On the Solemnity of All Saints, and at the close of the Jubilee of the World of Education, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed St. John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church. In a homily centered on human dignity and the Church’s educational mission, the Pontiff presented the English cardinal as a light for times of uncertainty and darkness.
A proclamation with prophetic meaning
In a St. Peter’s Square filled with the faithful, Pope Leo XIV elevated Newman to the rank of Doctor of the Universal Church, the 38th in history. The ceremony coincided with the closing of the Jubilee of the World of Education, dedicated to reflection on the Church’s role in the integral formation of the person.
“Newman teaches us —said the Pope— that knowledge without faith becomes sterile, and that true education flourishes when it is at the service of truth and holiness.”
“Forming people who shine like stars”
In his homily, Leo XIV emphasized that Christian education is not measured by economic success, but by the capacity to help each person discover their vocation. “At the heart of the educational journey —he affirmed— there are no statistics, but real people. We are called to form people so that they shine like stars in their full dignity.”
New Co-patron of Catholic education
During the Mass, the Pope announced that St. John Henry Newman will be Co-patron of the Church’s educational mission, along with St. Thomas Aquinas. Both, he said, represent the union between reason that seeks truth and conscience illuminated by faith.
“His figure will be a beacon for new generations who thirst for the infinite and who, through the path of study, seek the face of God,” affirmed the Holy Father.
Universities as laboratories of prophecy
Leo XIV described education as “an indispensable seed of hope.” “When I think of schools and universities —he added— I imagine them as laboratories of prophecy, where hope is studied, discussed, and nurtured.”
He asked teachers to live their vocation with joy, shining “like stars in the world” through their service to truth and their dedication to young people, especially the poorest.
Against the darkness of nihilism
The Pope warned against “the most dangerous disease of our time: nihilism, which threatens to cancel hope.” He recalled Newman’s hymn Lead, Kindly Light (“Lead, Kindly Light”), composed when he was still an Anglican pastor, as a symbol of that faith that illuminates even in the darkest night.
“Christian education —he said— consists in learning to follow that Kindly Light, even when we cannot see the entire path.”
Educating for holiness
Leo XIV concluded by recalling that “to educate, from the Christian perspective, is to help each person become holy.” He quoted Benedict XVI at Newman’s beatification: “What God wants most of all for each one of you is that you be saints.”
The Pope closed his homily evoking St. Augustine, so admired by Newman: “We are co-disciples with one Master; his school is on earth, but his chair is in heaven.”
The legacy of a convert
St. John Henry Newman (1801–1890) was an English priest, theologian, and cardinal. Converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism, he left a profound mark on modern theology with his thought on conscience, faith, and education. His proclamation as a Doctor of the Church by Leo XIV recognizes his enduring influence and his example of fidelity to the truth.
“Lead, Kindly Light” resounded in the offertory of the Mass, as an echo of Newman’s spirit and the Church’s educational mission: to lead souls toward the light of Christ.
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