Saint John Henry Newman is to be declared a Doctor of the Church, the Pope has announced, in an acknowledgement of the significance of Newman’s teaching.
The announcement, on Thursday, was welcomed by the Archbishop of York, who wrote on social media that Newman was a “profound teacher both to Anglicans & Catholics, spiritual guide, and model of holiness”.
Roman Catholic churchmen in England also welcomed the announcement. The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said: “This recognition that the writings of St John Henry Newman are a true expression of the faith of the Church is of huge encouragement to all who appreciate not only his great learning but also his heroic sanctity in following the call of God in his journey of faith, which he described as ‘heart speaking unto heart’.”
The RC Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Revd Bernard Longley, said: “It is remarkable that his writings, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, but considered as one entire corpus of written work, have led to him being declared a Doctor of the Church.”
Newman was canonised in 2019 (News, 25 October 2019).
“It is remarkable that his writings, first as an Anglican and then as a Roman Catholic, but considered as one entire corpus of written work, have led to him being declared a Doctor of the Church.”https://t.co/hDFvmmuonV
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) August 4, 2025