Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

I am pleased to send my greetings to the people of Seville where, just yesterday, Madre María de la Purísima de la Cruz was beatified. May Blessed María be an inspiration to young women to follow her example of single-minded love of God and neighbour.

When Blessed John Henry Newman came to live in Birmingham, he gave the name “Maryvale” to his first home here. The Oratory that he founded is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. And the Catholic University of Ireland he placed under the patronage of Mary, Sedes Sapientiae. In so many ways, he lived his priestly ministry in a spirit of filial devotion to the Mother of God. Meditating upon her role in the unfolding of God’s plan for our salvation, he was moved to exclaim: “Who can estimate the holiness and perfection of her, who was chosen to be the Mother of Christ? What must have been her gifts, who was chosen to be the only near earthly relative of the Son of God, the only one whom He was bound by nature to revere and look up to; the one appointed to train and educate Him, to instruct Him day by day, as He grew in wisdom and in stature?” (Parochial and Plain Sermons, ii, 131-2). It is on account of those abundant gifts of grace that we honour her, and it is on account of that intimacy with her divine Son that we naturally seek her intercession for our own needs and the needs of the whole world. In the words of the Angelus, we turn now to our Blessed Mother and commend to her the intentions that we hold in our hearts.

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Gerontius is an oratorio – a musical composition for solo voices, chorus, orchestra, and organ – and was composed in two parts by Edward Elgar in 1900.

Elgar composed the oratorio using text from the poem by Cardinal Newman. It relates the journey of a pious man’s soul from his deathbed to his judgment before God and settling into Purgatory. It is widely regarded as Elgar’s finest choral work.

It was composed for the Birmingham Music Festival of 1900 and first performed on 3 October in Birmingham Town Hall.

On 18 September, almost a hundred and ten years later, the Ex Cathedra XL Choir and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will perform The Dream of Gerontius using period instruments in the recently restored venue where it was premiered.

Newman lived and died in Birmingham and founded the UK branch of the Oratory movement in the city.

Performers

Ex Cathedra XL Choir
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor)
Anna Stephany (mezzo soprano)
Adrian Thompson (tenor)
Roderick Williams (bass)

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The two £1.50 special stamps received Royal Approval from HM The Queen and include the Royal Cipher.

The miniature sheet is being issued to commemorate the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom, 16-19 September, and the Beatification of Cardinal Newman, 1801-1890, at Cofton Park, Birmingham, on Sunday 19 September.

Isle of Man Stamps & Coins is now working with the Vatican Post Office to produce a limited edition souvenir first day cover and joint special hand stamp postmark to commemorate the Beatification of Cardinal Newman on 19 September 2010.

The left hand stamp depicts a previously unknown original photograph of Cardinal Newman taken by H J Whitlock, Photographers, New Street, Birmingham, and was signed for a visitor by Cardinal Newman, aged 82, at the Oratory House on Passion Sunday, 11 March 1883.

The right hand stamp shows an original photograph of Dr Newman taken c. 1866 by McLean & Haes, Photographers, Haymarket, London.

The picture of Pope Benedict XVI by this correspondent on the stamp label was taken during a General Audience in St Peter’s Square, Rome on Wednesday 10 June 2009.

John Henry Newman was the greatest English religious figure of the 19th century. Today he is known world-wide as one of the foremost theologians of the Catholic Church and a prolific writer – he left more than 30,000 letters – but most of all he is revered as a much loved holy parish priest in Birmingham. Cardinal Newman died in his room at the Oratory House, Edgbaston, aged 89, on Monday 11 August 1890.

The miniature sheet, a presentation pack and a first day cover and insert were printed well ahead of the four-day visit of Pope Benedict to Scotland and England and before the announcement on 24 June that the Holy See had requested a change of venue for the Beatification of Cardinal Newman from Coventry Airport to Cofton Park in Birmingham.

The miniature sheet wrongly refers to the beatification of Cardinal Newman taking place: “at Coventry Airport, 19 September 2010.”

These special stamps depicting Cardinal Newman will be collected and treasured by stamp collectors and non collectors alike throughout the world. The inclusion of the Coventry Airport venue will add philatelic interest.

