Pope declares St John Henry Newman Doctor of the Universal Church
7 August 2025
St John Henry Newman is considered one of the great modern thinkers of Christianity
The founder and first Rector of the Catholic University of Ireland, the antecedent institution of University College Dublin, St John Henry Newman is to be declared a Doctor of the Universal Church by papal proclamation.
This title is given by the Catholic Church to saints recognised as having made a significant contribution to theology or doctrine through their research, study, or writing.
Cardinal Newman is viewed as one of the great modern thinkers of Christianity. He is perhaps best known for his lectures on university education, later published as The Idea of a University.
Pope Leo XIV confirmed in July that the rare honorific would soon be conferred on St John Henry, who was canonised in 2019.
As the 38th person in the 2,000-year-old history of the Church to receive the title, he will join other influential philosophers and theologians such as St Gregory the Great, St Jerome, St Augustine of Hippo, St Thomas Aquinas, St Catherine of Siena, and St Thérèse of Lisieux.
Cardinal Newman founded the Catholic University in 1854. It became secular in 1908 and was renamed University College Dublin.
In the same year, Dr Denis J. Coffey was the first layperson to be appointed President of this new university. He served in the position until 1940 when he was succeeded by Dr Arthur W. Conway.
In 1947, the next UCD President Dr Michael Tierney envisioned the relocation of the University to its current home at Belfield.
UCD has grown substantially in scale and societal impact since it was first founded.
Today, it is Ireland’s largest and most influential university with a student population of over 38,000 and more than 334,000 alumni across 184 countries.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
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