Saint John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was a prominent English theologian, priest, and cardinal who made significant contributions to the Anglican and Catholic Churches. Initially an Anglican clergyman and scholar, Newman became a leader of the Oxford Movement, a 19th-century movement within the Church of England that aimed to restore Catholic traditions and practices to Anglicanism. Newman’s deep theological reflections led him to convert to Catholicism in 1845, a decision that was met with controversy and resistance within Anglican circles. He subsequently became a Catholic priest and continued his scholarly pursuits, including writing extensively on the relationship between faith and reason.
Pope Leo XIII made John Henry Newman a cardinal in 1879 in recognition of his theological contributions. In 2019, Pope Francis canonized him as a saint, making Saint John Henry Newman one of the most significant figures in modern Catholic intellectual and theological history.
