On Cardinal John Henry Newman's canonisation
St Bride’s is a church that holds together many strands of church tradition and style. In today’s blog, Reader Chris Bartley reflects on the legacy of John Henry Newman:
Emmeline Deane’s portaint of Newman
The Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) will be recognized as a saint today, Sunday 13th October.
Newman was born in London and brought up in the evangelical wing of the Church of England. He retained a deep and sincere devotion to Jesus through his long life, even though he soon saw that the evangelical emphasis on personal feeling and conviction led to faithlessness once emotion cooled.
In 1817 Newman went up to Trinity College, Oxford, whence he was elected a Fellow of Oriel College in 1822. He combined academic positions with the incumbency of the church of St Mary the Virgin.
He became one of the best known and most controversial writers in England.
Newman had become convinced that only authentic and ancient church traditions stretching back to the apostles were vehicles of salvation; adherence to an invalid tradition endangered one’s soul. His early hopes that the Church of England might once again be a vehicle of the faith of the Fathers were not realized. The Church of England, subject as it was to a free-thinking and fickle parliament, was not, he thought, an authentic branch of the vessel instituted by Our Lord with St Peter at its head. In 1843 he resigned his living, and in 1845 he joined the Roman communion.
Sad to say, he found the Church of Rome disappointing. As far as I can tell, he knew little about that Church prior to his reception. As a priest, later a cardinal, he continued to write prolifically while finding the time and energy to found schools, a Catholic University in Dublin, as well the Birmingham Oratory (where he lived and died). He was also involved in international politics, as an active opponent of the extension of the papal powers.
By now you may be wondering why it is that he will be declared a saint. A saint is said to be someone who in a unique way proclaims Christ through their lives (and miracles). A saint is someone who has an exceptionally clear and constant awareness of the reality of God. A saint radiates their vision of God and shares it with other people.
Such a one was John Henry Newman whose prayers (‘O Lord, support us all day long, until the evening comes and the shadows lengthen and the busy world is hushed… ‘) hymns (‘Lead Kindly Light’; Praise to the Holiest in the height’; ‘Firmly I believe and truly, God is three and God is one’) as well as his meditations and sermons have brought inspiration and comfort to countless Christians throughout the world. Cardinal Newman’s faith, his response to the voice speaking so clearly in his conscience and his heart, shines through all these works.