– Tej Francis
Email:tejfrancis@gmail.com
(Crux) Cardinal John Henry Newman, declared a saint by the Catholic Church on Sunday, is widely recognized as one of the greatest theologians of the 19th century. Yet for Pope Francis, he’s an example of everyday sainthood. In his homily, Francis didn’t quote Newman’s extensive writings on conscience or papal infallibility, nor did he focus on the late cardinal’s ecumenical work. Instead, he went with Newman’s definition of what a Christian should be like: so unassuming that they might seem like “ordinary people.”
“The Christian has a deep, silent, hidden peace, which the world sees not…” is the Newman quote the pope chose. “The Christian is cheerful, easy, kind, gentle, courteous, candid, unassuming; has no pretense… with so little that is unusual or striking in his bearing, that he may easily be taken at first sight for an ordinary man.”
Joining the thousands of pilgrims participating in the ceremony were Prince Charles, the future head of the Church of England, and the vice-president of Brazil. Newman, a theologian who converted from Anglicanism, is now appreciated by both Catholics and Anglicans, although upon his defection from the Church of England in 1845, his relationship with the Anglican communion was tense.
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