The commemorative stamps and related products were the idea of Peter Jennings, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, who wrote the text and supplied the pictures to Isle for Man Stamps and Coins and worked with designer Stacey Smith at Isle of Man Advertising & PR Ltd.

The miniature sheet was launched by Archbishop Bernard Longley at the end of a press conference about the Papal Visit to the Archdiocese of Birmingham held at Cathedral House, Birmingham, on Friday 23 July.

Archbishop Longley said: “Once again postage stamps show their remarkable ability to inform and raise people’s awareness of historic celebrations or important national and local events.

“Isle of Man Stamps and Coins are to be congratulated on these engaging and imaginative stamps included in a special miniature sheet to commemorate the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI and the Beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman.

“This is first time that that a Pope has been welcomed to the United Kingdom on a State Visit and these stamps highlight the importance of such a visit for UK and Isle of Man citizens within and beyond the Catholic Church.”

The Archbishop of Birmingham added: “The Beatification of Cardinal Newman promotes this man of God as an example of holiness and as the bearer of truth. He is a figure of international significance and these Isle of Man stamps will introduce Cardinal Newman and his witness to goodness and truth, to many people throughout the world who may not yet know him.”

The back of the special first day cover includes a specially written “Welcome to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI” by Cardinal Keith O’Brien and Archbishop Vincent Nichols.

More information on Isle of Man Stamps and Coins can be found on this website: www.gov.im/post

Image

The Isle of Man special miniature sheet and presentation pack to be issued on 11 August to commemorate the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI and the Beatification of Cardinal Newman.

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The Archbishops of both Westminster and Birmingham used the occasion of their homilies on the Feast of St Philip Neri, Wednesday 26 May, to compare the characteristics of St Philip and Cardinal Newman. The momentum towards the September beatification of the holy English cardinal could be felt in what both pastors had to say.

Preaching at the London Oratory Archbishop Vincent Nichols said: “St Philip is known as a saint of great joy. Yet this was not a superficial joy.”

In his homily at The Oratory of St Philip Neri in Edgbaston Archbishop Bernard Longley described St Philip, Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory and Cardinal Newman, as: “Wise, joyful and prayerful priests”.

St Philip Neri, 1515-1595, the man from Florence, known as the “Apostle of Rome” became a priest in 1551 and formed the Oratory. Fr Philip gathered together a group of laymen who held services consisting of spiritual readings and hymns and performed charitable works including visiting the sick and poor in Rome.

After his ordination as a Catholic priest Fr Newman joined the Oratory of St Philip Neri and on 1 February 1848 he established the English Congregation of the Oratory at Old Oscott, renamed Maryvale, situated on the outskirts of Birmingham. Dr Newman and his community moved into the new Oratory House in Edgbaston during February 1852. Cardinal Newman was to die in his room there on Monday 11 August 1890.

The Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman will be beatified by Pope Benedict XVI during Mass at Coventry Airport, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, on the morning of Sunday 19 September 2010. From then on he will be known as Blessed John Henry Newman.

Archbishop Longley said in his homily on the Patronal Feast of The Oratory: “During this Year for Priests it is encouraging to remember St Philip as a wise, joyful and prayerful priest. Many have followed his inspiring example. The Venerable John Henry Newman was so strongly influenced by what he saw in St Philip’s way of life that it became the pattern of his own life and priestly ministry for many years here in Birmingham.

“St Philip Neri, too. drew companions to share this life of common prayer, joyful priestly service and the daily search for God’s wisdom in the midst of human affairs. As we prepare for Cardinal Newman’s Beatification these are still important signposts for the Church’s life in this city and for the particular role of the Oratory.”

Earlier in his homily Archbishop Bernard Longley had stated: “There are certain characteristics of St Philip Neri, the Founder and Patron of The Oratory, that brighten this festival and that benefit us as we try to imitate his faith.

“St Philip Neri sought the wisdom of God, reminding us of Solomon’s own desire for this gift: ‘I prayed, and understanding was given me; I entreated and the spirit of wisdom came to me.’ Such wisdom is the fruit of obedience to God and those who knew St Philip recognised the presence of God’s wisdom in his life and priestly ministry.

