The Pope declared Cardinal Newman ”blessed” before thousands of worshippers
Thousands of people have witnessed the Pope’s beatification of 19th Century theologian Cardinal John Henry Newman, as his UK state visit was in its final stage.
The pontiff told more than 50,000 people at a Mass in Birmingham’s Cofton Park that they were celebrating the cardinal’s “outstanding holiness”.
The Pope later addressed bishops from England, Scotland and Wales in Oscott.
He urged Catholics to “make reparations” for the “shameful” sexual abuse of children by priests. Pope Benedict XVI was speaking at St Mary’s College, where he also met men training for the priesthood. Earlier in the day crowds cheered in Birmingham after the beatification, was carried out. The Pope paid tribute to Cardinal Newman’s insights into the vital place of “religion in civilised society”.
In his homily, he also marked the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain by paying tribute to the those who sacrificed their lives resisting the “evil ideology” of the Nazi regime.
The German-born Pope, who was forced to join the Hitler Youth as a 14-year-old schoolboy, told listeners: “For me as one who lived and suffered through the dark days of the Nazi regime in Germany, it is deeply moving to be here with you on this occasion, and to recall how many of your fellow citizens sacrificed their lives, courageously resisting the forces of that evil ideology.”
The fact that the beatification was carried out by the Pope himself, rather than by a lower figure in the Catholic hierarchy, underlines the significance of this step. Cardinal Newman was renowned for his intellectual gifts, but they were rooted in his pastoral experience – first as an Anglican clergyman and later a Catholic priest who was given the mission by the Pope to found Oratories in England. His conversion was welcomed enthusiastically by Catholics and, initially at least, seen by Protestants as an act of betrayal. But a defining legacy of Cardinal Newman is the value he attached to conscience, honesty and truth.
And, paying tribute to Cardinal Newman, the pontiff said the beatification was an “auspicious” day.
“His insights into the relationship between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilised society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wide-ranging approach to education were not only of profound importance to Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world,” he said.The Pope said it was fitting that thousands had gathered to celebrate the “outstanding holiness or this much loved father of souls”. Following the beatification Cardinal Newman will henceforth be known by Catholics as the Blessed John Henry Newman.
Speaking on Saturday during a Mass at Westminster Cathedral, Pope Benedict expressed his “deep sorrow” for the “unspeakable crimes” of child abuse within the Catholic Church.
The pontiff also held a private 30-minute meeting at the Vatican ambassador’s home in Wimbledon with five abuse survivors, three of whom were from Yorkshire, one from London and another from Scotland.
Meanwhile, six men who were being held in connection with an alleged threat to the Pope’s visit were released without charge.