On 31 July, the news was announced in a statement from the Vatican press office that Pope Leo XIV has “confirmed the affirmative opinion of the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, which will soon be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman.”
The title Doctor of the Church is given by the Catholic Church to saints recognized as having made a significant contribution to theology or doctrine through their research, study, or writing.
As of 2025, the Catholic Church has named 38 Doctors of the Church. Of these, the 18 who died before theGreat Schism of 1054 are also held in high esteem by the Eastern Orthodox Church, although it does not use the formal titleDoctor of the Church. The churches of the Anglican Communion tend not to use the term Doctor of the Church in their calendars of saints, preferring expressions such as "Teacher of the Faith". Those thus recognized include figures from before and after the Reformation, most of whom are chosen among those already recognized as in the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.
In being made a Doctor of the Church, Newman joins only 37 other saints such as Gregory the Great, Anselm of Canterbury, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, and Thérèse of Lisieux.
Here is a brief statement from the Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, where Newman was a Fellow from from 1822 until 1845, on the Vatican’s announcement:
I’m delighted by the announcement from the Vatican today. Pope Leo has confirmed that Saint John Henry Newman will soon be declared a Doctor of the Church. The title belongs to as few as 37 other saints, including Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome.
Since the day of his canonisation in 2019 I have been reminded many times of the profound impact Newman made as a Fellow of Oriel College from 1822 until 1845, on the study of theology, on the university and on daily academic life here and across Oxford.
His emphasis on the tutorial system of teaching and on the personal, moral and social development of students was adopted by every other college. It is in part to his credit and his The Idea of a University that Oxford is an exceptional place to study.
