In a pastoral letter read out in the churches of the Diocese of Shrewsbury over the weekend of 1-2 November, the Feast of All Saints, the Rt Rev. Mark Davies told the faithful that St John Henry Newman made his journey into the Catholic faith by allowing himself to be guided by love of the truth.
The letter was released to coincide with the formal declaration by Pope Leo XVI on Saturday 1 November that made St John Henry Newman the 38th Doctor of the Church. This title is reserved for a small number of saints whose teachings are considered to be of universal importance. St John Henry Newman becomes only the second English Church doctor after St Bede.
Bishop Mark Davies, the Bishop of Shrewsbury, said that St John Henry Newman’s recognition as a Doctor of the Church should remind us that, in a generation besieged by a “cacophony of discordant voices”, truth can be found.
Bishop Davies contrasted the convictions of Newman, who was canonised by Pope Francis on 13 October 2019, with contemporary ideas about truth being something individuals can subjectively create for themselves.
Bishop Davies said: “In times when people often despair of finding objective truth, preferring to speak of ‘your truth’ and ‘my truth’ because they no longer believe truth can be found, Cardinal Newman has been raised up as a guide.”
The Bishop continued: “Today we pray Saint John Henry Newman’s fearless love of the truth will help many besieged in a digital age by a cacophony of discordant voices to arrive at this same wisdom and peace.”
He also highlighted the recognition by St John Henry of the Blessed Sacrament as the “treasure unutterable” and he encouraged Catholics to see their “own lives in the light of the Eucharist”.
Bishop Davies said: “Let us pray that this newest Doctor of the Church will help many of our contemporaries on the same path to the truth, to the fulfilment of our vocation and to reach the goal of everlasting happiness with all the Saints.”
