John Henry Newman: The Harmony of Difference

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales

When Pope Francis canonizes tomorrow Cardinal John Henry Newman, the first Briton for more than forty years to be proclaimed a saint, it will be a reason for celebration not only in the United Kingdom and not only for Catholics, but also for all those who appreciate the values ​​that inspired it.

At the time of his life, Newman represented the life of the spirit against the forces that rejected human dignity and human destiny. At the moment when he attains holiness, his example is more than ever necessary: ​​for the way in which he was able to defend without accusation in the best possible way, to dissociate himself without disrespect and perhaps especially in the way he was able to see differences as meeting places and not as exclusions.

At a time when faith was never questioned again, Newman, one of the greatest theologians of the nineteenth century, applied his intelligence to one of the most pressing questions of our time: what should be the relationship between faith and religion? a secular secular era? His commitment, first with Anglican theology and then, after conversion, with Catholic theology, even impressed his adversaries for his boldness, his honesty, his implacable rigor and originality of thought.

Whatever our beliefs and traditions, we can only thank Newman for the gifts, rooted in his Catholic faith, which he shared with society in general: his intense and moving autobiography and his deeply felt poetry in the dream of Geronci. , which, musicalized by Sir Edward Elgar – another English Catholic of which all Britons can be proud – has given the world of music one of its most enduring choir masterpieces.

At the height of Geroncio's dream, the soul, approaching from heaven, perceives a part of the divine vision:

A great mysterious harmony:

It overwhelms me, like the serious and solemn sound

Many waters.

The harmony requires the difference. This thought is at the very center of Christian theology in the concept of the Trinity. Geroncio says in the same poem:

I believe firmly and sincerely,

That God is Trine and God is One;

The difference, as such, should not be feared. Newman has not only demonstrated it in his theology and illustrated it in his poetry, but he has also demonstrated it in his life. Under his leadership, Catholics became an integral part of society in general, which in this way enriched itself as a community of communities.

Newman did not focus solely on the Church, but also on the world. Although totally dedicated to the Church, which had undergone so many intellectual and spiritual tests, it opened an open debate between Catholics and other Christians, paving the way for subsequent ecumenical dialogues. When in 1879 he was elevated to cardinal dignity, he chose as a motto Cor ad cor loquitor (the heart speaks to the heart) and their conversations beyond confessional, cultural, social and economic differences were rooted in this intimate friendship with God.

His faith was truly Catholic because it encompassed all aspects of life. It is with this same spirit that we, Catholics and non-Catholics, can, in the tradition of the Christian Church over the centuries, adopt the unique perspective, the particular wisdom and understanding that this unique soul has brought to our experience universal. . His writings and his life can inspire us, even recognizing that, like all human life, he was inevitably flawed. Newman himself was aware of his weaknesses, such as pride and defensiveness, which did not fit his ideals, but ultimately made him more grateful for God's mercy.

His influence was immense. As a theologian, his work in the development of doctrine has shown that our understanding of God can grow over time and have had a profound impact on later thinkers. Some Christians felt challenged and strengthened in their personal attachment to the importance attached to the voice of conscience. People of all traditions who seek to define and defend Christianity have been grateful for the way in which they have reconciled faith and reason. Those who seek the divine in what might seem an increasingly hostile intellectual environment find in him a powerful ally who has sustained the individual conscience against overwhelming relativism.

And, perhaps more importantly, at a time when we have witnessed too many serious attacks of intolerant forces against communities and individuals, including many Catholics, because of their convictions , it is a character who has defended his beliefs the disadvantages of belonging to a religion whose followers are denied full participation in public life. Throughout the process of Catholic emancipation and the restoration of the Catholic ecclesiastical hierarchy, it was the guide that his people, his church and his time needed.

Your correspondence demonstrates your ability to express your personal warmth and generous friendship. His letters contain over 30 volumes, many of which, significantly, are not intended for intellectual colleagues and prominent leaders, but for relatives, friends and parishioners who have sought his wisdom.

His example has left a lasting legacy. As an educator, his work has had great influence in Oxford, Dublin, and beyond, while his treatise The Idea of ​​the University remains a fundamental text today. Their often forgotten efforts to educate children reflect their commitment to ensuring that people from all walks of life can participate in the opportunities offered by education. As an Anglican, he reoriented this church to his Catholic roots and, as a Catholic, was willing to learn from the Anglican tradition, for example by promoting the role of the laity. She restored faith in the Catholic Church when she was restored to a country where she had been uprooted. Today, the Catholic community in Britain has incalculable debt to its tireless work, just as British society has reason to be grateful to this community for its extremely valuable contribution to the life of our country.

This confidence was expressed by his love for the landscape and the English culture of his country of origin, to which he made such an illustrious contribution. In the Oratory that he instituted in Birmingham, which now houses a museum dedicated to his memory, as well as an active cult community, one sees being realized, in England, a vision that he drew from Rome, which he describes as "the most wonderful place of the earth". By bringing the congregation of the Oratory of Italy to England, Newman sought to share his charisma of education and service.

He loved Oxford, honoring him not only with passionate and scholarly sermons, but also with the beautiful Anglican Church of Littlemore, built after a training trip to Rome where, looking for a guide for his spiritual path and meditating on his relationship with Anglican Church With Catholicism, he wrote his beloved hymn Lead Kindly Light. When he finally decided to leave the Anglican Church, his last sermon, in which he said goodbye to Littlemore, left the congregation crying. It was titled The separation of friends, "Goodbye friends."

Although we remember the life of this great British, great ecclesiastic and, as we can say now, great saint, who overcomes the divisions between traditions, it is certainly right to give thanks for the friendship which, despite the separation, resisted but He also strengthened.

In the image of the divine harmony so eloquently expressed by Newman, we can see how, after all, when we follow with sincerity and courage the different paths taken by our conscience, all our divisions can lead to greater understanding and all our aspirations. the roads can find a common house.