St John Henry Newman is now 38th Doctor of the Church

Celebrating Mass in St Peter’s Square on November 1, the feast of All Saints, Pope Leo also concluded the Jubilee of the World of Education. Earlier in the week, Pope Leo had officially recognised St Newman as co-patron of education along with St Thomas Aquinas.

St Newman was born in London in 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest in 1825, became Catholic in 1845 and was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII. He died in 1890. He was canonised in 2019.

Leading members of the Church of England and the British government attended the Mass. 

While St Newman’s theology, philosophy and thoughts about university education were cited in the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ presentation at the Mass, Pope Leo chose to quote in his homily from the British saint’s poem, Lead, Kindly Light, now a popular hymn.

“In that beautiful prayer” of St Newman’s, the Pope said, “we come to realise that we are far from home, our feet are unsteady, we cannot interpret clearly the way ahead. Yet none of this impedes us, since we have found our guide” in Jesus.

“Lead, Kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on,” the Pope quoted in English while reading his homily in Italian.

Speaking to the teachers, professors and other educators gathered for the Mass, Pope Leo said: “The task of education is precisely to offer this Kindly Light to those who might otherwise remain imprisoned by the particularly insidious shadows of pessimism and fear.”

The Pope asked the educators to “reflect upon and point out to others those ‘constellations’ that transmit light and guidance at this present time, which is darkened by so much injustice and uncertainty”.

Another quote from St Newman – “God has created me to do him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another” – expresses “the mystery of the dignity of every human person, and also the variety of gifts distributed by God”, Pope Leo said.

Catholic educators, he said, have an obligation not only to transmit information but also to help their students discover how much God loves them and how he has a plan for their lives.

“Life shines brightly not because we are rich, beautiful or powerful,” the Pope said. “Instead, it shines when we discover within ourselves the truth that we are called by God, have a vocation, have a mission, that our lives serve something greater than ourselves.”

FULL STORY

At education Jubilee, pope names St. John Henry Newman ‘doctor of the church’ – OSV News (By Cindy Wooden/CNS)

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