“Wisdom is one of the reasons that people sought out St Philip, particularly as a spiritual guide and confessor. But this shows his insight into human character, and his wisdom drew people back to him for guidance in their lives. He was a wise priest.

“In his demeanour St Philip was noted for his cheerfulness – a joy that sprang from within. This gift was something more than a fortunate natural disposition – it had its roots above all in St Philip’s faith and in his closeness to Christ: ‘the Lord is very near.’

“It bore fruit in the way of life he established and is witnessed to by the readiness of his first companions to share that way of life. This happiness of St Philip has continued to inspire those who have joined him and followed his way of life as Oratorians, because it is above all a fruit of the Holy Spirit. He was a joyful priest.

“For St Philip both of these gifts, wisdom and happiness, are the fruit of a dedicated life of prayer. He knew the truth of St Paul’s words: ‘If there is anything you need, pray for it’ and St John’s Gospel emphasises this point: ‘If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it.’”

Archbishop Bernard Longley concluded: “Wise and joyful priestly ministry springs from the commitment to prayer and above all from our Lord’s commitment to us in prayer: ‘Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty.’ Let us pray tonight, in the year of Cardinal Newman’s Beatification, that St Philip’s prayer for this Oratory may bear much fruit and let us heed the wisdom of his teaching: ‘The true way to advance in holy virtues is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness'”

Archbishop Vincent Nichols in his homily at the London Oratory said: “St Philip Neri is known as a saint of great joy. Yet this was not a superficial joy. Such joy flows from our being close to Christ, ‘remaining in him’, as we heard in the Gospel. The ‘sap’ of the vine is the life of the Holy Spirit within us, moving and shaping our response to all things. As we said in the prayer of the Mass, St Philip’s heart ‘was filled and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit’ and we ask that our hearts will be, too.”

The Archbishop of Westminster continued: “St Philip’s vocation began with his work in the lay apostolate, caring for the pilgrims in Rome. This service, or ‘diaconia’, is always a key characteristic of the Church, and indeed, of the life of every priest and bishop.

“There are some other indicators from the life of St Philip: he always declined ecclesiastical honours; he insisted on a life of chastity, based on humility and lived with joy; we are told that he deliberately cultivated some eccentricities ‘in order not to fall victim of the admiration of the people’; he bore criticism and censure patiently.”

Archbishop Nichols added: “Perhaps there are indications here why Cardinal Newman found such inspiration in the life of St Philip. Newman came to a deep appreciation of the importance of the lay vocation in the life of the Church. Like St Philip, he too was attracted by a pattern of life within a community of prayer, study and pastoral care, for this was a consistent pattern in the life of the Cardinal.”

Image credit

© Peter Jennings

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Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, enthusiastically discussed September’s papal visit in response to a journalist’s question at a Mass and Lecture to mark the 2010 World Communications Day. The address was given on 4 May at Allen Hall – the Diocese of Westminster’s seminary for trainee priests.

You can also listen to the Archbishop by clicking on the related audio to the right of this transcript.

Transcript

Pope has a “clear inspired understanding of humanity”

“The last visit of a Pope was the chief pastor of the Catholic Church coming to visit the Catholic community to celebrate its sacraments and strengthen them in faith. This is quite different. The first images of this visit will be the Queen and Pope Benedict. This has never been seen before, so it is a continuation, if you like, of that healing of an ancient tension. And here is the Pope invited by the monarch to address the people. And he is a Pope with a vision that is so deeply rooted in a clear inspired understanding of humanity that he will know how to speak to a European capital city – a world capital city – in which so many different influences are found, so many different faiths ebb and flow, and so much misunderstanding exists about the possibilities around religious belief. So this visit is being planned and can be unpacked in a way quite different from the last and a way that can engage people.

An inspiring and inclusive visit

“From some points of view, you find this a bit surprising… But here’s the Pope and he’s here Thursday, Friday, Saturday and a bit of Sunday. One of those days – Friday – he will not celebrate Mass publicly. You think, ‘well popes celebrate Mass’, he will not celebrate Mass publicly on Friday because the Friday of the programme is a day in which he reaches out and wants to be inclusive. So there’s the educational aspect in the morning and then a vitally important interfaith initiative which actually will be focused on leadership in the community, not so much on interfaith dialogue, but how does faith energise these leaders in our society? And that’s what the Catholic Church wants to be seen to do, to bring leaders who are inspired by faith together to explore that dynamic between leadership maybe in the City, in industry, in the Health Service and wherever it might be. That leadership with the inspiration of faith.

