Articles
St. John Henry Newman and the Conclave 2025
May 6, 2025
When St. John Henry Newman began the Oxford Movement, he called for what he termed a “reform of the reform,” a phrase he uses in Tract 1. He and his colleagues sought a return to the Church of England’s Catholic roots, emphasizing apostolic succession, doctrinal orthodoxy, and liturgical reverence.
Reforms are always needed. Newman was conscious that reform, properly understood, is part of the organic development of doctrine and Church life. In this sense, a pope can continue, improve, or correct what an earlier pope said or did. Reforms take time, discernment, and occasionally correction.
Pope Leo XIII created Newman a cardinal in 1879, recognizing his profound contributions to theology and the Church. Although he was not consecrated a bishop, this was permitted by special dispensation. Newman died long before the next papal election. However, what would he have sought in a future pope? Rather than answer this question directly, we can briefly assert Newman’s concern for Apostolic succession in the Church, whereby the bishops are the successors of the Apostles. They act with the spiritual authority granted to them in episcopal ordination to safeguard the faith and teach it.
By the express wish of its founder, the Catholic Church has a hierarchical constitution. The Church is not merely an assembly, a synod, or a federation. For centuries, theologians have sought to understand better the Church’s divine constitution as founded by Christ. At the present moment, some theologians and even shepherds seem to adopt a Protestant-inspired view that gives nearly equal teaching and governing authority to both the laity and the bishops.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, addressing the cardinals in the congregations prior to the conclave, identified the hierarchical constitution of the Church as the great matter at stake in the Church today. Newman saw this problem in the Anglican Church in the early 19th century. Once he became Catholic, he continued to emphasize the foundational note of apostolicity in the Church.
Quoting Fr. Giovanni Perrone, Newman employs the phrase “pastorum ac fidelium in unum veluti conspiratio” (a harmony or breathing together between the shepherds and the faithful) in the 1877 Preface to the second edition of The Via Media of the Anglican Church. In this context, Newman discusses the process by which doctrinal definitions are received within the Church. He emphasizes that such definitions are not solely imposed by the hierarchy but are embraced through a harmonious collaboration between the Church’s teaching authority and the faithful.
This concept aligns with Newman’s broader ecclesiological vision, particularly his recognition of the role of the laity in safeguarding and transmitting doctrine. In his 1859 essay On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine, Newman argues that the faithful possess a sensus fidelium—a spiritual instinct that enables them to discern and uphold apostolic teachings. The laity and all the faithful have a voice which is important. This is the sensus fidelium, one of the ways in which God speaks. But the Church has a teaching magisterium, and the bishops share in a unique way in the triple office of Christ.
Newman acknowledges, however, that the exercise of ecclesiastical authority, particularly by bishops, is complex and fraught with challenges. He notes that while the Church is divinely guided to teach the truth, its human administrators can and do fall short. The bishops, entrusted with discerning and judging doctrine, must navigate the tensions between upholding theological integrity and addressing pastoral and practical concerns. This dynamic can lead to instances where theological principles are compromised for the sake of unity or expediency, reflecting the intricate balance required in ecclesial governance.
In essence, Newman presents a vision of the Church where bishops play a critical role in doctrinal discernment, operating within a framework that seeks harmony between theological truth and the practical realities of guiding the faithful. Their task is not only to preserve doctrinal purity but also to foster unity and address the pastoral needs of the Church, embodying the conspiratio—a harmonious collaboration—between pastors and the faithful. Even so, Newman understood that the bishops, together with the pope, have the ultimate responsibility and authority to discern and judge doctrine and govern the Church.
The Church has developed new ways for the participation of the laity in its teaching and governance but remains hierarchical in its constitution. The current synodal process in Germany raises serious concerns, as some of its proposals appear to challenge the hierarchical structure and doctrinal teachings of the Church. (See abstract to my article.)
In his time, Newman came to believe that the 16th-century Protestant Reformation had introduced grave errors into the Anglican Church. His initial efforts through the Oxford Movement aimed to recover the Church’s Catholic identity. Ultimately, he concluded that only the Catholic Church preserved apostolic continuity.
This past week, the cardinals have been discussing the needs of the Church and who can best serve in the Chair of Peter to meet these needs. The Holy Spirit will guide them to choose a pope who will defend the hierarchical constitution of the Church while its shepherds work in harmony with all the faithful.
We pray for whoever will be elected pope. We will love him and obey him. At the same time, let us ask the Holy Spirit to grant the cardinal electors the necessary wisdom and courage in this important choice. Sancta Maria, Mater Ecclesiae, ora pro eis!
