VATICAN - Benedict XVI beatifies Cardinal Newman: “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.'”

Birmingham (Agenzia Fides) - “It is right and fitting that we should recognize today the holiness of a confessor, a son of this nation who, while not called to shed his blood for the Lord, nevertheless bore eloquent witness to him in the course of a long life devoted to the priestly ministry, and especially to preaching, teaching, and writing.” These were the words pronounced by the Holy Father Benedict XVI during the Beatification Mass held for the Venerable John Henry Newman (1801-1890), Cardinal and Founder of the Birmingham Oratory, which was held on Sunday, September 19, in Cofton Park, Birmingham.
Reflecting on the motto of Cardinal Newman, “Cor ad cor loquitur,” which was also the motto for his apostolic journey, Benedict XVI explained that it “gives us an insight into his understanding of the Christian life as a call to holiness, experienced as the profound desire of the human heart to enter into intimate communion with the Heart of God. He reminds us that faithfulness to prayer gradually transforms us into the divine likeness...Newman helps us to understand what this means for our daily lives: he 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 Pontiff continued: “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 civilized 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.” The Holy Father then paid tribute to his vision of education: “Firmly opposed to any reductive or utilitarian approach, he sought to achieve an educational environment in which intellectual training, moral discipline and religious commitment would come together.” In particular, the Pope spoke of the relevance of the famous appeal of Blessed John Henry “for an intelligent, well-instructed laity,” and concluded: “I pray that, through his intercession and example, all who are engaged in the task of teaching and catechesis will be inspired to greater effort by the vision he so clearly sets before us.”
Benedict XVI then concluded his homily by recalling Newman's life as a priest and a pastor of souls, “in his devoted care for the people of Birmingham during the years that he spent at the Oratory he founded, visiting the sick and the poor, comforting the bereaved, caring for those in prison. No wonder that on his death so many thousands of people lined the local streets as his body was taken to its place of burial not half a mile from here. One hundred and twenty years later, great crowds have assembled once again to rejoice in the Church’s solemn recognition of the outstanding holiness of this much-loved father of souls.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 20/09/2010)