Historic address

“And then he’ll speak from Westminster Hall in possibly the most important address of the whole visit. In that historic setting which captures so much of the history of this country, which poignantly is the place where Thomas More was condemned to death. He will address civic society, and I’m quite sure will start at the point at which everybody can enter. And he will encourage, he’ll invite, he will as you were try to cast a bit of light – but it will not be a proselytising act at all. And then from there he goes to Westminster Abbey, another unbelievably iconic place where you’ve got the two Queens, and he will visit that tomb and stop at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. So there will be prayer in the middle of this day in which he’s reaching out right across our society. And then on Saturday it becomes a bit more centred on the Catholic community as he celebrates Mass in Westminster Cathedral and then we hope an evening open-air Vigil of prayer before the Beatification on the Sunday.”

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The Mass of Beatification of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman, 1801-1890, will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at Coventry Airport in the Archdiocese of Birmingham during the morning of Sunday 19 September, the last day of his four-day visit to the United Kingdom.

An estimated 250,000 pilgrims and more than 4,000 members of the media from all over the world are likely to attend the two-hour ceremony that will be followed by Pope Benedict XVI reciting the Angelus, as he does in public every Sunday at noon.

Local flavour and colour, but not specific detail about the historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Midlands was given during a relaxed 45-minute press conference Cathedral House, Birmingham, on Friday 19 March.

Bishop William Kenney CP, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham, who has pastoral responsibility for Coventry, read a special message of welcome from Archbishop Bernard Longley, who is in El Salvador, at the invitation of CAFOD, to mark the 30th Anniversary of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero.

In his message the Archbishop of Birmingham said: “I am delighted that we shall be welcoming His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Archdiocese of Birmingham on Sunday 19 September 2010, during his State Visit to the United Kingdom.

“I also look forward very much to welcoming pilgrims from within and beyond the UK to Coventry Airport where Pope Benedict will personally beatify the Servant of God, the Venerable John Henry Newman (1801 – 1890).

“At that time it will be good to welcome the media from the UK and from countries throughout the world as they help so many others experience and share in this important moment in the life of the Catholic Church.

“This Papal visit is a tremendous honour for the Archdiocese of Birmingham and indeed for the Catholic Church in England and Wales as it will be the
first time during his Pontificate that Pope Benedict has personally beatified any Servant of God.

“It is remarkable that a little over 28 years earlier, at the same venue, on Pentecost Sunday, 30 May 1982, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation during the third day of his Pastoral visit to Great Britain.

“During his homily on that occasion Pope John Paul said: ‘I cannot come to the Midlands without remembering that great man of God, that pilgrim for truth, Cardinal John Henry Newman. His quest for God and for the fullness of truth – a sign of the Holy Spirit at work within him – brought him to a prayerfulness and a wisdom which still inspire us today.’

“Cardinal Newman died in his room at the Oratory House in Edgbaston on 11 August 1890, aged 89. On 22 January 1991 Pope John Paul II recognised the heroically virtuous life of Cardinal Newman, the first of three steps towards canonisation, and granted him the title ‘Venerable’.

“A miracle of healing through the intercession of Cardinal Newman was required before his beatification could take place. On 3 July 2009 Pope Benedict XVI promulgated the Decree that accepted as a miracle the medically inexplicable cure of Deacon Jack Sullivan from the Archdiocese of Boston, in the United States of America.

“Deacon Sullivan was cured of a serious spinal disorder through the intercession of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman on 15 August 2001, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady. This cure has been meticulously investigated by the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints during an exhaustive step-by-step process that began in the Archdiocese of Boston in November 2006.”

Archbishop Bernard Longley ended his message: “I am delighted to announce today that Deacon Jack Sullivan and his wife Carol have accepted my invitation to be official guests of the Archdiocese of Birmingham during their visit here for the beatification of Cardinal Newman.”

