Pope Leo XIV proclaims St. John Henry Newman Patron of Urbaniana University on All Saints, same day he’s named Doctor of the Church.
Newsroom (03/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV has officially proclaimed St. John Henry Newman, the 19th-century English cardinal and theologian, as Patron Saint of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, according to a papal chirograph issued on November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints.
The decree, signed during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square marking the Jubilee of the World of Education, coincides with Newman’s elevation to Doctor of the Church. The dual honors underscore the pontiff’s emphasis on Newman’s enduring influence in Catholic intellectual and missionary formation.
The chirograph states that the request originated with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Grand Chancellor of Urbaniana University, following a formal proposal by Professor Vincenzo Buonomo, the university’s Pontifical Delegate exercising full rectorial authority.
In the document, Pope Leo XIV declares: “Saint John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church, born on 21 February 1801 in London, died on 11 August 1890 in Edgbaston, canonized on 13 October 2019 in St. Peter’s Square, be proclaimed Patron of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, so that he may intercede for this academic institution and be, for all who are formed within it for the Church’s missionary service, a luminous model of faith and of the sincere search for truth.”
During his homily at the November 1 Mass, the pope praised Newman’s “impressive cultural and spiritual stature” as a beacon for future generations. He described the saint’s legacy as particularly vital for those “whose hearts thirst for the infinite” and who, through rigorous research and knowledge, pursue the ancient maxim per aspera ad astra — “through difficulties to the stars.”
The Pontifical Urbaniana University, dedicated to training clergy and laity for missionary service worldwide, now invokes Newman as its celestial advocate in its pursuit of evangelization through education.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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