Saint John Henry Newman is set to become just the 38th saint in the Church’s 2,000-year history to be named a doctor of the Church.
Pope Leo XIV approved the decision on Thursday, July 31. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, said Pope Leo XIV has “confirmed the affirmative opinion of the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, which will soon be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman.”
Being named a doctor of the Church is one of the highest honors the Church can bestow upon a saint. The title, derived from the Latin doctor, meaning “teacher,” is reserved for canonized saints whose theological writings and teachings have made a lasting and universal impact on the Faith and understanding of the Church. To receive this designation, a saint must meet three essential criteria: eminent holiness, eminence in doctrine, and formal proclamation by the pope or an ecumenical council.
Saint John Henry Newman was born in London and baptized in the Church of England in 1801. He was a popular Anglican priest, theologian and writer even before his conversion to Catholicism.
In 1845, he joined the Catholic Church and was ordained to the priesthood just two years later. In 1879, Pope Leo XIII named him a cardinal. He died in 1890. On his tomb, he asked that only his name and a brief phrase be inscribed, one that encapsulates the extraordinary arc of his 89 years of life: Ex umbris et imaginibus in Veritatem, “From shadows and images into the Truth.”
Saint John Henry Newman is credited with writing 40 books and more than 20,000 letters during his lifetime. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2019.
Today, Newman Centers, typically at public universities, are named in his honor and a testament to his legacy of promoting Catholic formation within academic settings.