Bishop William Kenney and Bishop David McGough, Auxiliary Bishop, who has responsibility for the northern part of the diocese, Canon Tom Farrell, Parish Priest, of Christ the King, Coventry, local co-ordinator of the event, and Fr Timothy Menezes, Parish Priest of St Thomas More, Coventry, where Coventry Airport is situated, all captured the tremendous excitement and anticipation that has already built-up throughout the Archdiocese of Birmingham since the official announcement was made by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 16 March.

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Letter on Centenary of Newman’s Conversion

12 April 1945

Persons, not rare in your own country … are in search of the uncontaminated tradition of heavenly truth. They are urged on by this stimulus today more strongly than ever; they look to the See founded by the Prince of the Apostles, to the Mother-city of Rome, with eyes unclouded by prejudice; they have learned to reverence, here, the hallowed cradle of the Christian religion. Towards all these Our heart goes out in fervent love; what heavenly joys of consolations can We best ask for them, foresee for them? The same, surely, in which John Henry Newman, resting now from all those troubles, cares and anxieties, found at last, even in this earthly exile, happiness, and refreshment, and content.

Newman ‘gave up his whole life to the truth’ (Juvenal, Satires); all his efforts, all his untiring labours, were dedicated to that end. A time came when the beauty of Catholic teaching revealed itself clearly to his longing eyes; with that, no obstacle of any kind—his old prejudices, loss of prospects, the protests of his friends—could hold him back; nothing must stand between him and full adherence to the truth he had now mastered. He held to it ever afterwards with unshaken consistency, made it the guiding principle of his whole life, found in it, as in nothing else, full contentment of mind.

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Address to Newman scholars

7 April 1975

Newman, who was convinced of being faithful throughout his life, with all his heart devoted to the light of truth, today becomes an ever brighter beacon for all who are seeking an informed orientation and sure guidance amid the uncertainties of the modern world – a world which he himself prophetically foresaw.

Message to Newman Congress

17 May 1970

Newman’s thinking was deeply grounded in the faith and, at the same time, was in close harmony with the best of the demands of intelligence and modern feelings. Like St. Augustine, Newman knew what it cost in suffering to discover the full truth. He recalls to our mind that the search for the truth is an irresistible need of the human spirit and that “to be in earnest in seeking the truth is an indispensable requisite for finding it” (Oxford University Sermons, London, 1843). Confident in the intelligence of man and in the action of grace which penetrates it from within, Newman invites us to deepen our understanding of the faith with serenity, and to foster the development of conscience strengthened by the Holy Spirit, in fidelity to the Gospel, after the example of the Virgin Mary (Oxford University Sermons).

Newman’s profound attachment to the Church is on a par with a demanding respect for the incomparable dignity of the human person, for the unique and irreplaceable character of the person’s vocation and his immediate responsibilities before God. He glorifies conscience: which he does not hesitate to define as “the aboriginal Vicar of Christ, a prophet in its informations, a monarch in its peremptoriness, a priest in its blessings and anathemas” (A Letter to the Duke of Norfolk, London, 1875). But Newman immediately explains what he means by “conscience, as I have described it. … [and not] that miserable counterfeit which, as I have said above, now goes by the name. [The Christian] must vanquish that mean, ungenerous, selfish, vulgar spirit of his nature, which, at the very first rumour of a command, places itself in opposition to the Superior who gives it, asks itself whether he is not exceeding his right, and rejoices, in a moral and practical matter to commence with scepticism.” (A Letter to the Duke of Norfolk). This remark is of amazing timeliness, like so many insights which have by no means exhausted their fruitfulness for the Church.

Allocution on the Beatification of Father Dominic Barberi

27 October 1963

Newman, in full consciousness of his mission – “I have a work to do” – and guided solely by love of the truth and fidelity to Christ, traced an itinerary, the most toilsome, but also the greatest, the most meaningful, the most conclusive, that human thought ever travelled during the last century, indeed one might say during the modern era, to arrive at the fullness of wisdom and of peace.

