St. John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church
John Henry Newman was born in London in 1801. As a young man he became an Anglican priest and a prominent figure in the Oxford Movement. Through his study of history and theology, Newman became convinced that the Catholic Church preserved the fullness of the Christian faith. 1845 he converted to Catholicism, and explained that ‘to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant’. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1847 and in 1879 was made a Cardinal. He died in 1890.
Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and then canonised (declared a Saint) by Pope Francis on 13 October 2019. On 1st November 2025, Pope Leo XIV declared Newman the 38th Doctor of the Church and named him, together with Saint Thomas Aquinas, as co-Patron of the Church’s educational mission.
The title Doctor of the Church is given to Saints whose writings or theological insights have provided significant benefit to the whole Church—in other words, whose thought and teaching remain important for many generations, not just for their own time. The required criteria are eminens doctrina, insignis vitae sanctitas, Ecclesiae declaratio (i.e. eminent learning, a high degree of sanctity, and proclamation by the Church). They are given the title ‘Doctor’ from the Latin docere (to teach).
St. John Henry Newman is especially remarkable for the breadth of his teaching across many aspects of the faith, his influence upon various branches of doctrine and theology, and his engagement with problems of faith which remain burning issues in our own time.
Below are some resources if you would like to learn more about St. John Henry Newman:
St. John Henry Newman: Meeting the Challenges of Modernity (video)