley celebrates Mass at the Birmingham Oratory, Feast Day of St Philip Neri

Cardinal John Patrick Foley, Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, has said that John Henry Newman should be declared a Doctor of the Universal Church.

Cardinal Foley said that Newman’s “compelling intellectual argumentation” could bring the rejuvenation – ‘Second Spring’ – of English Catholicism so desired by this great Catholic figure.

At the Oratory in Birmingham, to celebrate the feast Day of St Philip Neri, who founded the Oratory in 1575, Foley was preaching at a Solemn Mass attended by priests and faithful of the Birmingham Oratory, local clergy, civic leaders, and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.

Speaking of his “special interest in and devotion to the Cause for canonisation of John Henry Cardinal Newman”, Foley added: “I have always thought that Cardinal Newman should not only be beatified and canonised but should also be declared a Doctor of the Church.”

He went on: “That of course, is merely a personal opinion – even though I suspect that it is shared by many of you here.”

Foley, who recently accompanied Pope Benedict XVI on his visit to the Holy Land, is based in the Vatican, but travels extensively as head of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

During the sermon – which came days after the 130th anniversary of Newman’s being raised to the Cardinalate by Pope Leo XIII – Foley said that he was “truly humbled” to call Newman “a brother Cardinal”.

Cardinal Foley preaching

In a prayer to St Philip, Cardinal Foley added his hope that “we may soon be able to call Newman your brother saint.”

John Foley, himself created Cardinal in 2007 by the Holy Father, celebrated the Solemn Latin Mass in the Oratory Church, built in the first years of the twentieth century as a tribute to the famous English convert.

Foley reflected that the combined power of St Philip Neri’s “joyous spirituality” – the Saint was known for his sense of humour and deep joyfulness of spirit – and the theological gifts of Cardinal Newman, might “yet stimulate that Second Spring so needed in this island and in our disillusioned and often very unhappy world.”

Dr Michael Whelan, Lieutenant of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in England, said: “It is a great pleasure to have our Grand Master, Cardinal John Foley, here among us at the Oratory.”

Father Paul Chavasse, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory and Actor of Cardinal Newman’s Cause for Canonisation, said: “I am delighted that Cardinal Foley has added his voice to those who wish Newman to be proclaimed a teacher of the faith of enduring and universal value.”

“At this moment, I ask for the prayers of Catholics throughout the world for the successful conclusion of Newman’s process of beatification. I pray that Newman will be more and more understood as a theologian of penetrating insight, as well a heavenly intercessor for the Church today.”

(Pictures: Matthew Doyle)