The bishops concelebrate Mss in the chapel in which Cardinal Newman was ordained

It was a special moment for the bishops of England and Wales who are finishing their week together in Rome for their 5-yearly meeting with the Pope. This visit, known as their ‘ad limina’, enabled them to discuss with Pope Benedict the current situation of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and its most urgent challenges. It was also an opportunity for the Pope to officially announce his intention to visit England and Wales later on in 2010.

In view of the forthcoming beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) possibly during the Pope’s visit, the bishops particularly wished to visit two places connected to the life of the cardinal. This took them to the Chapel of the Three Kings and the Cardinal Newman chapel inside Missio headquarters, where Cardinal Newman celebrated his first Mass. On 3 February, the bishops, led by the President of the Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and accompanied by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, were hosted by Cardinal Ivan Dias, head of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and the staff of Missio.

Cardinal Dias, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor and Archbishop Nichols concelebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Three Kings, where Newman was ordained a Catholic priest. The Archbishop of Westminster spoke about ‘the constant call to conversion’ that resides in the heart of everyone and seen clearly in the life of Cardinal John Henry Newman, who will hopefully soon be beatified (declared ‘blessed’). He also spoke of the great longing that Newman experienced for a ‘universal and infallible authority,’ which was what ‘eventually led him here.’ In fact, Newman was not only ordained a priest and said his first Mass in the chapel in what is now the headquarters of the Missio, but he also lived and studied inside the building. Archbishop Nichols called Newman ‘a remarkable convert’ and said that it was ‘moving for us to be in this place, where we come so close to him.’

Celebrating the Word of God whom Newman also proclaimed

As Archbishop Nichols mentioned at the close of the Mass, this visit to the chapel of Cardinal Newman’s ordination as a Catholic priest, had been a ‘precious part’ of their visit to Rome and would remain forever in their memory.

After the Mass, Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster commented that the forthcoming beatification of John Henry Newman, ‘a great Englishman,’ was an important event in the Catholic Church, but also for the ecumenical movement in England and Wales, as he is ‘revered by Catholics, Anglicans, and all as a scholar, a gentleman, and soon a saint.’ 

In Missio’s London office, Monsignor John Dale, the National Director, commented, ‘It is a great privilege for Missio in this country to be associated with such an important person as Cardinal Newman. Just as Newman bridged a gap between Catholics and Anglicans at a time when relationships were not always easy, so Missio works to bridge differences in language, culture and religion as it works across 120 countries to support the Church in the developing world. That Newman spent such a significant period of his life in the building that would become the headquarters of Missio’s global outreach to the poor and suffering makes his forthcoming beatification a very special celebration for Missio in England and Wales.’

Photos courtesy of Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk