Popes Benedict XVI, Francis and Leo XIV have all played a key role in the elevation of the great English convert Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890): in turn recognising him a beatus in 2010, a saint in 2019 and this month in declaring him a Doctor of the Church. Each pope refers to Newman’s luminous contributions of life, thought and spirituality.
Pope Leo XIV declared St John Henry Newman a co-patron to the Christian mission of education alongside that long-standing “universal” teacher, known as the Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor) St Thomas Aquinas.
In his homily for this year’s All Saints’ Day, Pope Leo declared:
“Newman’s impressive spiritual and cultural stature will surely serve as an inspiration to new generations whose hearts thirst for the infinite, and who, through research and knowledge, are willing to undertake that journey which, as the ancients said, takes us per aspera ad astra, through difficulties to the stars.”
In that proclamation, Pope Leo refers to the prayer originally titled by Newman using a familiar biblical image, “The Pillar of the Cloud”. The prayer is now better known today by its elegant opening lines, “Lead, Kindly Light”. Penned by a dangerously ill and anxious younger Anglican John Henry Newman in 1833, the verses became the lyrics to one of the most popular and enduring Christian hymns.
At the time of its writing, Newman explains that he was not just having a slight worry. He was deeply perplexed about his vocation, by the state of the Anglican Church and troubled by the ravages of European rationalism and revolution, and physically he was wracked by fever and becalmed off the coast of southern Italy. One might say the shadows and clouds were a confluence of theological, personal, ecclesial and cultural storms all swamping him at once.
The hymn takes the form of a voice simply calling out of existential darkness and clinging in trust to the “Kindly Light” of Divine Providence. It has been set to at least three melodies – the most well known is the tune Sandon.
The hymn has appealed to people across the Christian traditions, but it also stars at times when un-churched people reach out for transcendence despite our otherwise secularised culture.
It was sung by those going down on the Titanic and by desperate soldiers in the foxholes and bunkers of the two World Wars.
During the recent address, Pope Leo points to our current epidemic of hopelessness, which he traces to the widespread erosion of truth and meaning. He continues referring to the same hymn:
“In that beautiful prayer of St. Newman’s … we come to realise that we are far from home, our feet are unsteady, we cannot interpret clearly the way ahead. Yet none of this impedes us, since we have found our guide in Jesus.”
There were many Newmanesque landmarks during Pope Benedict XVI’s historic papal visit to Scotland and England between September 16 to 19, 2010.
Pope Benedict wove themes from Cardinal John Henry Newman’s writing into his homilies and speeches during this trip. Newman had long served as a theological inspiration for Pope Benedict’s “relational personalism” evident since his time as the budding theologian, Fr Joseph Ratzinger.
On October 18, 2010, on the day before the Beatification ceremony took place in Birmingham, Pope Benedict XVI joined a crowd of about 80,000 people for Vespers and Eucharistic Adoration in Hyde Park London. During a remarkable scene, as the autumn night fell, the large crowd knelt during the singing of Lead, Kindly Light.
Pope Benedict XVI, speaking of the inspiration of Newman for all the Christians at those Vespers, began a moving illustration of the costly, rich but “prophetic role” of all Christian laity in our times:
“Here is the first lesson we can learn from his life: in our day when an intellectual and moral relativism threatens to sap the very foundations of society, Newman reminds us that, as men and women made in the image and likeness of God, we were created to know the truth, to find in that truth our ultimate freedom and the fulfilment of our deepest human aspirations. In a word, we are meant to know Christ, who is himself ‘the way, and the truth and the life’.”
Pope Benedict’s succinct summary of Cardinal Newman’s teaching is a blueprint for the mission of the Thomas More Centre, which is to form people and communities of friends in the interaction with faith and reason, with civil discussion with others, and in the exploration of wisdom and culture so important for the common good of our families, neighbourhoods and country.
As Pope Benedict reminded us in his Hyde Park address of the need to create a new Christian literacy, a lived grammar of faith, hope and charity:
“Truth is passed on not merely by formal teaching, important as that is, but also by the witness of lives lived in integrity, fidelity and holiness; those who live in and by the truth instinctively recognise what is false and, precisely as false, inimical to the beauty and goodness which accompany the splendour of truth, veritatis splendour.”
Please support our upcoming projects below:
1. The Thomas More Centre Debate Club has a full house
In the true spirit of Cardinal Newman’s energy as a public intellectual, the Thomas More Centre in Brisbane under the energetic and ingenious leadership of Mark Makowiecki and his companions has built up the profile of the project, which has become a real crowd-pleaser as well as created congenial company and a lively battle of wits. This is the Thomas More Centre Debate Club.
Photos of the evening, a double header debate with four teams, can be found on the TMC Facebook page.
There are plans to work on a similar idea with TMC Melbourne with news to follow.
In addition to the Facebook link, for information about the Brisbane Debate Club or the Melbourne project please contact admin@tmc.org.au.
2. Out of the Shadows into Truth: December 6
The Thomas More Centre is excited to support our team in the Wagga Diocese with the spirited drive and intellectual initiative of the Conventual Sisters of St Dominic, who have organised a Day Conference that aims to provide insightful, friendly and hope-filled talks inspired by St John Henry Newman.
The theme is “Out of the Shadows into Truth”, an enduring theme in the great Cardinal’s long life and a recognition of his role as educator and encourager of people seeking truth out of the confusion, crisis and “shadows” of our own, often dismaying times. The conference will include two streams, one for youth and another for general adults.
Inspired by Newman’s example, the aim of the day is to highlight important aspects of Christian social teaching in ways that are balanced, wise and practical and to encourage a day of renewed hope and vocation along with the enjoyment of good company.
Topics will include: understanding contemporary culture; the influence of ideology within institutions; challenges in education and Australian law; the nature of true friendship; and human dignity along with a focus upon those who are persecuted for their Christian faith but shed light for us all. Speakers include Monica Doumit, Patrick J. Byrne, Bernard Toutounji, the Sisters and myself.
Download the program/poster here, and book via TryBooking here.
Anna Krohn
Executive Director
Thomas More Centre
