
English saint to get doctor designation from Pope
John Henry Newman will be the first British Doctor of the Church for more than 1,000 years.
BBC News
John Henry Newman was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an important and controversial figure in the religious history of England in the 19th century and was known nationally by the mid-1830s. He was canonised in 2019 by Pope Francis, and in 2025, it was announced that Pope Leo XIV approved the decision to name Newman a Doctor of the Church and would soon confer the title by a formal decree. He was a member of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri and founded the first house of that congregation in England.
John Henry Newman will be the first British Doctor of the Church for more than 1,000 years.