World News
Catholics are church's business cards, bishop says at Newman conference
Published: October 26, 2010
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The earthly church, despite its failings, is such a depository of God's riches that each of its members should be like a business card, proclaiming a new appreciation for the church's inner strength and beauty, Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley of Denver said at a New York conference. To do so would reflect the lives of Blessed John Henry Newman and Mother Julia Verhaeghe, who founded a religious community inspired by Blessed Newman's example, Bishop Conley said in his homily at a Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church opening a daylong conference on the newly beatified English cardinal. The Oct. 23 conference, sponsored by Fordham University and the religious congregation The Spiritual Family The Work, drew 200 people to hear Newman scholars discuss his writings, their influence on Mother Julia and their relevance to 21st-century Christians. Blessed Newman left the Anglican Church to join the Catholic Church in 1845. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI Sept. 19. Bishop Conley also became Catholic as an adult. He said Blessed Newman and Mother Julia "took the promptings of conscience very seriously," and used them to achieve to a deeper understanding of their faith. He said they both submitted to the interior authority of conscience and the exterior authority of the church. Bishop Conley said that both saw failings of the church and Blessed Newman "suffered from wounds caused by its members," but they had strong faith in divine providence and confidence that the weaknesses of the Catholic Church would "be overcome in God's good time."
Copyright (c) Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .