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Letter on the Bicentenary of Newman’s birth

22 January 2001

Newman was born in troubled times which knew not only political and military upheaval but also turbulence of soul. Old certitudes were shaken, and believers were faced with the threat of rationalism on the one hand and fideism on the other. Rationalism brought with it a rejection of both authority and transcendence, while fideism turned from the challenges of history and the tasks of this world to a distorted dependence upon authority and the supernatural. In such a world, Newman came eventually to a remarkable synthesis of faith and reason which were for him “like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth” (Fides et ratio, Introduction). It was the passionate contemplation of truth which also led him to a liberating acceptance of the authority which has its roots in Christ, and to the sense of the supernatural which opens the human mind and heart to the full range of possibilities revealed in Christ. “Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom, lead Thou me on”, Newman wrote in The Pillar of the Cloud; and for him Christ was the light at the heart of every kind of darkness. For his tomb he chose the inscription: Ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem; and it was clear at the end of his life’s journey that Christ was the truth he had found.

Letter on Centenary of Newman’s death

18 June 1990

Four extracts from Pope John Paul II’s letter to Archbishop Couve de Murville:

Newman’s long life shows him to have been an ardent disciple of truth. The unfolding of his career confirms the singleheartedness of his aims as expressed in the following words which he made his own: “My desire hath been to have Truth for my chiefest friend, and no enemy but error” (Lectures on the Prophetical Office of the Church, London,1837). In periods of trial and suffering he persevered with confidence, knowing that time was on the side of truth.

His doctrine on conscience, like his teaching in general, is subtle and whole, and ought not to be oversimplified in its presentation. He sets out from the basic affirmation that conscience is not simply a sense of propriety, self-respect or good taste, formed by general culture, education and social customs. Rather it is the echo of God’s voice within the heart of man, the pulse of the divine law beating within each person as a standard of right and wrong, with an unquestionable authority. The inner light of conscience puts a person in contact with the reality of a personal God … Moreover, according to Newman, religious obedience to this inner voice puts a person on the look-out for a divine revelation, leads from light to light and ultimately to Christian faith.

By following the light of his conscience, Newman made a journey of faith which he has described with force and clarity in his writings. After spending the first half of his life in generous service to the Church of England which he deeply loved, he spent the second half in the service of the Catholic Church, showing a like sincerity and unflinching loyalty. The thoughts and convictions which gave rise to his conversion found their roots and inspiration in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, which are the common patrimony of all Christians. I have often urged that Christians need to rediscover together their common heritage of faith if we are to see the reintegration of Christ’s followers in the unity for which he prayed. This is a process that can be remarkably furthered by attention to the work of Newman.

Newman’s remarkable life, void of sham and ambition, but steeped in a prayerful communion with the Unseen, while it remained alive to the problems of his age in Church and society, continues to inspire, to uplift and to enlighten.

Message on the Centenary of Newman’s Death

27 April 1990

Two extracts from a message to Newman scholars:

With letters of spiritual direction and counsel Newman helped countless others along the path of the truth he himself had found and which filled him with so much joy. Newman’s influence in this sense has increased over the past hundred years and is no longer limited to England. All over the world people claim that this master of the spirit, by his works, by his example, by his intercession, has been an instrument of divine Providence in their lives.

In the present changing circumstances of European culture, does Newman not indicate the essential Christian contribution to building a new era based on a deeper truth and higher values? He wrote: “I want to destroy that diversity of centres, which puts everything into confusion by creating a contrariety of influences. I wish the same spots and the same individuals to be at once oracles of philosophy and shrines of devotion … “ (Sermons Preached on Various Occasions, London, 1857). In this endeavour the path the Church must follow is succinctly expressed by the English Cardinal in this way: “The Church fears no knowledge, but she purifies all: she represses no element of our nature, but cultivates the whole” (The Idea of a University, London, 1873).

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Private audience to participants in the Newman Conference in Rome

27 April 1990

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s words of greetings to Pope John Paul II:

May Cardinal Newman, whose love of truth was so deep and pure, remain a bridge between the various denominations and continue to inspire us to serve unity in a spirit of charity.

