This weekend, in Rome, Pope Francis will make John Henry Newman a saint. Newman is widely considered to be one of the most significant figures of the 19th century. This canonisation is the conclusion of his cause to sainthood. His cause was opened in 1958, he was declared Venerable by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1991 and Pope Benedict XVI declared him Blessed, in Cofton Park near Birmingham, as the culmination of his visit to the UK in September 2010. At that Mass Pope Benedict said that Newman: tells us that our divine Master has assigned a specific task to each one of us, a ‘definite service’, committed uniquely to every single person… The definite service to which Blessed John Henry was called, involved applying his keen intellect and his prolific pen to many of the most pressing ‘subjects of the day’. His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilised society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance for Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world. We pray that St John Henry’s prayers will help each of us discern our definite service that we may continue in our desire to serve the Lord each day. (St John Henry’s feast day is 9th October)
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