St. John Henry Newman to Become Doctor of the Church

On July 31st, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will declare St. John Henry Newman the latest Doctor of the Church. This comes just six years after his canonization as a saint of the church.

St. John Henry Newman, an Anglican priest who would become a convert to Catholicism and a Cardinal, founded the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in England.

In 1879, Newman became cardinal and chose Cor ad cor loquitur—“Heart speaks to heart” as his motto.

During Newman’s canonization, Pope Francis noted beyond any dialectical argument, the Lord saves us by speaking from His heart to ours: “This realization led him, the distinguished intellectual, to recognize that his deepest encounter with himself and with the Lord came not from his reading or reflection, but from his prayerful dialogue, heart to heart, with Christ, alive and present. It was in the Eucharist that Newman encountered the living heart of Jesus, capable of setting us free, giving meaning to each moment of our lives, and bestowing true peace.”

Newman lived out his motto as he sought each day to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Christ.

It is fitting that Pope Leo XIV would carry on his duty of making him a doctor of the church, as his predecessor Pope Leo XIII made Newman a cardinal in 1879.

Newman would enter his eternal reward on August 11th, 1890.

Books on St. John Henry Newman

John Henry Newman: A Life Sacrificed

Passion for Truth: The Life of John Henry Newman

Loss and Gain