First centenary of the Death of Cardinal John Henry Newman

28 April 1990

Presentation by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger:

It was from Newman that we learned to understand the primacy of the Pope. Freedom of conscience, Newman told us, is not identical with the right “to dispense with conscience, to ignore a Lawgiver and Judge, to be independent of unseen obligations”. Thus, conscience in its true sense is the bedrock of Papal authority; its power comes from revelation that completes natural conscience, which is imperfectly enlightened, and “the championship of the Moral Law and of conscience is its raison d’être”. … This teaching on conscience has become ever more important for me in the continued development of the Church and the world.

Newman had become a convert as a man of conscience; it was his conscience that led him out of the old ties and securities into the world of Catholicism, which was difficult and strange for him. But this way of conscience is everything except a way of self-sufficient subjectivity: it is a way of obedience to objective truth.

Newman’s teaching on the development of doctrine … I regard along with his doctrine on conscience as his decisive contribution to the renewal of theology.

The characteristic of the great Doctor of the Church, it seems to me, is that he teaches not only through his thought and speech but also by his life, because within him, thought and life are interpenetrated and defined. If this is so, then Newman belongs to the great teachers of the Church, because he both touches our hearts and enlightens our thinking.

‘Conscience and Truth’, presented by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

At the tenth workshop for Bishops, Dallas, Texas, USA, February 1991

Cardinal Newman[‘s] … life and work could be described as a single great commentary on the question of conscience.

Newman was much more taken by the necessity to obey recognised truth than his own preferences – even against his own sensitivity and bonds of friendship and ties due to similar backgrounds. … He emphasised truth’s priority over consensus, over the accommodation of groups. I would say that when we are speaking of a man of conscience, we mean one who looks at things in this way. A man of conscience is one who never acquires tolerance, well-being, success, public standing, and approval on the part of prevailing opinion, at the expense of truth … In this respect, Newman is related to Britain’s other great witness of conscience, Thomas More, for whom conscience was not at all an expression of subjective stubbornness or obstinate heroism. He numbered himself, in fact, among those fainthearted martyrs who only after faltering and much questioning succeed in mustering up obedience to conscience, mustering up obedience to the truth which must stand higher than any human tribunal or any type of personal taste. … Conscience cannot be reduced to social advantage, to group consensus or to the demands of political and social power.

Address to the Bishops of England and Wales on their ‘Ad Limina’ Visit

‘Ad Limina’ Visit, 1 February 2010

In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent [from Church teaching] for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated by the Church’s Magisterium that sets us free. Cardinal Newman realised this, and he left us an outstanding example of faithfulness to revealed truth by following that “kindly light” wherever it led him, even at considerable personal cost. Great writers and communicators of his stature and integrity are needed in the Church today, and it is my hope that devotion to him will inspire many to follow in his footsteps.

Much attention has rightly been given to Newman’s scholarship and to his extensive writings, but it is important to remember that he saw himself first and foremost as a priest.

Interview with Alfred Läpple, Joseph Ratzinger’s Prefect of Studies at seminary

Published in 30 Days, January-February 2006

Interviewer: ‘You were then already a student of Newman. Was it you who transmitted to Ratzinger an interest in the English cardinal-theologian’.

Alfred Läpple: … Newman was not a topic like any other, he was our passion.

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It’s a response by Pope Benedict XVI to a number of requests from groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and are willing to declare that they share a common Catholic faith and accept the Petrine ministry as willed by Christ for his Church.

The Holy Father has approved, within the Apostolic Constitution, a canonical structure that provides for Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony.

Introduction

In recent times the Holy Spirit has moved groups of Anglicans to petition repeatedly and insistently to be received into full Catholic communion individually as well as corporately. The Apostolic See has responded favorably to such petitions. Indeed, the successor of Peter, mandated by the Lord Jesus to guarantee the unity of the episcopate and to preside over and safeguard the universal communion of all the Churches, could not fail to make available the means necessary to bring this holy desire to realization.

The Church, a people gathered into the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, as “a sacrament – a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all people.” Every division among the baptized in Jesus Christ wounds that which the Church is and that for which the Church exists; in fact, “such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching the Gospel to every creature.” Precisely for this reason, before shedding his blood for the salvation of the world, the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father for the unity of his disciples.

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